SF AND FANTASY
WORKSHOP
E-ZINES
by S. R. Howen
AUG 2002
Vol 21 No 250
like Theamstream and a pay-you-by-the-word site? After
all, with the post-n-go you are published in a matter of
minutes. Right? Well, there is being published and there is
What exactly is an e-zine anyway? I think anyone who
merely putting words on the screen.
is out here on the net has read an e-zine. An electronic
Look at the other stories. Hmmm--lots of mistakes here
magazine, one you read from the comfort of you office
that a first year grammar student wouldn't make--wait a
chair and comes up on your computer's screen. There are
minute, this looks like an editor never touched it. Bingo!
several types of these. Paying, non-paying, and vanity
Go to a different site.
press (self-publishing). The ones you want to stay away
That is where the difference is. If you post-n-go, even if
from are the self-publishing type. Think
it is a paying site, it is self-publishing. If you go through a
Theamstream--(even though they did pay).
traditional submission process, and they have editors, and
There are some disadvantages to the zine scene. Being you do not pay them, then it is not self-publishing. Most
taken seriously is a big one. Many readers and traditional
no-pay sites give you the editorial experience you need.
publishers do not think of e-zines as "real" publishing. The Does that make sense?
chance that someone will "borrow" you work is another
Also consider this--FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION
concern. Too many people think of web content as free to MAGAZINE (now we all know who they are--right?)
use how they want.
publishes previously published stories. They buy second
What are the advantages? You get the experience of
rights. Cool beans. You send them a story you had on
working with an editor. Believe me, the first time that you
your web site, or that you've self-e-published (which
get a true red-line from an editor the experience can
amounts to the same thing as posting it on your web site).
be--well, devastating comes to mind. Many e-zines are
Yeah, ok. They may look at it.
willing to work with new authors, and want to. Most are
But if it has seen an editor's desk--uh, screen--then your
willing to touch on things that are cross-genre,
chances improve. Add some number to it like–“this story
controversial, experimental, or told in an unusual style or
has been previously published by **** and received 50,000
voice.
hits”--bingo--they will most likely read it. Seem an
The choice is yours, but how do you decide which one to impossible number given that ASIMOV'S MAGAZINE has a
go with? Why not just post it on your web site and keep
circulation of only 50,000 (according to THE WRITERS
track of the hits?
MARKET)? Not so. I have a serial that averages at least
It's the old circle--you need experience for the job, but
that every month running at WILD CHILD MAGAZINE. That
no one will give you the job, so how do you get the
e-zine received 89,000 hits last month. There are those
experience? Even in the job force, volunteering can be the places that buy second rights. It saves them time editing,
answer (non-paying zines). And on your web site--you've
and they know if a story has been previously published that
given up first rights (and your electronic rights) and all you it is polished (if it was published, not self-published a la
can say is this was posted on my web site. Somehow
post-n-go).
saying this has been previously published by--just sounds
It's also easier to get a story on-line with an e-zine for
better in my query letter. And there are many e-zines that the simple fact that they have less outlay than a paper
pay in the pro range (three cents per-word and up).
publisher. Yes, they have gotten a bad rap--anyone read
You want a traditional zine, paying or non-paying. Does some of the stuff on Theamstream? Ugh! Not that all of it
that seem an idiot's statement? How can an e-publisher be was bad, but so much of it was that they went under. The
traditional!
bad ones are dying out. Thank whatever you worship or
Think of how you send to a traditional publisher--you
don't worship. But the experience can be a huge boost to
query, you get a response, they have said yes (let's say),
your ego, and provide experience you will need to make it
you get an editor (a real editor, not a wannabe), you do
in the paper world of publishing.
re-writes, your story appears. Whoooo Who!
The jury is still out on the issue of e-publishing. I
Start with a check of the submission's page--do you just always like to think of what people said about paperback
apply for membership and then post your story? Wrong.
books--penny dreadfuls--these will never be big--who wants
Bong. Beep. Don't go there. That is self-publishing and a a flimsy paper novel? Or something close to that, anyway.
stupid way to go. But the temptation is great. Consider
They also thought they had no literary merit. But look at
the differences. What's the difference between a post-n-go those paperback books now.
So, take another look at e-zines, they may be a way for
you to gain much needed experience and those dreaded
clips.
© 2002 by S. R. Howen
A LIFE OF REJECTION: ONE WRITER'S SURVIVAL TIPS
by Lyda Morehouse
Let's face it. There's a reason that so many writers
suffer from depression. We work for hours on a story (or
years on a novel), then with great trepidation we send our
baby off into the world--only to get a form rejection letter a
month later. You pick yourself up, and send it out again.
And get another rejection. And another. And, it never
ends.
When you finally make it over the transom, you still have
to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
Sometimes it's in the form of a nasty review in a major
magazine. Other times, it's just plain old continued
rejection. Being published once doesn't make you golden.
I'm working on my third novel for publication, and I still get
the dreaded, "it didn't quite grab me, alas" on my short
story submissions. Chris Carter rejected Stephen King's
first draft of an X-Files script. No one, no matter how
great, is immune.
So, what do you do? How do you keep from giving up
and throwing yourself on your own sword, (or sharpened
pen, as the case may be)?
Remember to write what you love.
Sound simplistic? Maybe, but it's been a real lifesaver.
