Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Science Fiction And Fantasy Writer's Chat 3/23/11 with Kristine Kathryn Rusch Smith

BryanThomasS:Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer?s Chat. #sffwrtcht
1:00 amsffwrtcht:Our goal is to talk w/ writers, editors, & others abt the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction. #sffwrtcht
1:00 amsffwrtcht:Our format is round table discussion. Please restrict ?s to writing craft, business of writing & the specific works of the guest. #sffwrtcht
1:00 amsffwrtcht:Please wait until your question gets answered to ask another, use the hashtag #sffwrtcht for all questions and comments.
1:01 amsffwrtcht:Next Wed. we have @jasonsanford and on April 6, @johnklima from electricvelocipede #sffwrtcht
1:01 amsffwrtcht:Tonight?s guest is the author of numerous books and stories from Star trek to Star Wars, fantasy to Science Fiction #sffwrtcht
1:01 amsffwrtcht:Her stories appear regularly in magazines like Asimovs and Lightspeed #sffwrtcht
1:01 amsffwrtcht:Welcome @kristinerusch! Thanks for joining us! #sffwrtcht
1:01 amKristineRusch:Thanks! Happy to be here. #sffwrtcht
1:02 amBryanThomasS:Why we don?t we start by having you tell us about how you got into writing. Did you start young? #sffwrtcht
1:02 amKristineRusch:I've written my entire life. I wrote a book when I was seven. It was about ponies. #sffwrtcht
1:02 amKristineRusch:My sister has my first novel. I wrote it at 12. She won't give it back. :-( #sffwrtcht
1:02 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch LOL A perfect topic for that age. #sffwrtcht
1:03 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch LOL Shame on her. What age were you when you first got something published? #sffwrtcht
1:03 amKristineRusch:Sixteen. I wrote the high school column for the local paper. #sffwrtcht
1:04 amBryanThomasS:Awesome. Mine was a column in my high school paper. #sffwrtcht
1:04 amsffwrtcht:What?s a typical writing day look like for you? Do you write daily after work? Get up early? #sffwrtcht
1:04 amKristineRusch:Yeah. I did that too. And I edited the local high school paper & yearbook with others. #sffwrtcht
1:04 amKristineRusch:A typical day...#sffwrtcht
1:05 amKristineRusch:I don't have a day job. So writing *is* my work. I don't get up early. Don't have to. I write after breakfast, exercise...#sffwrtcht
1:05 amkaolinfire:@BryanThomasS I don't really remember the particulars. Definitely young. Burst in 3rd/4th grade due to school + mom. prose/poetry #sffwrtcht
1:05 amKristineRusch:...go to lunch, write more, have dinner, write more, read, watch TV or a movie, bed. #sffwrtcht
1:05 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Do you outline? Do character sketches? Or let the story unfold? #sffwrtcht
1:06 amKristineRusch:No. No outlines, no sketches. I'm a very, very, very organic writer. #sffwrtcht
1:06 amshadowflame1974:@KristineRusch sounds like your days are busy. #sffwrtcht
1:06 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Me too. Which comes first the character or the world? #sffwrtcht
1:06 amKristineRusch:They are busy, but I do what I love. Always a plus. #sffwrtcht
1:07 amKristineRusch:Character or world...sometimes one or the other, sometimes just an image. As I said, very organic. #sffwrtcht
1:07 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Yes, it's wonderful that people can do that. #sffwrtcht
1:07 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Where did the idea for ?Diving Into The Wreck? come from? #sffwrtcht
1:08 amBryanThomasS:If you all have not read one of Kris' books, I have read two in the past week and you are missing out! #sffwrtcht
1:08 amKristineRusch:Two places. I read Shadow Divers, but I'd been planning to do a big space opera for some time. ...#sffwrtcht
1:08 amBryanThomasS:@kaolinfire Me too. I was writing books with a friend in 3rd grade #sffwrtcht
1:08 amKristineRusch:Besides, my husband @Deanwesleysmith is a diver & has done search & rescue, so I kept wondering how to make that work in sf #sffwrtcht
