Book Review: Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy editor Michael Knost

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy
Michael Knost (Editor),
Matthew Perry (Illustrator),
Bonnie Wasson (Illustrator)

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry. Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in. Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why the reader will find many find differing opinions on any particular subject. It is a book with something to offer all levels of writers, from those seeking to get published for the first time to others who have numerous releases to their credit. 

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy features essays and interviews with: 
Neil Gaiman 
Orson Scott Card 
Ursula K. Le Guin 
Alan Dean Foster 
James Gunn 
Tim Powers 
Harry Turtledove 
Larry Niven 
Joe Haldeman 
Kevin J. Anderson 
Elizabeth Bear 
Jay Lake 
Nancy Kress 
George Zebrowski 
Pamela Sargent 
Mike Resnick 
Ellen Datlow 
James Patrick Kelly 
Jo Fletcher 
Stanley Schmidt 
Gordon Van Gelder 
Lou Anders 
Peter Crowther 
Ann VanderMeer 
John Joseph Adams 
Nick Mamatas 
Lucy A. Snyder 
Alethea Kontis 
Nisi Shawl 
Jude-Marie Green 
Nayad A. Monroe 
G. Cameron Fuller 
Jackie Gamber 
Amanda DeBord 
Max Miller 
Jason Sizemore 

I loved this book! It was fascinating to get a peek into the minds of some of the big names in the genre. I wasn’t familiar with many of the authors because I haven’t done extensive reading in the sci-fi/fantasy genre but every one of the essays was impressive and easy to become engaged in. Michael Knost obviously knows what he is doing. Don’t let the title fool you, this book is for writers and readers of any genre. I am not a writer so I can’t tell you how useful this book would be for one, but as a reviewer and avid reader I found all the essays informative. It will also give you a new appreciation for what it takes to be a writer. I have never really toyed with the idea of writing a story and after reading this there is no way in hell I would try! <G>. One of the big lessons you will take away from this is writing is work and you have to write and read (outside your genre too) every day.

I really liked how Editor Michael Knost put the book together. Each author took a different aspect/technique of writing. Starting with Neil Gaiman’s essay on where ideas come from, to Orson Scott Card’s on rhetoric and style, to Elizabeth Bear’s tactics on world building. The last two chapters are a Q&A with editors about what they look for in short stories and novels. If you are a novice at the whole publishing thing then you might be surprised by the process for picking stories.

Seventh Star Press has two amazing artists that do commissioned work for their titles. You can go to the SSP website to see some of it. The paperback version of The Writers Workshop that I have contains three beautiful black and white illustrations, but unfortunately some quality is lost in the printing. If you purchase the special editions from the SSP website I think the pictures are a better quality. I can’t forget to mention the amazing cover art by Mathew Perry. He captured the essence of the book perfectly.

If you are a lover of speculative fiction or just curious about the process of writing then definitely pick this book up.

5 “weird” Sheep

Sharon Stogner (edit by Kalpar)

Seventh Star Press

website-fb-twitter-blog

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher located in Lexington, KY. SSP specializes in speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, and horror). The company was established in October of 2008.

Cover Reveal: Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy 

Cover Revealed

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the new cover created by award-winning artist Matthew Perry for the upcoming release of the Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Developed by Bram Stoker Award-winning editor Michael Knost, the Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a treasure trove for writers of all levels looking to develop their craft in the speculative fiction genres. Featuring contributions from several of the best speculative fiction authors in the world such as Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Harry Turtledove, James Gunn, Alan Dean Foster, Ursula K. Le Guin, Joe Haldeman, Kevin J. Anderson, Tim Powers, Mike Resnick, and many, many more, the book features a wealth of essays and interviews focusing on the writing craft as it pertains to the genres of fantasy and science fiction.

Slated for a late February release in eBook and a trade paperback release following soon after, the Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy will be an important contribution to the speculative fiction literary community. Whether just beginning a writing journey or extensively published, writers of all degrees of experience are certain to find this book to be an invaluable reference source.

