Blog

On May 3, we discuss what notto do with planets during our virtual monthly meeting with the R-SPEC Team.

There are certainly many things most authors would probably avoid, such as pushing a planet into a black hole or disintegrating a inhabited world à la“Star Wars” Death Star.

Yet, there are other things authors do that can be equally as horrific, such as burdening a world with a single agricultural crop or a single magical faith.

What is an author to do?

We’ll discuss some remedies and look at examples of how other authors succeeded and failed in their pursuit of world-building to support their stories, novels, and cinematic creations.

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: The presentation portion of the meeting may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website. The reading portion of the meeting will not be recorded.

On April 5, we have a treat for all who attend.

First, Jonathan Sherwood, a Rochester-area science fiction author, will demo his Submission Tracker– a visual method of what stories you have submitted and where, and what other publications you should target.

Then, you're invited to share your story, poem, or any writing roadblocks you're facing and receive feedback from the group.

Bring a piece with fewer than 1,000 words, if you can, but no more than 2,000 words, if you can't break the scene. This helps give everyone sufficient reading and feedback time.

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: Tuesday, April 5, 2022 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: The presentation portion of the meeting may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website. The reading portion of the meeting will not be recorded.

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN DATE TO THURSDAY MARCH 3, 2022.

On Thursday, March 3, we’re talking with Edward Ashton, the Rochester, New York author of the novels Mickey7 (releasing on February 15 and soon to be adapted into a major motion picture from Oscar-winning Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) starring Robert Pattinson), Three Days in April, and The End of Ordinary. His short fiction has appeared in venues ranging from an Italian sausage company newsletter to Escape Pod, Analog, and Fireside Fiction.

He lives in a cabin in the woods (not that cabin in the woods) with his wife, a variable number of daughters, and an adorably mopey dog named Max, where he writes—mostly fiction, occasionally fact—under the watchful eyes of a giant woodpecker and a rotating cast of barred owls. In his free time, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling.

Join our Author Roundtable to learn more about how Edward’s scientific and personal lives support the creative passion and human insight he displays in his writing. Mickey7 begins with “THIS IS GONNA be my stupidest death ever.” and away the reader goes.

You can find Edward on Twitter @edashtonwriting and at his website.

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: THURSDAY, March 3, 2022 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: R-SPEC presentations on topics of interest meetings may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website.

Creating a government can seem daunting when thinking about where to set your story. In truth, there are as many forms of government as there are people, and, since “all politics is life,” your plot will be driven by your characters’ interactions.

In fantasy, you may choose a kingdom ruled by a monarch. In science fiction, you may create a multi-world republic run by a council or an executive. These defaults have an important advantage. Your readers will recognize them easily. Thus, less to explain.

But is the default form really what you want to convey? Or can you use a different form of government to highlight your characters, their struggles, and to drive the plot?

Join Alan Vincent Michaels and the R-SPEC Team during our October 5 meeting to discuss how researching other human sociopolitical systems can be beneficial to creating believable otherworldly or future environments.

Presenter: Alan Vincent Michaels

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: October 5, 2021 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: R-SPEC presentations on topics of interest meetings may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website.

How you write can influence what you write. How often you write equates with how much content you create. With laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, you’re no longer constrained by where you write. If you’re just using online social media to send direct messages and communicate ideas, why not take it to the next level and get published?

Join Alan Vincent Michaels and the R-SPEC Team during our September 7 meeting to learn about his efforts over the last several years to write successful speculative microfiction and poetry, have it promoted and sold online, and published in ebooks and printed formats.

Attendees are welcome to share their writing experiences using social media, including any fears or concerns, and how using their favorite social media platform has helped them to develop their writing craft and creative output.

Presenter: Alan Vincent Michaels

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: September 7, 2021 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: R-SPEC presentations on topics of interest meetings may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website.

The traditional genre markets for speculative fiction novels, stories, and poetry remain a thriving part of the publishing world. With the advent of Apple, Google, Amazon, and others, ebook and print-on-demand services help you bring your work directly to readers across the world. These services have proven you don’t always need a publisher, if you’re willing to take more control of your written product.

Join Sarah Waites during our R-SPEC meeting on July 6 to learn more about her real-world publishing experiences and how you can use self-publishing and self-promoting tools to support your SF, fantasy, and horror writing. Cover art, book formatting, and basic book marketing give you more control over the design and release of your writing. We look forward to your questions and any experiences you wish to share about self-publishing your work.

Sarah Waites (she/her/hers) is the designer behind The Illustrated Page blog and The Illustrated Page Book Design service. She got her start in the traditional NYC publishing scene and holds a certificate in publishing from Columbia University. Then, she switched her skills and energy to helping indie authors succeed. Sarah is happy to work with both new and experienced authors alike. She works primarily with fantasy book covers of all subgenres, as well as historical romance. She specializes in female-led and LGBTQ book covers, and she loves artwork with a diverse array of protagonists.

Moderator: Alan Vincent Michaels

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: July 6, 2021 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: R-SPEC presentations on topics of interest meetings may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website.

On June 1, attendees will reveal their very short story or long poem with fewer than 1,000 words, based on the prompts selected during the May R-SPEC meeting.

Moderator: Alan Vincent Michaels

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: June 1, 2021 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: R-SPEC presentations on topics of interest meetings may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website.

On May 4, attendees are invited to challenge themselves to write a “very short story” or long poem with fewer than 500 words. This can be exciting and, perhaps, a bit daunting. During the workshop, we’ll explore the answers to these burning questions and many more: What is flash fiction and microfiction? How do I start? What about character and plot development? What do I leave in? And what must I leave out?

As a group, we’ll decide whether we write collaboratively, solo, or a combination of approaches. We’ll also pick a set of writing prompts (words, phrases, descriptions) and then create works that incorporate those items.

It will be interesting to see how many different ways there are to write about the same topics, proving that old and new ideas are just grist for the mill. What you create will be fresh and original.

Moderator: Alan Vincent Michaels

Location: Zoom (Please join us about 10 minutes before the regular 7 p.m. start time to ensure you're connected.)

Meeting Time: May 4, 2021 from 7-9 p.m. ET

Note: R-SPEC presentations on topics of interest meetings may be recorded, and a link to the recording posted on our website.

Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author Nancy Kress once wrote: “Endings carry tremendous weight with readers; if they don’t like the ending, chances are they’ll say they didn’t like the work.”

Yet writing a truly satisfying ending can be quite challenging. What makes some endings work and other fail spectacularly? And what are some of the best practices to get them right?

At our September 4 meeting, we’ll talk about good and bad story endings, with a bit of ugliness along the way. If you have a favorite or hated ending, bring it (or both) and we’ll discuss why the ending did or didn’t work. Then, we’ll put some best-practice techniques and your creative ideas to work in a writing exercise that puts the ending in your hands.

Moderator: Alan Vincent Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: September 4, 2018 from 6:45-8:45 p.m.

Attendees are invited to read from their current or in-progress works or to share their writing roadblocks. (An older or sold story or poem is also welcome, especially if you'd like feedback on it.) Please bring a short piece or a portion of a longer work – fewer than 1,000 words, if you can, but no more than 2,000 words, if you can't break the scene – so everyone has sufficient reading time and attendees have time to provide their feedback.

Please try to arrive before 7 p.m. to put your name on the reading list.

After the readings conclude and time permits, we'll go around and share with the group what we're currently reading.

Moderator:Alan Vincent Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: June 5, 2018 from 7-9 p.m.