1:08 amKristineRusch:...I steal from his life a lot. His life is more interesting than mine. #sffwrtcht
1:09 amKristineRusch:...then I got the first image, and I wrote from there. #sffwrtcht
1:09 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I was going to ask if you'd dived for research but it sounds like you married your researcher #sffwrtcht
1:09 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: LOL I'm a diver, too. It's a great source of fiction inspiration #sffwrtcht
1:09 amKristineRusch:I swim a lot and am part fish. So that helped. I have never done diving, though. #sffwrtcht
1:10 amKristineRusch:Yeah, everyone says it's wonderful, Patty. Must try it sometime. :-) #sffwrtcht
1:10 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch It's an interesting world you've set it in. People on the fringe diving for fun and profit. #sffwrtcht
1:11 amKristineRusch:I've got a lot more ideas in that world. It gets bigger by the hour. #sffwrtcht
1:11 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch And Boss is complex with her past history and her own codes of conduct which are all questioned throughout #sffwrtcht
1:11 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch @pattyjansen I want to try it too someday! #sffwrtcht
1:11 amKristineRusch:Exactly. Boss is quite complex. #sffwrtcht
1:11 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch The sequel is coming out in May, correct? #sffwrtcht
1:12 amKristineRusch:Yes. The sequel is called CITY OF RUINS and @Pyr_Books will publish it. #sffwrtcht
1:12 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Can't wait to read it! #sffwrtcht
1:12 amshadowflame1974:@BryanThomasS @kaolinfire I got you both beat. 1st grade. :D I still have it too. lol #sffwrtcht
1:12 amsffwrtcht:Do you plan to a do a series of books as you?ve done with ?The Fey? and ?Retrieval Artist?? #sffwrtcht
1:12 amKristineRusch:Yes. I am finishing the 3rd Boneyards this week. #sffwrtcht
1:13 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: I'd like to read those books, too, but they're very hard to get in Australia :( #sffwrtcht
1:13 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch That's great. Are the next two continuations of the first story or separate stories? #sffwrtcht
1:13 amKristineRusch:I know, Patty. I'm hoping they'll hit e-readers other than Kindle soon. I do list an Australian bookstore on my "diving" site #sffwrtcht
1:14 amKristineRusch:The next two are separate stories, each 5 years after the previous. But it's better to read the first. #sffwrtcht
1:14 amKristineRusch:Diving site is http://bit.ly/gQua6u. #sffwrtcht
1:14 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Obviously, The Retrieval Artist has been a big hit. I just read ?Consequences.? How did that idea come about? #sffwrtcht
1:14 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: I'll prob order from Book Depository (and get you to sign at WOTF? *hopeful* #sffwrtcht
1:15 amKristineRusch:Consequences. Sadly, it came from 9/11. #sffwrtcht
1:15 amKristineRusch:I'll be happy to sign at WoTF, Patty. #sffwrtcht
1:15 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Interesting. I can see elements of that influence for sure. #sffwrtcht
1:15 amsffwrtcht:And the idea of retrieval artists? What inspired that? #sffwrtcht
1:16 amKristineRusch:The witness protection program. I wondered what would make it sf. And then it got complex. #sffwrtcht
1:16 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch LOL Yes. Complex enough to generate lots of great stories. I'm looking forward to reading others. #sffwrtcht
1:17 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I like the noir feel to them and the multiple POVs rather than just one POV typical for noir #sffwrtcht
1:17 amKristineRusch:Thanks! The new book will be in NOvember. An Analog story first in Aug/Sept. #sffwrtcht
1:17 amKristineRusch:The original short story is Flint in first person. The only time I did that. #sffwrtcht
