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Bluntblade - that's a very subjective thing. Normally, BL likes prose to be quite straightforward, but you have varying degrees across different author "voices".

 

For example, Rob Sanders and Graham McNeill, I would say, are at the more descriptive and experimental in their writing, whereas ADB and Gav Thorpe are far more straightforward and conversational. Dan Abnett's writing tends to have a very pleasant middle-class English (almost aristocratic?) note to a lot of his characters and language, whereas Guy Haley has a lot more northern brusqueness to his. There's no right or wrong, and it's all subjective...

 

...but if I have trouble reading someone else's work out loud, that's usually a good sign that it's over-written. It certainly doesn't work for audio.

 

===

 

As for when the next submissions call will be, I reckon probably once the current batch is finished, maybe early-mid 2017? I don't know for sure.

 

DEFINITELY DON'T wait around for it, though. If someone wants to be a writer, they are writing all the time whether or not they have been commissioned. Start working on ideas now. Post your stuff online. Get feedback. Set each other writing challenges. Offer critique beyond "I don't like this".

 

And READ. Read as much as you can. Read all BL releases (especially mine, hur hur) and read outside of Warhammer fiction. Read the newspaper, read the BBC news app. Read journalism, read reviews, read fiction, non-fiction, everything. Listen to Radio 4 instead of music. Get a feel for language and speaking styles that aren't your own.

 

Don't wait for the bus. Walk to where you want to be, and start now.

That was just brilliant - thank you Laurie!

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Peter Fehervari (agreed, great writer) has some amazing, dark ideas. I don't think his prose is particularly complex, though. That's a good thing - it allows the ideas to be more easily communicated.

 

If it sounds like someone trying to impress us with their use of language, it's not usually going to be easy to read.

 

Can I just co-sign the Peter Fehevari big up! Based on Genestealer Cults, he is EXACTLY the kind of writer BL needs to encourage. Very mature storytelling and without doubt the highlight of 2016 for me.

 

Laurie, I know you are leaving (big shame for BL but congrats on your new secret role in the US of A) but please do pass on the praise for Peter Fehevari and encouragement for more work by him getting commissioned. A quick scan of B&C and other forums will show that there are a lot of W40k customers who are older and want more mature work. People like me have not bought a miniature for over 20 years but are still here spending money because we love the IP. GW/BL just needs to make sure they cater for a more mature taste and not think their target market is always teenage boys (and us oldies have more spending power anyway!)

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Peter Fehervari (agreed, great writer) has some amazing, dark ideas. I don't think his prose is particularly complex, though. That's a good thing - it allows the ideas to be more easily communicated.

 

If it sounds like someone trying to impress us with their use of language, it's not usually going to be easy to read.

 

Can I just co-sign the Peter Fehevari big up! Based on Genestealer Cults, he is EXACTLY the kind of writer BL needs to encourage. Very mature storytelling and without doubt the highlight of 2016 for me.

 

Laurie, I know you are leaving (big shame for BL but congrats on your new secret role in the US of A) but please do pass on the praise for Peter Fehevari and encouragement for more work by him getting commissioned. A quick scan of B&C and other forums will show that there are a lot of W40k customers who are older and want more mature work. People like me have not bought a miniature for over 20 years but are still here spending money because we love the IP. GW/BL just needs to make sure they cater for a more mature taste and not think their target market is always teenage boys (and us oldies have more spending power anyway!)

 

We always need more Peter. He is truly grim dark.

 

'A quick scan of B&C and other forums will show that there are a lot of W40k customers who are older and want more mature work.' - exactly. The only one of that range was 'Deathwatch' from Steve Parker. We need more grimdark like 'Fire Caste', Genestealer Cults and 'Deathwatch'. Seconded that - Laurie give us grimdark please!

 

Teenage boys could have their 'Legacy of crappy Russ'

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You all need not worry - I am pretty much the president of the Peter Fehervari Fan Club.

 

If you liked 'Genestealer Cults', I hope you bought 'Casts a Hungry Shadow' and realised how the two fit together. Also his short story in 'Deathwatch: Overkill' was a real pleasure to edit, along with the links to his previous Space Marine stories...

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I just hope he can really gun for an Angels Resplendent/Penitent story/novella/novel soon. The subject matter is just too tempting and interesting in all the right ways. I also found his ideas for the Brotherhood of a Thousand to be unique so I hope he can expand on them at some point.

At the end of the day I am really happy he didn't get swallowed whole by the policy shift a couple years back and is still writing.

 

I'm really looking forward to his interview for Combat Phase.

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You all need not worry - I am pretty much the president of the Peter Fehervari Fan Club.

 

If you liked 'Genestealer Cults', I hope you bought 'Casts a Hungry Shadow' and realised how the two fit together. Also his short story in 'Deathwatch: Overkill' was a real pleasure to edit, along with the links to his previous Space Marine stories...

