Countdown: Two Weeks To Go

Get your manuscripts ready for the writers' workshop at Norwescon 39 next March!  We're counting down to our submissions deadline at midnight on Sunday, Nov. 29.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to have your fantasy, science fiction and horror short stories and novel excerpts critiqued by professional writers and editors.  You'll find our guidelines here.

The clock is ticking!  We hope to see you and your work at Norwescon!

Patrick Swenson Nominated for World Fantasy Award

Back in June the world acknowledged something that a lot of locals already know... that Fairwood Press, run by Fairwood Writers Group alumnus Patrick Swenson, is pretty darned awesome. Patrick is a nominee for a 2015 World Fantasy Award in the Special Award -- Non-professioinal category for his work on Fairwood Press.

World Fantasy Award winners will be announced in November at the World Fantasy Convention. If you're there, be sure to cheer for Patrick. (He'd probably also be cool with it if you wanted to support him by buying a copy of the newly-released paperback version of his debut novel, The Ultra Thin Man.)

** Note that the Fairwood Writers aren't part of Fairwood Press; we share similar names because both organizations originated in Fairwood.

Rhiannon Held Reading

Rhiannon Held has a reading coming up for the fourth book in her SILVER series, WOLFSBANE. It will be at the University Bookstore on September 30, at 7 pm, downstairs. Come and hear a selection from the new book and get your questions answered afterwards at the Q&A!

If you can't make it to the reading, the book will be released on September 29. You can preorder the epub or Kindle version, or check back in on Amazon on that day for the print version! (Createspace, sadly, doesn't do preorders).

2016 Norwescon Workshop Guidelines Now Available

We are pleased to announce that the guidelines for the Writers' Workshop at Norwescon 39 in March, 2016 are now available!  If you've participated in the workshop since 2013, or inquired about the workshop within the last two years, you should have received a copy of the guidelines in your email.  If not, visit the Norwescon 39 website.

The deadline for this year is November 29. Now's a great time to finish that story you've been working on or draft up a synopsis for your novel. (Hint: see our previous post with synopsis-writing advice from Fairwood Writer Catherine Montrose.)

We're looking forward to seeing you and your best work next March!

Register Now for Our Youth Writing Workshop at EMP

The Fairwood Writers are pleased to be working with the EMP in cooperation with Norwescon 39 to teach the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Youth Writers Workshop at the EMP on October 10, 2105. This unique, 2-hour workshop is for kids in grades 3-12 and will include inspiration from the Science Fiction Museum's current exhibit, a brainstorming session, and a chance to try out some new ideas.

Spaces are limited. $6 fee includes museum admission for the day.

Synopsis Advice

If you missed our special class for workshop participants at Norwescon 38, we've added a page with the instructor's notes.

You'll want to bookmark it -- especially if you're thinking of sending us a novel excerpt for our 2016 workshop!

New Work from Kate Marshall: Stone Prayers

Locus Magazine recommends legacy Fairwooder Kate Marshall's latest story, Stone Prayers, writing:

...there is a richness of detail, but instead of standing in isolation from the story, these details work to enrich the world and the character, who comes alive in all her individual complexity.

We recommend it, too. Check out the printed version in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #177, or the podcast in BCS Issue #178.

Two New Stories from Rhiannon Held

Legacy Fairwood Member Rhiannon Held has two short stories out, set in the world of her Silver novels! They're available in Kindle and .epub formats, and best of all, they're both free. If you like werewolves, take a look.

Temper: Hoping for a relaxing vacation to roam and get over a bad break-up, Tom instead finds something incredibly dangerous for all werewolves: a cemetery with Were secrets engraved on the stones for any human to see. When a couple of young werewolves from the Billings pack interfere with his plans to take care of the problem, it gets hard for him to keep his anger in check.

Back a Winner: Pierce must soon give his alpha an answer whether he will accept a position of Seattle pack beta, but he can’t bring himself to decide. At the track, memories haunt him, throwing his fear into sharp relief.

Come Join Us at Norwescon 38 (Part 2)

We're a day away from Norwescon, April 2-5, and we hope you'll be there too!

Come join the Fairwood Writers at our Norwescon Writers' Workshop social:

• Saturday, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Presidential Suite 1360 

The social is a perfect opportunity for you to meet and greet fellow writers. This is also an open event, and we look forward to seeing those who have been involved in the workshop before and those who are interested in participating in the future. 

We hope to see you there!

Come Join Us at Norwescon 38 (Part 1)

We're all getting ready for Norwescon, April 2-5, and we hope you'll be there too!

Come join the Fairwood Writers at our Norwescon readings:

•  Friday, 10 a.m., Cascade 1

              Harold Gross  reads...something.  You'll just have to show up to
              find out what, but mostly likely science fiction.

• Friday, 1:30 p.m., Cascade 1

              Renee Stern reads from "Protect and Serve": A retired New
              Orleans cop faces a hidden threat to his city during a
              Katrina-level storm.

• Friday, 4 p.m., Cascade 1

              John (J.A.) Pitts reads "Sarah Beauhall and the Bivalve
              Beatdown" – Urban Fantasy story set in the Black Blade Blues
              world.

• Friday, 8 p.m., Cascade 1

              Catherine Montrose reads from her YA novel, The Wayfinders.
              After his magical family vanishes, homeless teen Davy falls
              under the influence of a charismatic eco-terrorist who wants to
              exploit his powers.

• Friday 11 p.m., Cascade 1

              Brenda Cooper reads from Edge of Dark, a far-future
              exploration of what it means to be human.

• Saturday, 3 p.m., Cascade 1

              Kim Ritchie reads from "Smoke and Mirrors," a ghost story.

• Saturday, 8:30 p.m., Cascade 1

               Patrick Swenson reads from a novel in progress.

• Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Cascade 1

               Darragh Metzger reads from The Gate: Book Seven of the 
               Triads of Tir na n’Og series, the final book in the long-running
               Triads of Tir na n’Og series.