50,000 PAGE VIEWS

TODAY, SUZENYMS REACHED 50,000 PAGE VIEWS. (As I write this, it's been 50,424 page views to be exact.) 

I resurrected the blog last April, 2013, after letting it lie dormant for two years. What I did was to turn it from a strictly personal blog into one I thought people might find more interesting - a blog devoted to writing and editing, with a little bit of my own book promotion thrown in. What really started it was this - Why Didn't On Spec Buy My Story? - which I posted on April 24, 2013. To date, it remains one of the more popular posts on the blog.

It's not only been great, but surprising to reach this milestone. To all of you who have visited Suzenyms, who have left thoughtful comments, who have contributed as guest authors, and who continue to support me in my efforts here, thank you. You have helped me do it.

- Susan.

VOTER PACKAGE for THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION and FANTASY AURORA AWARDS

SINCE ALL THE NOMINEES FOR THE 2014 AURORA AWARDS are creating Voter Packages for their work, I thought I should do one for Suzenyms. (Lorina Stephens, Publisher, Five Rivers Publishing is creating one for The Tattooed Witch, also nominated for an Aurora.) What follows is a synopsis of the majority of topics I've covered on Suzenyms since its resurrection. For aspiring writers, there is The ABC's of How 'Not' to Write Speculative Fiction stream, which I am half-way through and which I'll continue to post until it's done. The Letters to the Slush Pile stream is for more experienced writers who want to know what's going through an editor's head as she reads their work. The third stream is composed of Guest Interviews, where I feature professionals who share their writing, editing, and promotional expertise, and the fourth features my writing journey with The Tattooed Witch and subsequent books in the trilogy. I've also included a number of topics under Miscellaneous. Click on any of the links, and they should take you to the desired topic:

From The ABC's of How 'Not' to Write Speculative Fiction:

• A is for: Action, Anachronisms, Adverbs and Other Unnecessary Words
• B is for: Believability
• C is for: Climaxes, Conclusions, and Denouements, Cliches, Characterization (Part One), Characterization (Part Two), Characterization (Part Three)
• D is for: Dramatic Tension, Dialogue
• E is for: Eyes, Arms, Legs and Other Bodily Appendages, Exposition
• F is for: Formatting, Feedback
• G is for: Grammar
• H is for: Historical Fantasy, Horror, and Humour - Links to Guest Interviews  
• I is for:  Idea vs. Story, Italics 
• K is for: Kangaroos and Other Beasties  
• L is for: Logic Faults 
• M is for: Metaphors, Mixed and Otherwise, Mood
• N is for: Novel Chapters Disguised as Short Stories  
• O is for: Obscenity/Profanity
• P is for: Point of View and Point of View Shifts, Purple Prose  
• Q is for Query Letters
• R is for: Rejection
• S is for SF Enough?, Soapbox  
• T is for Titles
• U is for Using Real People as Characters and Issues of Copyright  
• V is for Vagueness, Voice - Active and Passive
• W is for Why?
• X to Z - forthcoming.

From Letters (and Memos) to the Slush Pile:

• # 1  - Welcome to Letters to the Slush Pile
• # 2  - Reaching Too Soon for Dramatic Effect
• # 3  - Writing Responsibly
• # 4  - A Fun Read
• # 5  - A Copy-Editor's Nightmare
• # 6  - Humans in Alien/Animal/Shape-Shifter Suits
• # 7  - When Too Much is Too Much
• # 8  - Missing the Basics
• # 9  - Great Opening and Then It Wandered Off....
• #10 - Show Me More
• #11 - Sex Sells but This Didn't
• #12 - Kudos for Bringing Me to Tears
• #13 - Depth of Emotion
• #14 - Nothing in Excess
• #15 - Losing Suspension of Disbelief
• #16 - Great Appetizer, Where's the Main Course?
• #17 - The Interior World of Your Characters
• #18 - Editorial Bias 
• Memos to the Slush Pile: # 1 - Ò, Ó, or Õ, #2 - Your Bio...

