F.A.Q.
What are your influences? What do you like to read?
I love Science Fiction and Fantasy, especially sociological and women's SF&F. I've read more anthologies and magazines than I can name (usually because they now out of print or were never well know to begin with.) I also like popular science books, history, and essays. (One of my favorite magazines is The American Scholar.)
Unfortunately, I can never predict what will show up in my work: I see some Robertson Davies (an official bio here), Ursula LeGuin, and William Henry Hudson. I also see some Anne McCaffrey (an author I never set out to emulate, but I read all of her works at an impressionable age.) Years of reading and re-reading everything I could put my hands on by and about J.R.R. Tolkien have not made a dent.
How do I get published?
1) Cynically pick a genre. Ruthlessly hone cranking out the perfect example of that genre. Send to genre publishers. Repeat from "ruthlessly".
2) Write what you know and love, spell check it, study online and print directories for publishers that may be a good match for your work (there is probably an edition of Writer's Market for what you write), read what they do publish, exactingly follow publisher's guidelines for formatting submissions to them, budget for postage -- lots of it, do not get discouraged, send out your work, read other authors like yourself -- especially what they've said about your kind of writing. Read everything you can to teach you your craft and language at its best. Do it for love and apply infinite patience.
What is the difference between a novel and a novella?
According to the standards of the Hugo award:
Short Story: Up to 7,499 words
Novelette: 7,500-17,499 words
Novella: 17,500-39,999 words
Novel: 40,000 words and up.
Other genres may vary and each publisher has their own standards.
How many typewriters do you own?
A portable 1960's Hermes 3000 typewriter, an Olympia Elite with English keys, a Remington Portable 1 typewriter, a Remington Noiseless 8 portable (but heavy!) typewriter, a standard Royal 10 typewriter with glass sides that I can barely lift, a tan Royal Quiet Deluxe portable typewriter that went to West Point, a Remington Noiseless Portable typewriter, two Remington 5 portable typewriters, and a Remington 5 Deluxe portable typewriter named Olga (when an 70-year-old typewriter says it has a name, I listen).
More on Remington typewriters:
http://machinesoflovinggrace.com/rems.htm
http://staff.xu.edu/polt/typewriters/rem-portables.htm
More on typewriters in general:
http://www.tw-db.com/
http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/
http://typewriter.rydia.net/
I also like fountain pens, but one madness at a time.
(Some help if you find a non-writing pen in drawer: http://www.nibs.com/PenMaintenance.htm.)
You didn't ask, but I am a happy member of the New England Science Fiction Association (reprinters of splendid out-of-print books.) I am trying like a deuce to join the SFWA.
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