1:18 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch The chapters are also short and so it moves very quickly. Is it hard to find new stories after so many? #sffwrtcht
1:18 amKristineRusch:No. I have more stories than I can write, I think. #sffwrtcht
1:18 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: You don't like writing in first person? #sffwrtcht
1:19 amKristineRusch:I mean the only time I did that in the Retrieval Artist series. The Diving series has first person & so do my mysteries. #sffwrtcht
1:20 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Speaking of which, you write a lot of books and use three primary noms-deplume #sffwrtcht
1:20 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Do you find that using different names is helpful for readers of different genres? #sffwrtcht
1:20 amKristineRusch:More than three pen names, but three will do. Kris Nelscott in mystery, Kristine Grayson in romance, with a few others. #sffwrtcht
1:21 amKristineRusch:I like the pen names as branding. My romances are very sweet, and I don't want to offend those readers with something dark #sffwrtcht
1:21 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I meant only that there seem to be three dominant ones. Sorry. #sffwrtcht
1:21 amKristineRusch:....like my mysteries or the Fey. #sffwrtcht
1:21 amKristineRusch:At the moment, 3 dominant ones. Starting up a new one later this year. :-) #sffwrtcht
1:21 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: Do you advocate writing with diff names if you write in diff subgenres? Does it matter? #sffwrtcht
1:22 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch How long does it typically take to write a novel? You have so many coming out you must write fast. #sffwrtcht
1:22 amKristineRusch:I don't advocate anything, Patty. I think it's up to the writer. As a reader, I like to know if something is dark or not...#sffwrtcht
1:22 amKristineRusch:I do write fast, but I write a lot (many hours/many words). Each novel is different. Some take 3 weeks, some take 3 years. #sffwrtcht
1:23 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch Well, I have had some people suggest you can't write different genres under the same name, so I understand the ? #sffwrtcht
1:23 amsffwrtcht:I never thought it mattered myself. But maybe it does. #sffwrtcht
1:23 amKristineRusch:Of course you can write different genres under the same name. Lots of folks do it. It wasn't advisable five years ago...#sffwrtcht
1:23 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch I take it you work on multiple projects at one time then. #sffwrtcht
1:24 amKristineRusch:...when computers ran publishing. SF sells less than Romance, so if you use the same name and alternated genres...#sffwrtcht
1:24 amKristineRusch:....you would watch your numbers decline because the sf would pull down the romance. Not true any longer w/ all the changes. #sffwrtcht
1:24 amsffwrtcht:You have spent a lot of time writing advice on the business for writers. I know it's helped me. Is tht a passion--helpng writers? #sffwrtcht
1:24 amKristineRusch:I do write multiple projects at once. Dean says it's because I'm a Gemini & can multitask. #sffwrtcht
1:25 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: .glad to hear it doesn't matter that much anymore. I tried to think of meaningful pseudonym, but failed #sffwrtcht
1:25 amKristineRusch:I have all this knowledge, Bryan. I really want to share it. Besides, what kills careers isn't bad writing; it's bad business. #sffwrtcht
1:25 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I find writing multiple things helps to avoid writer's block as I can just switch when one is blocked #sffwrtcht
1:25 amupandcomic:@KristineRusch Would even self-publishing authors have a use for pennames?How would that work,with a single personal website etc? #sffwrtcht
1:26 amKristineRusch:Pen names are easy, as long as you remember that people will call you by that name. #sffwrtcht
1:26 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I agree. And your advice is very helpful. I so appreciate the chance to learn from you. #sffwrtcht
