Guidelines for Authors

I read a very good blog entry yesterday "10 Guidelines for Aspiring Speculative Fiction Authors by Robert Rhodes" on storycrafters.blogspot.com. A summary follows:

1. Read read quality spec and non-spec fiction
   
2. Pay attention and take notes you never know when an idea might strike
   
3. Master the basics
   
4. Create a complete, vivid story good stories integrate (1) a compelling character (2) in a fascinating setting (3) overcoming vast difficulties (4) by his or her own efforts and (5) achieving a worthwhile goal.
   
5. Reach for the stars write your best story
   
6. Beware of infatuation gain emotional distance so you can revise
   
7. Be open to criticism
   
8. Be--or pretend to be--a professional identify markets, follow submission guidelines, proofread, etc.
   
9. Reward yourself
   
10. Never, never, never quit

I couldn't have said it better myself! :)
Keep sending Electric Spec your stories!