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Publishing your Writing: An interview with Lord Durham[/anchor]
Presented by : TreizeV
It's an ambition most writers have at every level. To have your works published and shared with the world (and to make a buck or two along the way
, why not?). But the most basic question is, how do I go about doing this? You may have the best piece of historical fiction written down in transcript but unless you do something with it, no publisher is going to notice.
Well, today I'm lucky enough to have secured an interview with one of AARland's most respected writers, one of the few who has successfully had their works published, to offer us his insights into how he got into the business. I am of course, referring to the honourable Lord Durham!
Part 1: Starting off
How did you start out as a writer?
It began with the purchase of 'Conan the Conqueror', one of a series of
paperbacks released in the mid 60s by Lancer books. I was so captivated by
the character and the 'history' that I was determined to try my own hand at
writing, though the results were less than stellar. My collection of
rejection slips proved it. Somewhat discouraged, I took a break (a long
break), until I discovered the Paradox forums. Writing AARs convinced me to
try again, and after a few rejections, made my first sale. That was 'The
Marsh God', published in 2004.
How do you usually find your ideas/inspiration?
Lots of reading; especially history books, provide a fertile ground for
storylines. Documentaries and world events are a good source too. So much of
what goes on these days make for great story-telling fodder. Just change the
names to protect the innocent.
For those of us who are not familiar, please tell us about your stories.
My published writing covers a broad spectrum, from SF and fantasy to
history, alt-history and young adult. I'm probably best known for my fantasy
series involving a mercenary named Dalacroy and his lover/partner Moirya.
There are 5 published stories to date, with more coming. In addition, there
is the ongoing comic adaptation of 'The Marsh God', the inaugural story in
the series. My website (
www.brucedurham.ca) features excerpts from all of my
published and forthcoming tales, as well as links to the various
publications.
What inspired you to write in your genre?
Well, as I mentioned, I write in several genres. But to be specific, in the
case of fantasy, the aforementioned 'Conan the Conqueror', and more
explicitly the work of Robert E. Howard, resonated with me. His gritty style
introduced me to the world of dark fantasy, heroic fantasy, and sword and
sorcery. I found the idea of creating my own world and populating it with
characters of my own creation a lure I couldn't resist. The genre proved to
be a short leap from writing AARs, as the historical component was pretty
transparent. My fantasy fiction is essentially historical fiction with
different names and a touch of magic. The other genres I write in have
varying influences. For history, Cecelia Holland, Harold Lamb and Talbot
Mundy proved influential. SF? Where do you begin? Clarke, Asimov, Niven,
Herbert...
How much time do you usually devote to writing?
Well, post eye problems, I try to write when I can, striving for a minimum
1000 words a session. It's not much, but it's the best I can do these days.
How much research do you find yourself doing when composing your writing?
Definitely too much. Research is my bane, to the point where I get bogged
down by minutiae and conflicting sources. After deciding what to keep and
what to toss, I typically use about 10% of what I gathered. Research should
support the story, and not the other way around. Use too much and your tale
will read like a history book.
Who has influenced you most as a writer? and why?
Robert E. Howard. He could paint a picture in a couple of sentences with a
few choice words. His writing was vivid, gritty and no nonsense. These days
authors tend toward a sparse style that discourages the use of adverbs and
adjectives, so his prose may appear archaic. But I defy anyone to read his
descriptions and not come away with a colourful mental image of his
characters and the world they inhabit.
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Part 2: Publishing
What made you decide to publish your writing?
Quite simply, I wondered if I had what it took to go professional. I had
these stories I wanted to share, so I began submitting them. I was fortunate
enough to find markets that felt my work was good enough to publish.
What steps did you go about in publishing your work?
I began by researching various markets to gauge their submission guidelines;
especially what they wanted and what they didn't. Then, if possible, I read
a sampling of their material to get a feel for what they were actually
publishing. I soon found that the disconnect between what a magazine claimed
they would accept and what they actually printed was large. Anyway, after
targeting some markets, I listed them in order of preference, begin
submitting and crossed my fingers.
Did you ever get any rejections? If so, how did you react to it?
All writers get rejected. Even the best. William Golding's 'Lord of the
Flies' was rejected about 20 times before acceptance. I've had my share.
Some I agreed with, others I didn't. Some were constructive, others were
form letters. It's hard not to take it personally, but at the end of the day
the editor is rejecting your work, and not you. The best thing to do is take
the story and send it to the next market. For instance, 'The Marsh God' was
rejected 3 times before 'Flashing Swords' published it. It only went on to
win an award for best Science Fiction & Fantasy short story in 2005. I won't
deny that I took a 'told you so' attitude with the 3 markets that rejected
it.
What are some of the major challenges you've faced in getting your
stories published?