1:26 amKristineRusch:Take a look at my site. Most of the pen names (the ones I can admit to) are there.http://bit.ly/fmzdFD. #sffwrtcht
1:26 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch It's one of the reasons I started this chat to allow us to learn from each other. #sffwrtcht
1:26 amKristineRusch:They also have their own websites or will. Kris Nelscott needs me to finish the site. #sffwrtcht
1:26 amKristineRusch:I think that's marvelous, Bryan. #sffwrtcht
1:27 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Any plans to do more "Fey" books or another fantasy series perhaps? #sffwrtcht
1:27 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Thanks. #sffwrtcht
1:27 amKristineRusch:The next Fey book will come out in late 2012. I have to research my own world. It's been a while. #sffwrtcht
1:27 ampattyjansen:@BryanThomasS: @KristineRusch yes, thanks Bryan, also for putting it at a time that's not in the middle of the night for me ;-) #sffwrtcht
1:28 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch That brings up a good question. Do you keep files on your worlds or a spreadsheet of data? #sffwrtcht
1:28 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Or is that organic, too. :) #sffwrtcht
1:28 amKristineRusch:Yeah, but it's haphazard. I'm not a spreadsheet kinda gal. Right now, a writer friend is doing a Guide to the Fey...#sffwrtcht
1:28 amBryanThomasS:@pattyjansen You're welcome. #sffwrtcht
1:28 amKristineRusch:...which WMG will publish when it's done. Mostly, though, it's to help me. :-) #sffwrtcht
1:29 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch LOL Hey, nothing wrong with meeting two needs with one book, right? #sffwrtcht
1:29 amKristineRusch:It's really helpful. I can't organize something like that to save my life. #sffwrtcht
1:29 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch Do you find you get lots of cross readers through your various genres? #sffwrtcht
1:29 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Me either! I am having to reread a lot as I write my first sequel #sffwrtcht
1:30 amKristineRusch:I do get cross readers (is that like cross dressing?). Mostly my sf readers are secretly reading my romance novels. #sffwrtcht
1:30 amKristineRusch:underlining & Post-Its can only do so much, Bryan. #sffwrtcht 
1:30 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch LOL No that was just me tryingt to be concise in 140 characters #sffwrtcht
1:30 amshadowflame1974:@KristineRusch lol so do your romance readers secretly read SF? #sffwrtcht
1:30 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Hi-lighting. Never forget the rainbow color coding! :) #sffwrtcht
1:31 amsLange_Windsor:RT @KristineRusch The next Fey book will come out in late 2012. I have to research my own world. It's been a while. #sffwrtcht [Yes!!!] :D
1:31 amKristineRusch:Romance readers read most everything. Mystery & SF & Mainstream readers are genre specific. #sffwrtcht
1:31 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch There tends to be a hole in the Post-It layer above any desk where I work. I have to admit #sffwrtcht
1:31 amKristineRusch:You should see my research books. Filled with Post-its. That's why I don't research on my Kindle. #sffwrtcht
1:32 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch One of the benefits of working cross genre seems to be your ability to mix them well. Such as in Retrieval Artist #sffwrtcht
1:32 amLouisaSwann:RT @kristinerusch: Romance readers read most everything. Mystery & SF & Mainstream readers are genre specific. #sffwrtcht
1:32 amlouisawritter:RT @kristinerusch: Romance readers read most everything. Mystery & SF & Mainstream readers are genre specific. #sffwrtcht
1:32 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I know. I have to fight the urge with my Nook #sffwrtcht
1:32 amKristineRusch:Thanks. I didn't know what a genre was until @thekja (Kevin J. Anderson) explained it to me in college. #sffwrtcht
1:33 amKristineRusch:...so I mix genres because I mix them when I read. And writers are influenced by what they read, y'know. #sffwrtcht