Yes we did everything Peter already - and we need more Laurie! Much Much more!

 

I just hope he can really gun for an Angels Resplendent/Penitent story/novella/novel soon. The subject matter is just too tempting and interesting in all the right ways. I also found his ideas for the Brotherhood of a Thousand to be unique so I hope he can expand on them at some point.

At the end of the day I am really happy he didn't get swallowed whole by the policy shift a couple years back and is still writing.

 

I'm really looking forward to his interview for Combat Phase.

Penitent short was one of the best shorts ever - true glory!

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Bluntblade - that's a very subjective thing. Normally, BL likes prose to be quite straightforward, but you have varying degrees across different author "voices".

 

For example, Rob Sanders and Graham McNeill, I would say, are at the more descriptive and experimental in their writing, whereas ADB and Gav Thorpe are far more straightforward and conversational. Dan Abnett's writing tends to have a very pleasant middle-class English (almost aristocratic?) note to a lot of his characters and language, whereas Guy Haley has a lot more northern brusqueness to his. There's no right or wrong, and it's all subjective...

 

...but if I have trouble reading someone else's work out loud, that's usually a good sign that it's over-written. It certainly doesn't work for audio.

 

===

 

As for when the next submissions call will be, I reckon probably once the current batch is finished, maybe early-mid 2017? I don't know for sure.

 

DEFINITELY DON'T wait around for it, though. If someone wants to be a writer, they are writing all the time whether or not they have been commissioned. Start working on ideas now. Post your stuff online. Get feedback. Set each other writing challenges. Offer critique beyond "I don't like this".

 

And READ. Read as much as you can. Read all BL releases (especially mine, hur hur) and read outside of Warhammer fiction. Read the newspaper, read the BBC news app. Read journalism, read reviews, read fiction, non-fiction, everything. Listen to Radio 4 instead of music. Get a feel for language and speaking styles that aren't your own.

 

Don't wait for the bus. Walk to where you want to be, and start now.

Thanks, I was worried that you'd be put off by my vagueness. I've been writing a lot for a B&C project and reading shedloads of books in between bouts at work, so at least I'm doing right there. Gotta get critiqued a bit more, I guess.

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Getting good critique and feedback is pretty tough I've found.

 

I organized writing projects for another, unrelated community a bunch (I think about 5 full themed rounds with 5-10 participants who actually handed stuff in by the end each time, depending on how much I kicked their backsides on site and skype), and the point I wished had worked better was the feedback section. You'd figure at least the participants would read the other submissions, eh? Especially when they're presented in neat ebooks that took me long enough to put together and fix formatting on...

 

But no matter what you try, people are generally lazy and often don't know at all how to properly critique or give feedback beyond "I liked it". Others who take the time to read your stuff often just tell you what they think you'd like to hear (e.g. praise) but don't know how to give more nuanced feedback.  Usually that means that they're kinda wasting your time if you want to improve.

 

I've noticed a few Reddit boards offering opportunities for feedback, and what I saw wasn't bad. They also have a bunch of bouncing off of ideas going on. Whether that'll work well for tie-in fiction like 40k is questionable, but I'm sure there'll be at least *some* people on B&C who'd give it a try. Though neutral parties without potential prejudices or biases are still damn valuable regardless.

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Getting good critique and feedback is pretty tough I've found.

 

I organized writing projects for another, unrelated community a bunch (I think about 5 full themed rounds with 5-10 participants who actually handed stuff in by the end each time, depending on how much I kicked their backsides on site and skype), and the point I wished had worked better was the feedback section. You'd figure at least the participants would read the other submissions, eh? Especially when they're presented in neat ebooks that took me long enough to put together and fix formatting on...

 

But no matter what you try, people are generally lazy and often don't know at all how to properly critique or give feedback beyond "I liked it". Others who take the time to read your stuff often just tell you what they think you'd like to hear (e.g. praise) but don't know how to give more nuanced feedback. Usually that means that they're kinda wasting your time if you want to improve.

 

I've noticed a few Reddit boards offering opportunities for feedback, and what I saw wasn't bad. They also have a bunch of bouncing off of ideas going on. Whether that'll work well for tie-in fiction like 40k is questionable, but I'm sure there'll be at least *some* people on B&C who'd give it a try. Though neutral parties without potential prejudices or biases are still damn valuable regardless.

i write professionally in the entertainment industry (on other properties as well as my own). i'd be interested in a group like that, or giving "neutral" feedback. i've never played the game so i don't have particular prejudices (that i'm aware of).

 

you could also consider becoming a member of the writer's guild/union in your country. membership costs a fair bit, but the support is valuable if you're serious.

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  • 2 months later...

I think that BL starts the new submissions once they've sorted through the entries for the previous one. My bet is for the next submission contest to start round summer time.

May-June it seems. Plus with the Gathering Storm story moving on we probably have a clue as to what they will want for the next 1-3 years for submission.

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