For further information on the Seventh Star Press and its titles such as the Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy, please visit www.seventhstarpress.com

The Writers' Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Michael Knost

UPDATE: 10/12/12
A quick note to thank everyone who helped spread the word or supported out Kickstarter project for The Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy. We had a goal of $6,000 and the campaign raised $14,251, which means that we can really do some wonderful things to support this book's release, AND it will have an additional chapter now featuring an interview with top-line editors, AND it will have interior artwork from BOTH Bonnie Wasson and Matt Perry! Thank you, this was a VERY important project for us, I know Jackie Gamber can comment on what this means for us, and I thank those of you who stepped up and helped in any way very, very much!
UPDATE: 9/24/2012
As things stand now, if we reach the $12,500 level on pledges, we will be able to bring in the talents of BOTH of SSP's award-winning artists, Matthew Perry and Bonnie Wasson. Art and literature go together wonderfully, especially in the genres covered in this book and it would be great to have some original artwork created for this project.

Both Bonnie and Matt would create two full page illustrations for the book, for a total of four full-page illustrations (with genre-appropriate themes) being added to all editions of the book (eBook, softcover, and limited edition hardcover). info here

The Writers' Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews with some of most influential names in the industry; each article covering a specific element of the craft of writing science fiction and fantasy. The collaborators in this wonderful anthology include:



Neil Gaiman -- “Where Do You Get Your Ideas?”

Orson Scott Card -- “On Rhetoric and Style.”

Lou Anders -- “Nebulous Matters, or Speculations on Subgenre.”

Lucy Snyder -- “Ursula K. LeGuin Talks About A Lifetime in the Craft.”

James Gunn -- “Beginnings.”

George Zebrowski -- “Middles.”

Jay Lake -- “Endings.”

Nayad Monroe -- “Tim Powers Talks About Writing Supernatural Awe and More.”

Pam Sargent -- “Talking Too Much, or Not Enough: Dialogue in Science Fiction and Fantasy.”

G. Cameron Fuller -- “How Alien the Alien: A Primer on Viewpoint.”

Nancy Kress -- “The Green-Skinned Zorn Laughed With Grief: Character and Emotion in Science Fiction and Fantasy.”

Harry Turtledove -- “Alternate History: the How-To of What Might Have Been.”

Jude-Marie Green -- “Larry Niven Talks About the Collaborative Process.”

Joe Haldeman -- “Hemingway Talks About Writing.”

Nisi Shawl -- “Unbending Gender.”

Alan Dean Foster -- “Reverse Engineering: Writing Novelizations.”

Alethea Kontis -- “Kevin J. Anderson Talks About Spin-off Novels and Prequels.”

Elizabeth Bear -- “Tactics of Worldbuilding.”

Jackie Gamber--"Ann and Jeff Vandermeer Talk About Weird Fiction"

Michael Knost -- Short fiction editors Ellen Datlow, Stanley Schmidt, Gordon Van Gelder, James Patrick Kelly, Mike Resnick, and John Joseph Adams discuss what they are looking for when reading submissions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In seeking publication for his newest workshop project, Bram Stoker award-winning editor Michael Knost sought a small press, for the care and enthusiasm a good one harbors for the genre and its fellow writers. Seventh Star Press is that kind of publisher, bringing its own love for science fiction and fantasy to the project, and its "got your back" attitude for genre writers and other small and independent presses.

Seventh Star Press is very excited about the opportunity to release this project, but as it is one outside of our originally projected 2012 publishing schedule, a little help from outside is needed to bring this project to fruition.

Perhaps the first question that comes to your mind, if encountering us for the first time, is: Who is Seventh Star Press?

Formed in the fall of 2008, Seventh Star Press is a respected speculative fiction publisher based in Lexington, KY, boasting works from such authors as Jackie Gamber, Michael West, D.A. Adams, Steven Shrewsbury, David Blalock, R.J. Sullivan, J.L. Mulvihill, and Stephen Zimmer. The press also features two highly-acclaimed, award-winning artists, Matthew Perry and Bonnie Wasson, whose creative work is featured on the covers and interiors of all SSP releases.

~~~~~~~~~~~

How you can help!

To raise money SSP has set up a Kickstarter project. You can donate as little as $2, and the more you donate the more incentives you will receive. The $10 level will get you an ecopy of the book, $30 will get you a softcover copy + an ecopy...and so on. Please pass this along to any writers and lovers of science fiction and fantasy.

Link to Kickstarter page