1:33 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch You've collaborated with Dean and KJA. How does collaboration work for you? #sffwrtcht
1:33 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Absolutely! I find that with my own writing very much. #sffwrtcht
1:33 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I will soon have @KristineRusch influenced stuff I am sure. :) #sffwrtcht
1:33 amKristineRusch:Collaboration is different with different writers. Kev & I are more compatible. Dean & I fought until we found a system. #sffwrtcht
1:34 amsffwrtcht:Meaning, do you write alternating scenes then rewrite each other? Pick one as the final voice? etc. #sffwrtcht
1:34 amKristineRusch:Some of that is relationships. Kev is like my second brother. Dean is my spousal unit and therefore can be wrong. #sffwrtcht
1:34 amKristineRusch:Kev & I fought about who got the great scenes & alternated. (We ultimately chose who got the "gushy" parts). #sffwrtcht
1:34 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch LOL I understand that way more than I wish I did #sffwrtcht
1:35 amKristineRusch:Dean writes the plot draft, and I "color," add setting & characters. We can't brainstorm together or someone will die. #sffwrtcht
1:35 amLouisaSwann:Yippee! RT @kristinerusch: The next Fey book will come out in late 2012. I have to research my own world. It's been a while. #sffwrtcht
1:35 amlouisawritter:Yippee! RT @kristinerusch: The next Fey book will come out in late 2012. I have to research my own world. It's been a while. #sffwrtcht
1:35 amsffwrtcht:Feel free to keep jumping in with questions you've always wanted to ask @KristineRusch #sffwrtcht
1:35 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Well, I'm glad you figured it out before that happened #sffwrtcht
1:36 amKristineRusch:It was a near thing. #sffwrtcht
1:36 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: I'm glad my husband doesn't write fiction (or read much for that matter). #sffwrtcht
1:36 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Do you use the same agent for all genres? Or do you even have an agent at this point? #sffwrtcht
1:36 amKristineRusch:I use an agent for some things. But I have more experience w/contracts than 90% of the agents out there....#sffwrtcht
1:37 amKristineRusch:...so my current agent is also a lawyer. But I do so much, I mostly handle things myself. #sffwrtcht
1:37 amBryanThomasS:@Merc_hyn_di I look forward to reading that! Congrats to @Paulskemp Upcoming #sffwrtcht guest on 4/27 #StarWars #reading
1:37 amKristineRusch:I'm not sure how valuable agents are any more. In the New World of Publishing, agents really have no place. #sffwrtcht
1:37 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I have worked with contract lawyers for several years so I negotiated my first contract without an agent also #sffwrtcht
1:38 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch LOL I'm sure they cringe to hear you say that. #sffwrtcht
1:38 amWyld_Dandelyon:#sffwrtcht I envy people who have a spouse for first reader, though.
1:38 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch When you write tie-ins, how much input do you have over storyline and characters? Is it all laid out by others? #sffwrtcht
1:38 amKristineRusch:Sometimes w/an agent & editor, it's like an elaborate game of telephone. Better to do it on your own, most of it. #sffwrtcht
1:38 amshadowflame1974:@KristineRusch for those of use who don't know about contracts what would you advise ? #sffwrtcht
1:38 amBryanThomasS:@Wyld_Dandelyon Definitely. I do too #sffwrtcht
1:39 amBryanThomasS:@pattyjansen Sigh. That was my experience too. #sffwrtcht
1:39 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I also have a lawyer written book called "How To Negotiate A Book Contract" which is great #sffwrtcht
1:39 amKristineRusch:Agents are screwing themselves every which way from Sunday ignoring new writers. However...#sffwrtcht