Guest Interviews:

• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Ann Marston
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Barb Galler-Smith
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Barry Hammond
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Diane Walton
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Robin Carson
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Susan MacGregor
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Eileen Bell
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Constantine Kaoukakis
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Brent Jans
• A Closer Look at On Spec Editors - Laurie Penner
• Book Collaborations - Guest Interview with Billie Milholland, Eileen Bell, and Ryan McFadden of The Puzzle Box
• Book Promotion Idea - Hal Friesen's Character Deathmatch
• Bundoran Press - Guest Post by Hayden Trenholm
• Dropping the 'F' Bomb, Michael Fletcher, 88, Five Rivers Publishing
• 88 Interview, Michael Fletcher, Five Rivers Publishing
• Five Rivers Publishing Interview, Lorina Stephens, Publisher
• Food for the Gods, Karen Dudley Interview
• Guerrilla Marketing - Promoting Your Book, Billie Milholland, Women of the Apocalypse
• Indigo Time Interview, Sally McBride, Five Rivers Publishing
• Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero Interview, Michell Plested, Five Rivers Publishing 
• New Comic Series at On Spec, The Last Division and Final Frontier Interview, Cat McDonald, On Spec Magazine
• New Editors at On Spec Magazine 
• On the Nature of Humour and Speculative Fiction, Hugh A.D. Spencer, Extreme Dentistry's
• On Spec's Interview with Tyche Books on the Silver Anniversary Anthology
• Out of Time Interview, Dave Laderoute, Five Rivers Publishing
• Publicists, Part One - Do I Need a Publicist, and If So, What Kind? Rachel Sentes, Publicist, Gal-Friday Publicity
• Publicists, Part Two - Can a Writer Work With Two Publicists at the Same Time? Rachel Sentes, Publicist, Gal-Friday Publicity
• Publicists, Part Three - What Can a Publicist Do For Me, and How Much Will It Cost? Rachel Sentes, Publicist, Gal-Friday Publicity
• Quick Tricks for That Final Edit, Eileen Bell, Seeing the Light (forthcoming)
• Report on Geek Girl Con, Diane Walton, Managing Editor, On Spec Magazine
• The Challenges of Writing Young Adult, Dave Laderoute, Out of Time
• The 'F' Word, On Spec Editors
• Those First Three Chapters, What Are Publishers Looking For? Robert Runte, Editor, Five Rivers Publishing
• Urban Green Man Interview, co-editors Adria Laycraft and Janice Blaine, EDGE Books
• What and What Not to Do at Conventions, Peter Halasz, Administrator, Sunburst Award Society
• Writing Coaches, Do I Need One? Rachel Sentes, Publicist, Gal-Friday Publicity
• Writing Historical Fantasy, Barb Galler-Smith, Druids Trilogy
• Writing Horror: Teaching Little Monsters, Derek Newman-Stille, Speculating Canada
• Youtube Clip - Lorina Stephens interviews Dave Laderoute and Susan Forest, Five Rivers Authors about their Aurora nominations

The Tattooed Witch and Trilogy:

• Broke 40,000 Words on The Tattooed Rose
• Golem Magic
• Hybrid Books, Are They Saleable?
• I'm on YouTube 
• Joaquin Cortes in True Life, Joachin de Rivera in The Tattooed Witch (YouTube clip) 
• Magical Systems, The Tattooed Witch
• Romancing the Crone
• Romancing the Crone, Part Two
• Some Fun Research - Herbals in The Tattooed Witch
• Seven Spotlight Questions - My Writing Life
• The Tattooed Witch, The First Two Chapters
• Rafael Sabatini, Where Have You Been All My Life? 
• Considerations When Writing a Trilogy and Update on The Tattooed Seer
• Back Jacket for The Tattooed Seer 
• Youtube Clip - Lorina Stephens interviews Susan MacGregor about her Best Novel Aurora nomination for The Tattooed Witch
• Cover for The Tattooed Seer 
• The Tattooed Seer is up on Amazon, Kobo, etc.! 
• Launching Five Rivers Books at When Words Collide 
• Synchronicities, Coincidences, and Some Fun Research for The Tattooed Rose 

