Writers of the Future Podcast

Laurie Tom is a Chinese American living in Southern California. She won Writers of the Future in 2010 and was published in volume 26. She starting writing when she was 12 and has been writing 10 years before submitting her first story to F&SF and promptly got her first reject. Her skill eventually caught up with her enthusiasm. She can't not write. She is a compulsive outliner for her short storie...

Kary English originally entered Writers of the Future as a high school student, quit, resumed after a successful career and discovered that a favorite author, Brad Torgerson, was a winner and the forum moderator. After several more entries, she won the Contest and a few years later was invited by Dave Farland to be Contest First Reader...and here is her story. Oh yeah, listen to her Neil Gaiman st...

Writers of the Future Coordinating Judge David Farland discusses how your novel doesn't have to just be a novel and how you can take it to the next level as an intellectual property generating considerable additional revenue. davidfarland.com

Terry Madden was published in WOTF 30. Trained in biology and chemistry combined with a background in screenwriting and historical fiction, she has shifted gears and is currently working on a science fiction adventure. She provides tips on how to move forward as a writer, whether short fiction or novels. www.terrymaddenwrites.com

Tom Doherty, Publisher of Tor, talks about the history of science fiction book publishing. He also publishes most of the Writers of the Future judges and discusses the value of the Writers of the Future program.

Robert Silverberg was first published in 1955 at the tail end of science fiction's golden age. He has always and only been a writer and so has lived his dream. He got to know the pro's of the time and discusses his relationship with them. He was one of the first judges for Writers of the Future. Bob speaks about the current trends in SF, good and bad.

Scott T. Barnes, winner WOTF 28 in 2012, is Samurai swordsman, editor of NewMyths Magazine while maintaining his own writing career. He discusses how he has handled life and writing with his daughter recently coming down with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) which has made him feel emotions he didn't feel he was capable of. You can find Scott at ScottTBarnes.com or NewMyths.com.

Orson Scott Card describes how he went from screenwriting to writing books and how Ender's Game was conceived. He also answers questions posed by several fans: how he views writer's block, dealing with the pain of the protagonist, what happened to the TV series "Extinct," and a whole lot more. As a Writers of the Future judge, he also talks about the value of the Contest to a career as a writer. L...

Brad Torgersen, who won the 2019 Dragon Award for Best SF Novel of the Year, talks about his win, gives writing tips, discusses how Writers of the Future has impacted his writing career, and how to be a writer while deployed in the military. www.bradrtorgersen.com FB @BradTorgersen

Jody Lynn Nye is a prolific short story and novel writer as well as being a Writers of the Future judge. We all have problems with confidence as a writer. Jody offers some tips on how to deal with it. She also shares considerable experience in handling social media and dealing with trolls. She also talks about what it was like to co-write with Anne McCaffrey. Facebook: @JodyLynnNye Web: jodynye.ne...

Brianna Winner at SLC FanX talking about her path to becoming a writer, from a bullied 12-year-old along with her sister Brittany, to an award-winning-author. Let her journey be your inspiration! Discover the Winner Twins at www.winnertwins.com

Elise talks about how to be a writer as a new mom, even though that was several years ago now. She discusses the incredible mood swings, sleep deprivation, and total love for her child, yet feeling lost without being able to write—and how she ultimately overcame it and worked out how she could write. Elise was a winner in volume 35 with her story, "Untrained Luck" and can be reached at www. EliseS...

Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta, SCAD, graduate Jennifer Ober talks about what she learned from her week at the Illustrators of the Future as well as being a "con virgin" with this being her first time attending a convention. Discover Jennifer's amazing art at oberillustrations.com

Writers of the Future 35 writer winner, Carrie Callahan, has been writing since she was a child and talks about her journey to become a professional writer. Despite the poverty in her youth, she has persisted and is now a professional. She has always had to write and has always wanted to be a writer. She has learned that writing as an author is different than writing as a writer and that writing i...

Ciruelo Cabral began creating his art in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to Barcelona, Spain where he became a world-famous fantasy artist, specializing in dragons. Art is not just a career. You need to know what kind of person you are as an artist. You need to keep the passion you started with. Ciruelo is now an Illustrators of the Future judge helping new artists and a regular guest of DragonC...

Echo Chernik is the Coordinating Judge for the Illustrators of the future Contest discusses what the Contest looks for in illustration submissions. It must be illustration vs fine art. She then defines the difference between illustration & art. Lazarus addresses the agency side of illustration: can it tell a story and is it executed well.

Science fiction fantasy landscape artist Bruce Brenneise (volume 34 winner)talks about art direction and the importance of setting your ego aside. You are fulfilling someone else's vision. You are selling creative problem solving to a client. "If I have a disagreement, I take a beat, let any anxieties calm down, then have a calm professional discussion on the best route to take for the project." H...

Robert J. Sawyer, Dean of Science Fiction in Canada, discusses the importance of diversity in science fiction and fantasy and the value of Writers of the Future in providing a smorgasbord of techniques and styles in writing SF&F and the importance of paying it forward to the community as unique to the genre.

Brian C. Hailes was an Illustrators of the Future winner in 2002. We met up at Salt Lake City FanX and had a chance to talk about his career and thoughts for aspiring artists. With an art career, people don't care what kind of degree you have, they want to see your stuff. Can it sell. Can you make them money? The portfolio is key. They aren't going to hire you if you have a doctorate degree. And y...

Listen to the panel recorded at Salt Lake City FanX 2019. How do you write short stories that sell? Writers of the Future judges, Kevin J. Anderson, Jody Lynn Nye, Todd McCaffrey, Contest winner Brian Lee Durfee, and Galaxy Press staff Emily Goodwin and John Goodwin discuss the Contest, tips on story prompts and short fiction. They then answer questions from the audience. One hour long.

Larry Elmore, while working for TSR Inc. help set the standards for gaming art by creating covers for Dungeons & Dragons, AD&D, Star Frontiers, and Dragonlance. He has freelanced since 1987, creating cover art and commissions and has been an Illustrators of the Future judge since 2012. In this interview, Larry provides what he considers very important ̶ there is no silver spoon to being an artist....

Learn facts and figures of how blood donations save lives in this interview with Galen Unold, Director of the LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, in this interview at the DragonCon Heinlein Memorial Blood Drive where nearly 1,000 copies of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 35 were donated to be given to blood donators. Also, learn more about the long-term friendship between Mr. H...

Listen to the panel recorded at DragonCon2019. How do you become one of the 12 winners to be published in the annual anthology? Writers of the Future judges, Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Larry Niven, Jody Lynn Nye, Tim Powers, Brandon Sanderson, Robert J. Sawyer, discuss the Contest, tips on story prompts and short fiction. They then answer questions from the audience. One hour long.

Many aspiring writers give up before ever realizing their dream of being a published author. Martin Shoemaker did. Then he gave up on giving up and made it. This is his story. It could be yours too! This is his journey to becoming a Writer of the Future.

Wulf Moon talks about the importance of establishing your brand, including social media, selling your books at every opportunity, being positive and making friends. He gives several examples of how to do this. He is the author of "Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" published in "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 35." He also encourages you to join the Writers of...