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What, other than my omnipotence, scares you about me?
01/04/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
In recent months Uncle Geoff has been asked a couple times the rather odd question as to who he actually writes for here at SFCrowsnest? Well, he doesn't know your name and the only common denominator he does know is you're sitting facing a computer monitor and have a passion for science fiction and fantasy. Hello everyone
In recent months I've been asked a couple times the rather odd question as to who do I actually write for here at SFCrowsnest? That is, who reads me? Looking at the monthly statistics and what we know about the hit distribution, I hardly think I could be targeting anyone in particular in our readership and I certainly don't blog or tell much about what I'm up to. I'm often puzzled by blogging. I mean, if someone spends time writing up a daily dairy and people spend time reading them, just how does anything get done in this world? A once-a-month editorial should give you all you need from me anyway and I don't like outstaying my welcome into your computer screen each month.
For the record, my original reply and one which I stuck to since is I write for the one person reading this. That's you by the way. Nice to see you again. Don't know your name and the only common denominator I do know is you're sitting facing a computer monitor and have a passion for Science Fiction. I doubt if there's a bunch of you physically sitting around a single monitor reading with a handy spittoon to pass the time. Using a computer tends to be a one-on-one affair.
Someone writes. Someone else reads. Occasionally, there's some communication. The only real feedback is in the number of hits a website gets. Numbers really just mean there are more like-minded people out there on a world-wide scale. We'd need a small country to put you all together and I doubt if that would be necessary or even desirable. Catering would be enormous and expensive. It doesn't indicate how many of you actually come for your monthly fix of my writing although one per cent of 43 million hits would make any writer envious.
Editorials tend to split between telling you about the contents of a new edition or raise some topic to let you mull over. I'm not very keen on the former. With SFC, even we don't know what the final edition is going to look like until its ready to go on-line. With the ease with which you can browse over the contents, we think you can make up your own mind as to what you want to read without me forcing my choices down your throat. So we rely on my ability to write about something that can make you think and ponder if you choose to be reading me here.
Giving you a topic to mull over is more akin to a group conscious with my voice giving it an airing. You might have heard about the subject or think something needs to be said about it than be ignored. Sometimes I can wildcard and do a subject totally out of the blue, like this one would be. I can say something about the topic and leave the editorial in your hands as to whether you want to read it or not let alone think its relevant.
Still, that doesn't answer the question or how do I know what you personally like or want to read? I don't. I have to assume the Science Fiction common denominator means you have some idea what I'm writing about although its such a wide field that I doubt if my own tastes fit anyone as an exact glove. The same could be true of anyone interested in SF. If one month's subject doesn't appeal, then another month might instead. Viva la differences. It probably explains why we have such a wide acceptance of what constitutes SF and only the churlish will outright condemn someone else's taste these days when our own tastes might seem equally odd. That might not be exactly true. It's still rather interesting how, despite different tastes, we can still also differentiate between good and bad material which goes to show we're less discriminatory than religions in accepting all we read and can smell a pup a mile off.
Do I see myself as a typical or average SF fan? I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what 'average' actually is. My tastes are hardly conservative and restricted to a few authors even in my pre-reviewing days as, apart from fantasy, I do take a taste of everything. I don't discriminate across the board and enjoy a selection of films and TV series as well as books. I certainly don't have a holier-than-thou attitude as to other people's tastes although can be curious as to why some directions struck. If you have something that excites you then so be it. Again, viva la differences. If I could be absorbed in detail in everything that comes out, I'd be doing well. As I doubt any SF fan is truly doing that then we're all pretty much in the same boat, grabbing what appeals and putting down what doesn't. If anything, the most I can admit to is being a Science Fiction fan so we're all pretty much in the same boat wondering if there is any average we can relate to. No wonder outsiders are confused and try pigeon-hole us and confused when we don't fit a preconceived idea.