1:40 ampattyjansen:@BryanThomasS: I used to get about 30% request rate. This past year... nothing. I'm going the e-way. #sffwrtcht
1:40 amKristineRusch:...New writers should stop trying to get an agent, and instead market the book themselves....#sffwrtcht
1:40 amAdrianPhoenix:RT @KristineRusch: The next Fey book will come out in late 2012. I have to research my own world. It's been a while. #sffwrtcht
1:40 amKristineRusch:...yeah, yeah, I know. Publishers say they don't read unagented. (Publishers lie) #sffwrtcht
1:40 amBryanThomasS:@Merc_hyn_di I have Crosscurrent on my stack to read. #sffwrtcht
1:41 amKristineRusch:Really, Bryan? I've never seen that book. Can you e-mail me the link. I'd love to look @ it. #sffwrtcht
1:41 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch What are some methods you suggest for marketing books themselves? #sffwrtcht
1:41 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Absolutely. #sffwrtcht
1:41 amrebeccasenese:RT @KristineRusch: I'm not sure how valuable agents are any more. In the New World of Publishing, agents really have no place. #sffwrtcht
1:41 amKristineRusch:Learn to write a good proposal. Add the first 50 pages. Go to Publisher's Marketplace. Learn editors names. Add SASE. Mail. #sffwrtcht
1:42 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Here's the book. I got the title slightly off. Sorry. http://amzn.to/fhJCL3 #sffwrtcht
1:42 amrebeccasenese:RT @KristineRusch: For those who don't know contracts, 1) Buy the Copyright Handbook. 2) read contracts of other writers who'll let you. Learn them. #sffwrtcht
1:42 amKristineRusch:And oh! be patient. It takes *months* to get a response. #sffwrtcht
1:42 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Any good guides to writing proposals you can suggest? #sffwrtcht
1:42 amKristineRusch:@BryanThomasS Thanks! coolness! #sffwrtcht
1:43 amrebeccasenese:RT @KristineRusch: Learn to write a good proposal. Add the first 50 pages. Go to Publisher's Marketplace. Learn editors names. Add SASE. Mail. #sffwrtcht
1:43 amKristineRusch:Naw. But Dean & I teach a class in how to do it. Check out: http://bit.ly/gQnOW6 & hit the workshop tab. #sffwrtcht
1:43 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: I've had publishers' responding outstanding for 2 years. At this rate, I'll die before being published. #sffwrtcht
1:43 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch It's a bit pricey but breaks it down by clause. Very helpful to understand legalise and the importance of... #sffwrtcht
1:43 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch precise wording in contracts! #sffwrtcht
1:43 ampattyjansen:@BryanThomasS:That sounds like a useful book! #sffwrtcht
1:43 amKristineRusch:That sounds excellent, Bryan. #sffwrtcht
1:43 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch What can we as writers do to market our published books to readers ourselves? #sffwrtcht
1:44 amBryanThomasS:@pattyjansen I love it. And I got everything I wanted in my contract #sffwrtcht
1:44 amKristineRusch:We're doing it right now. Have an active website. Be friendly to readers. But most important--Write the next book! #sffwrtcht
1:44 amrebeccasenese:RT @KristineRusch: We're doing it right now. Have an active website. Be friendly to readers. But most important--Write the next book! #sffwrtcht
1:44 amKristineRusch:I'll be doing a blog post on that in about 2 weeks, if the publishing world stops changing so much. #sffwrtcht
1:44 amBryanThomasS:Having worked with lawyers, the number 1 rule is: the more specific the wording, the more it favors the writer. #sffwrtcht
1:45 amBryanThomasS:Less specific wording favors the publisher. #sffwrtcht
1:45 amrebeccasenese:RT @BryanThomasS: Having worked with lawyers, the number 1 rule is: the more specific the wording, the more it favors the writer. #sffwrtcht
1:45 amKristineRusch:Patty, if a publisher takes more than a year, go to someone else. And multiple submit! #sffwrtcht
1:45 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch In case anyone has missed it, be sure and check out Kris' blog athttp://bit.ly/fcxaMQ #sffwrtcht