Miscellaneous

•  Are Writers Different? Why I Think They Are....
• Can Self Published Work be Re-Submitted to Magazines and Anthologies?
• Commonality of Writing Experience, Tina Fey's Bossypants
• Inferno by Dan Brown, Now That I Got Around to Reading It
• Inspiration in the Form of a Nine-Year Old
• Istanbul... 
• On Spec's New Submission Process
• Questioning What is Worth It
• Small Presses, Large Houses, and Right of First Refusal
• Why Didn't On Spec Buy My Story? 
• Writing to Evoke, Engage, and Entertain
• Writing as a Violent Act - Repost of On Spec Editorial
• On Spec's Submission Process - A Walk-Through with Diane Walton 
• Rafael Sabatini, Where Have You Been All My Life? 
• Visiting Green Gables and Getting to Know Lucy Maud a Little Better 
• Call for Submissions - On Spec's Punk Theme Issue
• An Addendum to the Guidelines for On Spec's Punk Theme Issue - SF Enough?
• What Brings You Joy? If You Are a True Artist, You Already Know the Answer to That  
• Was it Piracy or Something Else? 
• 50,000 Page Views!
• On Spec's Canada Council Funding Has Been Cut 
• How You Can Help in Light of Canada Council's Funding Cut to On Spec Magazine

THE AURORA SHORT-LIST OF NOMINEES IS OUT!

WELL, I HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS! As some of you already know, the ballot list is out for the short-listed nominees for the Aurora. The information isn't out yet on the CSFFA website, but it will be shortly, along with nominee's bios, etc. I'm not jumping the gun by posting the list now, as folks have already been talking about it and congratulating the nominees on Facebook. And, Ta Dah! Both Suzenyms (under Best English Related Work) and The Tattooed Witch (under Best English Novel) are up for an Aurora! I'm so pleased! If you nominated me, thank you for your support, and congratulations to all nominees! Here is the ballot, as it was sent to me last night:

Best English Novel

1.     Red Planet Blues by Robert J. Sawyer, Penguin Canada

2.     River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay, Viking Canada

3.     The Tattooed Witch by Susan MacGregor, Five Rivers Publishing

4.     Tombstone Blues by Chadwick Ginther, Ravenstone Books

5.     A Turn of Light by Julie E. Czerneda, DAW Books

 Best English YA (Young Adult) Novel

1.     The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate by Marty Chan, Fitzhenry & Whiteside

2.     Ink by Amanda Sun, Harlequin Teen

3.     The Lake and the Library by S.M. Beiko, ECW Press

4.     Out of Time by D.G. Ladroute, Five Rivers Publishing

5.     Resolve by Neil Godbout, Bundoran Press

6.     The Rising by Kelley Armstrong, Doubleday Canada

Best English Short Fiction

1.     "A Bunny Hug for Karl" by Mike Rimar, Masked Mosaic, Canadian Super Stories, Tyche Books

2.     "Angela and Her Three Wishes" by Eileen Bell, The Puzzle Box, EDGE

3.     "The Awakening of Master March" by Randy McCharles, The Puzzle Box, EDGE

4.     "Ghost in the Machine" by Ryan McFadden, The Puzzle Box, EDGE

5.     "The Gift" by Susan Forest, Urban Green Man, EDGE

6.     "Green Man She Restless" by Billie Milholland, Urban Green Man, EDGE

7.     "Living Bargains" by Suzanne Church, When the Hero Comes Home 2, Dragon Moon Press

 Best English Poem/Song

1.     "A City of Buried Rivers" by Clink, David, The Literary Review of Canada, vol. 21, no. 9, November

2.     "Awake"by Peter Storey, Urban Green Man, EDGE

3.     "The Collected Postcards of Billy the Kid" by Helen Marshall, Postscripts to Darkness, Issue 4, October

4.     "Lost" by Amal El-Mohtar, Strange Horizons, February

5.     "Night Journey: West Coast" by Kernaghan, Eileen, Tesseracts Seventeen: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast to Coast, EDGE

6.     "Turning the Leaves" by Amal El-Mohtar, Apex Magazine, Issue 55, December

Best English Graphic Novel

1.     Looking for Group by Ryan Sohmer and Lar DeSouza, webcomic

2.     Rock, Paper, Cynic by Peter Chiykowski, webcomic

3.     Weregeek by Alina Pete, webcomic

4.     Wild Game: Sweet Tooth Vol. 6 by Jeff Lemire, Vertigo

Best English Related Work

1.     The Puzzle Box by The Apocalyptic Four, EDGE

2.     Urban Green Man edited by Adria Laycraft and Janice Blaine EDGE

3.     On Spec published by the Copper Pig Writers’ Society

4.     Suzenyms by Susan MacGregor, blog suzenyms.blogspot.ca

5.     Imaginarium 2013: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing edited by Sandra Kasturi and Samantha Beiko, ChiZine Publications

Best Artist

1.     Erik Mohr, cover art for ChiZine Publications

2.     Melissa Mary Duncan, illustrations and cover art

3.     Dan O'Driscoll, covers for Bundoran Press and the SF Aurora banner

4.     Apis Teicher, body of work

5.     Tanya Montini, cover design for The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate

Best Fan Publications - No award will be given out in this category in 2014 due to insufficient eligible nominees.