If I had to think in terms of the nearly three-quarter million who link in off the newsletter or a percentage of the 43 million hits we get a month, then I would be seeing a mass of people not the individual. From any writer's perspective, you can't write for a crowd only for the individual. It makes sense if you think about it as I see you all as individuals rather than some baying or polite crowd out there. It's also more respectful to the individual you. With that I can make you comfortable or put some frighteners on. I can target particular subjects and even voice concern over them that you might have spotted on occasion but I would probably do the same if I were having a one-to-one discussion in person as well. On paper or computer screen, I can certainly up the level of considered argument. The only difference then is it wouldn't be a monologue as it is here. Then again, it might be. I'm just assuming someone is out there reading this. People who know me find it difficult sometimes to get a word in edgeways but I just don't think they're fast enough to keep up. With text on a computer screen I'm as fast as you choose to read. Another great equaliser.
Do I ever write for myself you might well ask at this time? The strength of any writer comes from the ability to communicate with others. Editorials, articles and stories I do myself here are written in the belief of shared interest. When I'm off touting material elsewhere, there is more of a concern for writing what a different audience wants. To write purely for yourself seems a somewhat selfish thing to do. If you believe in what you write, it will convey itself to the reader no matter the subject but again, you're still writing for the reader who hopefully will find something of interest in what is written.
What if there are no readers, would I still write? Lets be Zen and say a tree crashing down in a forest will still make a noise irrespective of whether there is anyone there to hear it. As an irresistible force of nature, words as sentences will always be there, waiting for someone, especially on the Net, to catch them at some time or other. Without the ability to communicate none of us would be here in the first place. They might scare or infuriate, might make you giggle or consider deeper than you would on a subject but they are there to be read. Sometimes, its nice to know that there might be someone out there reading these missives and getting the idea that they should try writing themselves. If it can inspire that, then it's just another bonus.
Think of yourself as being special and me glad that you've spent a part of our precious time here. If we're kindred spirits then that's a bonus and it can be nice to know you're not alone sometimes.
Thank you, take care, good night, be safe and happy reading, normal service next month
Geoff Willmetts
editor: SFCrowsnest.co.uk
A thought to ponder: Have you noticed that there are no undertakers on board Starfleet vessels? It isn't as though there isn't any work in that direction.
A real Zen thought:On a windless day, rain falls straight down but as the Earth is at an angle, the rain never appears straight.
Another real Zen thought but this time for potential writers: If you can express an opinion independently of others and aren't likely to bend to the masses then you might show potential as a writer.
Zen for those who are scared by all the instructions below: Many of the instructions are things you should be doing automatically if you're developing your writing skills. If you do them already then focus on the ones that you don't get right. They are there to help you as much as me to get the best writing from you. If you think you're 80% there then I'll help you get the final 20%. Trust me, I'm an editor and I can get things right.
BOOK REVIEWS
Do you love books?
Do you like curling up and reading a book?
Do you have a preference for fantasy, SF or horror?
Do you find it the greatest pastime you have next to being on your computer?
Are you very vocal about what you like and don't like in what you read?
Would you like to share your thoughts with others about books?
Would you like an endless supply of books to do this with?
Do you live in the UK?
If you've been nodding your head up to this point then link in below and see if you have what it takes to be a reviewer at SFCrowsnest. If you have that special knack to read and write or want to develop said skill then the only way you're going to find out is to take the plunge yourself rather than wait for others to do it first. Reading a lot of books is a requisite for any writer. Being able to say what makes them good or bad hones your own skills. It's got to be better than waiting for the sun to come out as the winter draws near. It's also amazing how much you can read in an hour a day.
If you've survived this far in the editorial, let me reiterate something from the website newsletter and the above editorial. As you can see from the main page, we have one of the biggest SF/fantasy/horror monthly reviews columns on the Net. Our success has increased the number of books that comes in and our policy is to read everything and give it a roadtest before giving a review so you have some idea of what you're letting yourself in for. You want the bottom line about what you're going to choose to read. That means we need people actually willing to read the book and tell others they're opinion in reviews. For that, we're always on the outlook for more reviewers.
