I guess I'm an author now?
I attended the Writers of the Future Workshop and had a nice surprise at the end.
I’m going to allow myself a shameless brag: according to the airport luggage scale, my Writers of the Future trophies weigh a combined 38 pounds. The Contest had to give me an entire suitcase and box stuffed with packing peanuts just to get them home.
Okay, done. I’ll never mention them again.
It’s been just a few days since the Writer’s of the Future Workshop ended and I’m still struggling to believe it was real. And it’s not just winning the Golden Pen; the entire thing was the perfect week.
The other winners and judges were some of the kindest and most talented people I’ve ever met. For the judges that’s easy to quantify. Our main instructors were Jody Lynn Nye and Robert J. Sawyer, decorated and best-selling fantasy and sci-fi authors both. They were also incredibly kind to a bunch of shy, new writers. Their advice, ranging from crafting stories to navigating the complex world of publishing, was invaluable. One thing I really appreciated: there was no ‘if’s’ during our workshop. It was all ‘when you get an agent’ or ‘when you get a book deal.’ Their confidence in us was absolute. That’s a lot to live up to.
Speaking of writers, I felt very behind the entire workshop. Before finding Writers of the Future, I’d read little fantasy or science fiction. Sure, I’d read some contemporary heavy hitters like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King, as well as some classics like Ray Bradbury. But the other writers? Veritable encyclopedias of fantasy and sci-fi. They knew of – and had read – authors I hadn’t heard of. I felt like a college freshman talking to a bunch of tenured professors. Thankfully they were kind and patient and didn’t judge.
The most enlightening experience was the 24 hour story challenge. On Monday, Jody Lynn Nye gave us random objects, ranging from Sorry game pieces to an old Zune MP3 player charger. We then had 24 hours to craft a story inspired by our object. My prompt object? A plastic shoe insert. It had holes in it and looked either like a modern art sculpture or a codpiece, depending on who you asked. In exactly 24 hours we would turn in our manuscript. Jody and Rob would then pick two to be critiqued. How they made their decision? Throwing the manuscripts down the stairs and picking the ones that fluttered the farthest.
To cope with the stress of crafting a story in such a short time, I told myself it didn’t matter. I had a one in 12 chance of getting picked. Pretty low odds. But I also didn’t have much time. So I word-vomited onto the page, starting with the premise of a scientist in a cage. It turned into a story about how he’s trying to prove a race of predatory shapeshifters are sentient to save their world from colonization. The Odyssey got involved, then things got grim. It ended up being one of the darkest things I’ve ever written, and I thought it was pretty bad. Good thing no one would ever see it.
Until it got picked.
At first, I was embarrassed. I wrote things I never wanted anyone to see, and I thought the quality was shoddy (it was – it needed work). But as I got feedback, I started to think maybe it was better than I thought. Rob suggested I submit it to Analog. When a Hugo and Nebula-award winning author tells you to submit to a prestigious magazine, you don’t ignore it. That remark, even if make offhand or to comfort a very obviously embarrassed new writer, made me pause and rethink how I view my own work. It’s probably better than I think, if I get out of my own way and just write.
The rest of the workshop was like drinking from a firehouse. We got lectures on craft from Orson Scott Card and Nnedi Okorafor, two of my favorite sci-fi authors. We also got talks on the publishing business, with some instructors insisting traditional publishing is the only way to get noticed and others adamant that traditional publishing is dead – long live indie. What I took from it – whatever path you pick, it’s going to be hard.
The workshop was intense and most of our free time was gobbled up with the logistics of prepping for the awards show and whatnot. But most evenings we benefited from LobbyCon, where judges and other winners mingled over drinks and talked about writing. It was delightful to geek out with other people even more passionate about writing than myself – which is hard. Dean Wesley Smith went over his writing process that produces over 1.3 million words per year. I desire to think that fast, much less type.
One of the features of the Contest is our sister competition, Illustrators of the Future. Artists submit, win, then have 30 days to illustrate one of the winning short stories. My illustrator was Pedro N. from Portugal, an immensely talented man who brought my story to life in vivid color. I’ve never had anyone illustrate my work before, and it was surreal to see it happen – and happen so well.
Thursday was the award show. We arrived at the Taglyan Complex that the Contest had decked out in saber tooth cats and mammoth tusks, going off the theme of the cover art. When in Hollywood… There were interviews and photos aplenty, as well as networking.
All winners were expected to give ‘thank you’ speeches when we received our awards. Us four (really five, as one first place winner was a team of sisters) first place winners were asked to prep a second speech in case we won the Grand Prize; the Golden Pen. I had not because I thought all my luck had run out when I got my 24 hour story critiqued. Besides, the other stories were just too good, so I was comfortable knowing I wasn’t going to take home the Golden Pen. I’d spend tomorrow morning sightseeing, not doing interviews.
Ha.
After a dinner, the show started. I was lucky that my first speech, when receiving my trophy for First Place, was near the beginning. You can watch in on YouTube here (start at 27:05). I sat down and enjoyed the rest of the speeches. Some people have been submitting to the Contest for years. Their speeches were heartfelt and sincere. And after having spent so much time with them over the past week, they were also my friends.
Then it came time for the Golden Pen. Orson Scott Card and Jody Lynn Nye came on stage to announce the winner. But before they opened they envelope, they noted that this was the first time in Contest history that they’d had to break a three-way tie. Well, I thought. No way it’s me. Then they were opening the envelope and reading, “’Son, Spirit, Snake.’ Jack Nash” I had to swallow down my shock to stand, pick up a gigantic trophy (fine, I mentioned it again), and give a second speech. I didn’t have prepared remarks, but I had thoughts. You can watch it here on YouTube here (start at 2:14:24)
As I was walking off the stage, I shook Orson Scott Card’s hand and he told me he really enjoyed my story. Lifelong memory there. It got even better when Jody Lynn Nye told me to turn around because I was getting a standing ovation.
A perfect night got better. After signing books, thanking people and accepting some congrats, we went back to the hotel. The after party was hanging out in the hotel mezzanine floor with other winners, chatting about stories, our writing, and getting more advice from Dean Wesley Smith.
But I have a confession. Of the bestselling authors that the Conest has approved, most haven’t won the Golden Pen. Nnedi Okorafor and Ken Liu, perhaps our most decorated, were Finalists. Patrick Rothfuss, perhaps the biggest bestseller, was a first place winner. During the after party, Dean Wesley Smith told me that, going forward, I will need to get out of my head to write. I’ll either get an inflated ego and think whatever I’m producing is so amazing that I won’t take time to improve my craft, or I’ll think I’ll have to continually prove myself and not be able to write. Imposter syndrome is in there, too.
So what am I going to do? Write like no one is reading, write stories I care about, and worry about all the other stuff later. The stuff later isn’t the fun parts of writing, anyway, so why worry about them?
To capitalize on my Writers of the Future experience, I’ll be much more active on social media. Between stories and publications, I’ll need to remind people that I’m out here. I’ve also got a few short stories to polish up, some of which were workshopped this past week.
I mean, the Contest is all about starting a career. So, let’s begin.