1:46 amrebeccasenese:RT @BryanThomasS: @KristineRusch In case anyone has missed it, be sure and check out Kris' blog at http://bit.ly/fcxaMQ #sffwrtcht
1:46 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Yes, a lot of agents and publishers insist on exclusivity in submissions. What's your take on that? #sffwrtcht
1:47 amKristineRusch:Grrrr. Agents want an exclusive. Agents are *employees* Contract labor. They have no right to an exclusive. #sffwrtcht
1:47 amKristineRusch:That's a tip right there that they don't understand the writer/agent relationship. Avoid at all costs!!!! #sffwrtcht
1:47 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I agree. I don't ever agree to that. But interesting to hear different opinions. #sffwrtcht
1:47 amKristineRusch:If an editor wants an exclusive, and you want to sell to them, put a time limit on it. For one week/one month only. #sffwrtcht
1:48 amKristineRusch:Otherwise, say no exclusive. They're trying to control your business. That's a big no - no, imho. #sffwrtcht
1:48 amsffwrtcht:If you have questions you're dying to ask @KristineRusch, she's here for 10 more minutes to answer on #sffwrtcht
1:48 amBryanThomasS:If you have questions you're dying to ask @KristineRusch, she's here for 10 more minutes to answer on #sffwrtcht
1:48 amrebeccasenese:RT @KristineRusch: Grrrr. Agents want an exclusive. Agents are *employees* Contract labor. They have no right to an exclusive. #sffwrtcht
1:49 amsffwrtcht:@KristineRusch Are you at a point where you sell most books via proposal or do you ever just write one on spec then market it? #sffwrtcht
1:50 amBryanThomasS:RT @upandcomic: Since u seem to enjoy sharing & helping other writers,I was wondering if you(don't)see writing as a zero-sum game #sffwrtcht
1:50 amKristineRusch:I sell some on prop, Bryan, some on full. Mostly I just write and market. I sold the last 5 on prop. #sffwrtcht
1:51 amKristineRusch:Um...zero-sum. It's an expression that I don't quite understand. Rephrase? #sffwrtcht
1:51 amamysundberg:@KristineRusch I've been following your blog series, but can you summarize your advice to new (unpubbed) writers? #sffwrtcht
1:51 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Do you and Dean act as beta readers for each other? Or do you have separate pools for that? #sffwrtcht
1:52 amKristineRusch:I'd rather be accurate when I answer. @upandcomic #sffwrtcht
1:52 amBryanThomasS:@amysundberg Great question. Tough in 140 characters but thanks for joining us! #sffwrtcht
1:52 amKristineRusch:My advice to new writers (unpubbed), learn business & craft. Write fast, write a lot. Be adventurous. Take risks. #sffwrtcht
1:53 amKristineRusch:Dean & I are each other's first readers, but I have other beta readers for other projects. For example, my Nelscott mysteries...#sffwrtcht
1:53 amsffwrtcht:At @KristineRusch & @DeanWesleySmith teach workshops for writers. You can see a list on her website. #sffwrtcht
1:53 amKristineRusch:...a judge I've known forever reads those first & helps. #sffwrtcht
1:53 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Talk about expert advice. That's great! #sffwrtcht
1:53 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Now if I can just find a space alien first reader... #sffwrtcht
1:54 amKristineRusch:Oh, zero-sum: one must win & one lose...? No writing is not a zero-sum game. #sffwrtcht
1:54 amKristineRusch:You can't find an alien first reader? Talk to my cats. #sffwrtcht
1:55 amKristineRusch:I don't believe in winners or losers. I believe in being successful. Writers help each other become successful. #sffwrtcht
1:55 amupandcomic:@KristineRusch zero-sum game = for you to win, others must lose. I'm talking about competitiveness,getting a piece of the pie etc #sffwrtcht
1:55 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Well since my wife is Brazilian, technically she might qualify. She's not much for SF unfortunately... #sffwrtcht
1:56 amKristineRusch:I think competitive & ambitious are two different things. I think ambitious is good, competitive w/other writers bad. #sffwrtcht