Beyond reconciling what a publication accepts versus what they claim they
want, I've been pretty fortunate. The only real challenges I've had were a
couple of requested rewrites, usually to tighten the storyline or expand on
an idea. Beyond that, there are a couple of 'big' markets I'd like to crack,
which I'm hoping will happen in time.
Do you find writing for a magazine different from recreational writing?
(i.e forums) If so, how?
There is a difference, though the gap for me isn't as wide as it once was.
Writing for a publication forces you to submit the best work possible. You
can't take shortcuts, or skimp on the editing process. Because competition
is so fierce, the editor wants to see the best you have to offer. On the
other hand, recreational writing allows you space to experiment, to work out
ideas and hone the craft. My early writing on the forums was undisciplined,
but as I gained confidence I improved. Now I try to produce work that I
would be happy to submit professionally, after some tweaking, of course.
What's your opinion on the experience or skill a writer should have
before considering publishing?
Skill definitely counts, though surprisingly some editors will forgive
mediocre writing if the story is a standout. However, everything that can be
written has been. When's the last time you read an original idea? It all
comes down to how you present your material.
I've noticed that a lot of your works involves publishing short stories
with magazines, have you considered writing a novel one day? Or starting
a series? Involving your character Dalacroy perhaps? (if you've
published a novel, ignore this question) What are your future writing plans?
I've been approached by a publisher to write a novel based on my character
Dalacroy. The story is plotted, and I'm currently at chapter 4. Time will
tell if it's successful, and if it will encourage sequels. I have another
work in mind, an alt-history piece, but so far it's in the planning stage,
and has been relegated to the backburner due to the success of Dalacroy.
However, I have a short story coming that takes place in that particular
alt-history world. A prequel, so to speak. At this moment I'm working on a
fantasy story for a sequel to the critically acclaimed anthology 'Return of
the Sword', which has just entered its second printing and features my story
'Valley of Bones'. The story will continue the adventures of Mortlock, the
everyman hero from 'Valley of Bones'.
From your experience thus far, what do you believe Publishing companies
look for in a manuscript/story to distinguish them from the rest?
It depends. Some publications look for stories that are literary in nature
and concentrate on characterization in lieu of plot. Other publications
prefer a solid, plot driven story with good characters. One of the keys is
how you present your material, and how you deal with your ideas. Remember
what I said about everything having been written? Well, you have to convince
the editor that your piece stands above the rest. It's not easy, because
everyone has different tastes, and a lot of what is accepted or rejected
comes down to that. For example, I've been a slush reader for several
publications, which means I judge submissions before passing them along to
the editor with either a recommendation or a rejection. I can usually tell
from the first few paragraphs if the story will work. Of course, like
editors that I try to sell to, I have certain biases that influence my
decisions. It's human nature.
Would you have any tips for those who wish to market their work?
Read the publication's submission guidelines. The good ones will tell you
what they want and what they don't. If in doubt, certain editors will accept
queries. Make sure your manuscript is as good as it can be, and follows the
submission guidelines for formatting. There are certain rules to be
followed, make sure you know them. Some publications are extremely fussy
about that. Spelling and punctuation are vitally important. Use the
resources on the 'net'. There are lots of good ones out there. For locating
markets, Ralan.com is excellent. Some markets like to see a short cover
letter, basically a brief introduction listing a few previous publication
credits. Others don't. Again, the submission guidelines should cover that.
However, don't use the cover letter to provide a synopsis of your story. Let
the story sell itself.
Lastly, any advice you would give to new writers? Especially those who
might consider publishing in the future?
Practice, practice, practice. Experience comes with practice. Read and read
some more. Develop thorough plotlines, create intriguing characters, put
them through the grinder, keep the pacing tight, give the reader a catchy
opening--openings are extremely important to keep the reader's
interest--finish with a resounding climax and satisfying end. Write, edit.
Rinse and repeat. An author has to engage the reader, make them see what the
character sees, feel what they feel, suffer through their adversity and
revel in their accomplishments. Work with a small critique group and be
willing to accept criticism. Don't be afraid to toss out what doesn't work.
Use all of the senses when writing, not just sight. What does a character
hear? Smell? Taste? Touch? Use a thesaurus. Few things are more off-putting
than reading the same word three or more times in a paragraph. If you want
to convey action, use action verbs. Avoid cumbersome dialogue tags. Good
dialogue is hard to write, so spend a lot of time working on it. I recite my
story out loud. It's a useful trick I use to help find the clunky parts, the
sections that don't read right. Finally, when you feel you're ready, and
that first manuscript is submitted, be prepared for disappointment. I had
nine rejections before my first sale. But that first acceptance letter makes
it all worth while. So, don't get discouraged and don't give up. And by all
means, don't talk the talk. Do it.
You can find all of Lord Durham's short stories here:
http://www.brucedurham.ca/page4.html
TreizeV is the author of Resistance – Fall of Man