tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post9004498040259189601..comments2024-03-28T01:11:53.559-07:00Comments on Electric Spec Editor Blog: Tales from the Slushpilelesleylsmithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14872977902924014581noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-61743840027760554022011-01-16T08:17:30.932-07:002011-01-16T08:17:30.932-07:00I could write a whole post about that. I know I te...I could write a whole post about that. I know I tend to like dark stories and characters. I like epic fantasy. Very little humor gets by me. Those are personal preferences. <br /><br />The first page thing is something I thought about and developed as a guideline for myself and my slush. It's also easy to explain to writers. Other editors may be more forgiving or not articulate it that way. But I noticed as I read successful published stories they seem to have it in common. <br /><br />The personal theme bit is another thing editors want but often don't articulate. They might describe a story as having "a certain something..." Boo on that. I think great stories have a maturity reflected in the writing and theme. I think good writing is characterized as confident and unselfconscious. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't analyze what makes good stories sing.Betsy Dornbuschnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-15834391729841501842011-01-16T08:17:25.606-07:002011-01-16T08:17:25.606-07:00I could write a whole post about that. I know I te...I could write a whole post about that. I know I tend to like dark stories and characters. I like epic fantasy. Very little humor gets by me. Those are personal preferences. <br /><br />The first page thing is something I thought about and developed as a guideline for myself and my slush. It's also easy to explain to writers. Other editors may be more forgiving or not articulate it that way. But I noticed as I read successful published stories they seem to have it in common. <br /><br />The personal theme bit is another thing editors want but often don't articulate. They might describe a story as having "a certain something..." Boo on that. I think great stories have a maturity reflected in the writing and theme. I think good writing is characterized as confident and unselfconscious. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't analyze what makes good stories sing.Betsy Dornbuschnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-22521994528724452112011-01-14T15:18:43.499-07:002011-01-14T15:18:43.499-07:00There is, indeed, much good advice there. Do you ...There is, indeed, much good advice there. Do you have a sense of how much is pretty standard versus personal style preference?<br /><br />The word limit thing is pretty standard, I get that. But meeting all the characters quickly... in short fiction, yeah, I think that's important (unless the story somehow is <i>based</i> on the late introduction of a character, which might be an interesting prompt to try to write to some day), but in longer fiction, I imagine some editors prefer just the opposite.PJDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05028687955957107957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-86047594388462372082011-01-14T11:05:16.858-07:002011-01-14T11:05:16.858-07:00"You" editors? Riiight... :D"You" editors? Riiight... :DBetsy Dornbuschnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-49089293935103446072011-01-14T10:24:13.649-07:002011-01-14T10:24:13.649-07:00Wow, you editors are pretty harsh! :)
But, seriou...Wow, you editors are pretty harsh! :)<br />But, seriously, thanks for the insight into your selection process Editor Betsy.<br />There's lots of good advice here.lesleylsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872977902924014581noreply@blogger.com