1:56 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch What upcoming projects can we look forward to from you? #sffwrtcht
1:56 amamysundberg:RT @KristineRusch: I don't believe in winners or losers. I believe in being successful. Writers help each other become successful. #sffwrtcht
1:56 amKristineRusch:But your wife probably has a different POV on things than you. Always good. (for wives & sf) #sffwrtcht
1:56 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Very much so #sffwrtcht
1:56 amWyld_Dandelyon:RT @KristineRusch: I don't believe in winners or losers. I believe in being successful. Writers help each other become successful. #sffwrtcht
1:56 amCaseysays:RT @KristineRusch: I don't believe in winners or losers. I believe in being successful. Writers help each other become successful. #sffwrtcht
1:57 amnerdgirlcomedy:RT @KristineRusch: I don't believe in winners or losers. I believe in being successful. Writers help each other become successful. #sffwrtcht
1:57 amKristineRusch:In May, City of Ruins from @Pyr_Books, sf; Also Wickedly Charming, fairy tale romance (fantasy) from @SourcebooksCasa...#sffwrtcht
1:57 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Next week, we have Interzone's own @jasonsanford (just kidding) to talk abt short stories, cross cultures, & more #sffwrtcht
1:57 amKristineRusch:Lots of short stories, my backlist coming into print, starting with Retrieval Artist. Disappeared is out, Extremes this week. #sffwrtcht
1:58 amKristineRusch:Retrieval artist in the fall, and more next year. #sffwrtcht
1:58 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch I just wrote my first modern fairy tale and sold it. That sounds really fun! #sffwrtcht
1:58 amupandcomic:@KristineRusch ^_^ Good to know #sffwrtcht
1:58 amwrytersblockDH:Does it help/hurt to have a beta who is only a casual reader or completely outside the genre? #sffwrtcht
1:58 amKristineRusch:Dean calls the Grayson fantasy novels, not romance. #sffwrtcht
1:58 amsffwrtcht:In fact, WMG is releasing all the Retrieval Artist books again in trade and ebook, correct? #sffwrtcht
1:58 amKristineRusch:Yes, it does help to have a beta reader from outside the genre. But you need genre readers too. #sffwrtcht
1:59 amKristineRusch:Yes, WMG is doing them all in trade & ebooks. Except some that are coming out of @Sourcebookscasa. #sffwrtcht
1:59 amsffwrtcht:Thanks so much for taking time to chat with us @KristineRusch Don't forget to visit www.kriswrites.com #sffwrtcht
1:59 amKristineRusch:That would be the romances, not the Retrieval Artist. The backlist is all coming into print soon! #sffwrtcht
2:00 amKristineRusch:Thanks, Bryan, for asking me. Thanks, everyone, for participating! #sffwrtcht
2:00 amsffwrtcht:Let's all be sure and thank @KristineRusch for her time! #sffwrtcht
2:00 amBryanThomasS:@KristineRusch Come back again any time! Best of luck with all the endeavors! #sffwrtcht
2:00 amrobvagle:RT @KristineRusch: I don't believe in winners or losers. I believe in being successful. Writers help each other become successful. #sffwrtcht
2:01 amKristineRusch:Thanks. Happy to return some day. #sffwrtcht
2:01 ampattyjansen:@KristineRusch: Thanks for this lively chat! #sffwrtcht@BryanThomasS
2:01 amsffwrtcht:A transcript for this chat will be up on the blog in an hour! Thanks for joining us and for the great questions tonight! #sffwrtcht
2:01 amshadowflame1974:@KristineRusch thank you for answering our questions tonight #sffwrtcht
2:01 amKristineRusch:@shadowflame1974 YOu're welcome. #sffwrtcht
2:02 amKristineRusch:Now I must sign of Twitter & do something face-to-face social. Back to Twitter soon. #sffwrtcht
2:02 amBryanThomasS:@pattyjansen Thanks for sharing your lunch hour with us ;) #sffwrtcht
2:05 amBryanThomasS:@rebeccasenese @sLange_Windsor @louisawriter @Wyld_Dandelyon @pattyjansen @anniebelletThanks for joining #sffwrtcht tonight!
2:05 amBryanThomasS:@AdrianPhoenix @shadowflame1974 @kaolinfire Thanks for joining #sffwrtcht tonight!
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