Best Fan Music

1.     Brooke Abbey for writing and publishing 12 songs

2.     Debs & Errol for CTRL+ALT+DUETS, EP

3.     Chris Hadfield for his performance of Space Oddity

4.     Kari Maaren for Beowulf Pulled My Arm Off, CD

5.     Devin Melanson, Leslie Hudson and, Kari Maaren for Pirate Elves in Space, CD

 Best Fan Organizational

1.     Evelyn Baker and Alana Otis-Wood, co-chairs Ad Astra, Toronto

2.     S.M. Beiko and Chadwick Ginther, co-chairs Chiaroscuro Reading Series, ChiSeries Winnipeg

3.     Sandra Kasturi and James Bambury, co-chairs Chiaroscuro Reading Series, ChiSeries Toronto

4.     Randy McCharles, chair When Words Collide, Calgary

5.     Matt Moore, chair Ottawa Chiaroscuro Reading Series, ChiSeries Ottawa

6.     Rose Wilson, Art Show Director, VCON 38, Vancouver

 Best Fan Related Work

1.     R. Graeme Cameron, weekly column in Amazing Stories Magazine

2.     Steve Fahnestalk, weekly column in Amazing Stories Magazine

Robert Runté, ”Why I Read Canadian Speculative Fiction: The Social Dimension of Reading”, Scholar Keynote Address at ACCSFF ’13, Toronto

Voting for the awards will begin on May 3rd and will close at midnight (end of day) EDT on Saturday, September 6th, 2014. For further details, check the CSFFA website. The awards will be presented at VCON in Vancouver, Oct 3 – 5, 2014.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SUZENYMS!

THIS WILL BE A SHORT POST. About a year ago, I decided to resurrect Suzenyms. I'm so glad I did. At first, I thought the new start-up would be a way of promoting my book The Tattooed Witch, but I've actually had more fun posting about writing and editing, and sharing my insights with you via my ABC's and Letters to the Slush Pile. It's also been my pleasure to host many of you, including On Spec editors Diane Walton, Barb Galler-Smith, Ann Marston, Robin Carson, Barry Hammond, Cat McDonald, and contributing guest professionals, Lorina Stephens, Robert Runte, Dave Laderoute, Michael R. Fletcher, Michell Plested, Sally McBride, Eileen Bell, Billie Milholland, Hugh A.D. Spencer, Derek Newman-Stille, Graeme Brown, Karen Dudley, Adria Laycraft, Janice Blaine, Peter Halasz, and Rachel Sentes.

To all of you who have shared your thoughts with me here on Suzenyms or on the I Read On Spec Facebook Page, a big thank you! You've given me a wonderful year. 

- Susan.

THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE AURORAS, THIS WEEK

http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/aurora-awards/

I AM HEADING OFF TO ISTANBUL TOMORROW, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post from there while I'm gone. I'll be back in a week, so it's a very short trip. In the meantime, the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association is encouraging people to nominate Canadian works published in 2013 for an Aurora award. Nominations must be made by April 12, 2014.

If you're not aware of the CSFFA, it costs $10.00 to join (which is easy enough via Paypal). Once you're a member, you have the right to nominate any Canadian novel, short story, website, etc., under the various categories, which I've linked to above. Short lists are created from those works that have the most nominations; members then vote for their favorite works by September. I'm hoping that if enough folks nominate Suzenyms under Best Fan Publication, the blog will be short-listed. If you have found value in what I have shared here, please think of nominating Suzenyms.

I am also eligible for nomination under Best Novel, English, for my debut novel, The Tattooed Witch. (I doubt very much if I'd win an Aurora for it as I'm up against some very famous and amazing writers, but it would be nice just to be nominated).

And, of course, I can't forget mentioning that On Spec Magazine can also be nominated under Best Related Work, English.

Thank you so much for your support!

- Susan.