Do you think you have what it takes to review a book? It's a skill that can be easily mastered and we need a few more. If you love fantasy, we have more than enough to keep you busy for instance.
Apart from the ability to put words into sentences, you also need to know how to précis, do a little research on associated subjects and can express opinions constructively about the good and bad points about the books you read. We even let you choose from our pile of received books rather than foster something on you that you wouldn't normally read. You'll even get a little editorial help in how to write good copy and that can always lead to other things. I'm not as scary as I sound editorially and its better to do the test review and see how you fare than not attempt to see how well you did. I did say you have to love books and willing to read beyond your favourite authors, didn't I?
If you like reading books in the genre and can average two or three a month, can really think and show you can write a decent review and, most importantly, live in the British Isles (sorry, expense, time and distance travelled mostly prohibits elsewhere), then use the link below and see our requirements. We can't pay you but a review for the price and regular supply of new books, this has to be a good incentive to see if you have what it takes.
Do you think you're up to writing a review? If you think you can, then you're really going to think you've landed your hands in the biscuit tin. It won't hurt to try and see if you have the right stuff by sending me a sample review. If you want an added incentive, it can also be good for your CV.
Look up the Review Guidelines by linking here: with a press of a mouse button.
SHORT STORY SLUSH PILE
We always have an interest in short stories which can be anything from one to thirty or so pages long. We're always willing to give short story writers a chance to be seen if they can withstand my scrutiny even if we can't pay for their efforts, your material will be seen by a lot of people. If you can get a short story written well then it'll make it easier to move up to novel-length.
Look up the Short Stories Link by linking here with your mouse.
FLASH OR ONE-PAGE FICTION
We've also a teaching ground of one page stories, so check out the rules elsewhere on the website. It's far too easy to just write and write and hope something good comes out of it. What writing a one page story does is test your ability to control your word count and still tell a story in a concise way. This doesn't mean we don't accept stories of different lengths - a short story can be anything up to 30-40 pages long after all - but opens up the means for really short stories from ideas that don't need as much space.
Flash fiction stories by linking here: with your mouse.
NOVEL-LENGTH SAMPLES IN THE FIRST INSTANCE
For those keeping track, I'm actually now caught up but don't tell everyone as I'm undecided as to whether to keep looking at novel-length story samples, move over specifically to short stories - which we do anyway for the website - or get a couple of my own book projects completed. The latter, I still intend to do anyway.
There might not be much of a wait unless I get a deluge, however those sending in ebook samples, please read the Guidelines by linking here with your mouse here or through the bottom line menu on the opening page of the SFC website.
They are there to help you do some of the right things and reduce the number of times I'm repeating myself over silly grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that you shouldn't be making if you're serious about becoming a writer. It makes editing a lot easier if any editor has less work pointing out poor English which you should have been sorted out in the first place and more focused on other areas of your work that deal with plot and the other serious elements of storywriting. As a writer, it is your command of the English language and its grammar that will show how serious you are about writing.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WRITING BUT AFRAID TO ASK
General advice for those who want to become writers of any sort: There's an old editorial adage, if you can't aim for perfection why should an editor nurse-maid you to that state? Nominally, my job is to catch minor glitches not total mishaps. If you're a writer, then you should understand the words, sentences and grammar of the job you're supposed to be writing or are you considering it as mundane and boring as any other job to get right? Fall in love with making every sentence the best you're ever written, read up and understand the rules of grammar. Put the time in researching any subject you're using in the story. Be prepared to put a story away for a few weeks and go back to it for a self-edit. Even I do that. You look good. I make you look better but you have to start off with good.
A lot of the time, errors will just stare you in the face when you didn't see them the first time round. Once you know where your weaknesses are, they can be sorted out and allow you to move a little higher up the ladder towards making your material look its best and more importantly, getting your material seen by readers.
The link here will show you the Common Problems Link page and what I see mostly with your mouse. It's the smart writer who doesn't get caught out with these.
Good luck. Geoff
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