Sometimes I get so caught up in what market is buying
what and honing my craft to the specifics of a zillion how-to
books, that I lose sight of why I started this gig. I started
writing to amuse myself. I started writing because ideas
were burning up my brain, begging to come out and play.
At first, I never expected to get published. I wrote what I
wanted to read. I heard once that Isaac Asimov said he
was his own biggest fan--his own stories amused the heck
out of himself. Isaac was right. In fact, I'm convinced
that's not only the key to a happier writer, but also the key
to getting things published. If you enjoy writing your work,
people will enjoy reading it.
Throw away your rejections letters
Eleanor Arnason taught me this one. I know it goes
against the prevailing skiffy wisdom. But, trust me: it feels
GREAT to rip those little stinkers to shreds. Seriously, what
the heck do you really need all those form rejections for?
After the fifteenth "alas," they all look the same anyway.
Really, they're just taking up precious file (or --if you're
really masochistic--wall) space. Sure, if an editor says
something encouraging, you can keep the letter. Or, do
what I do, which is note the nice words down on my short
story ledger, and then toss the sucker. (Then, whenever
you go to look to see where to send the newest story all
you see is the positives!) As Eleanor told me, "Why dwell
on the rejections? We get enough of that as writers."
Celebrate every victory, no matter how small
Get a nice rejection letter? Treat yourself to a dinner
out! Sell to a small press? Treat yourself to a new pen!
Sell a short story for real money? Buy coffee for every
member of your writers group! Sell a novel? Throw a
major party! I'm dead serious about this one, folks. When
I finally sold my first novel, I never really stopped
celebrating. Of course, I jumped around like a crazy
person when I first got the news, but I didn't let one burst
of joy be the end of it. My partner took me out to eat
when I delivered the manuscript. I went out again when
the copy edits arrived. And again when the galleys showed
up. I threw a party when I sold. I threw another one
when the book hit the shelf. With all the rejection we get
as writers, it only seems fair that we should get to party for
every little success.
Cultivate writer friends
Online or in-person, the people who are going to
understand your pain (and your successes) are other
writers. Your nonwriter friends aren't going to get why it's
such a damn thrill that you got a rejection from GVG
himself, and not his first reader. Sure, you can explain it to
them, but they're probably still going to give you that look
when you scream excitedly: "but it's the yellow form
rejection from REALMS, not the blue! Don't you see??"
When my most recent novel got smoked by SF WEEKLY,
it was my writing friends I turned to for support. Many of
them had read the book in process, and could say
meaningful "there-theres." They could point to specific
things and say, "See, he doesn't know what he's talking
about, and, anyway, you're brilliant. We love you!" My
partner, a nonwriter, can do that too, but she has to love
me (it's a requirement of the job). So, it's nice to have
other professionals remind you of your worthiness.
Affirm your brilliance
No, you don't have to look yourself in the mirror and
say, "I'm great" six times (although, go-ahead if it helps).
But, you should try to do things that remind you that, even
if you never sell, you're still a writer. The big moment for
me was when I stopped answering the question, "So, what
do you do?" with anything other than, "I'm a writer. I do x
to pay the mortgage." Even before I sold my first short
story professionally, I sat on panels about writing at
conventions. I read at readings. I subscribed to LOCUS.
Whatever it is that makes you think: "Ah, this is the life of a
writer." Do it.
And lastly,
Embrace the fact that the struggle is the life of a writer.
One of the most meaningful things my writing friend H
Courrages LeBlanc told me when I was feeling down about
the review was: "You've arrived!" And it's true. Getting
trashed by the press is part of the whole package of the
writing life. The rejection letters are, frankly, part of what
we signed up for. It's the price we pay for choosing this
particular craft. As someone once said: "you can't play the
blues, until you've paid your dues."
In other words, it doesn't get any better than this, so
you might as well enjoy the process.
© 2002 by Lyda Morehouse
----------------------------------------------ARCHANGEL PROTOCOL (Penguin Putnam/Roc May 2001)
FALLEN HOST (Penguin Putnam/Roc May 2002)
MESSIAH NODE (Roc --forthcoming in 2003)
Check out http://www.lydamorehouse.com
----------------------------------------------
then click on the link that you think will help you obtain the
information you need. Be aware that some of the links will
be professional sites while others might be websites
created by individuals. In the example used here, notice
that some of the links end in "edu" or "org." Normally,
universities or non-profit organizations have a website that
ends in those letters. The information typically found on
these sites will be more trustworthy.
Depending on the type of information you are looking
for, beware of outdated information. Many webpages do
USING THE INTERNET FOR RESEARCH:
not have dates stating when the material was posted.
A BASIC PRIMER
Searching the web for the first time can be an
by Ron Vitale
overwhelming experience. Be sure to question the data
you find. Just because you found the material on the web
When I was younger, I used to go to the library and use does not mean that the data are accurate or true. Try to
the card catalogue o look up a book. Now, I sit in front of cross-check your data with other websites or verify it at a
my computer and use the Internet to help me find the
local library.
material I need. Before I go any further: I suggest that the
Once you test using the simple searches above, be more
Internet be used as a tool and not as an all-powerful
daring by going to www.google.com and clicking on the
medium for all your research needs. I still believe in the
"Advanced Search" link to the right of the search field.
power of a library and a librarian. I am not suggesting that With an Advanced Search, you can search for an exact
we turn our backs on the institution of the library.
phrase, a certain file type, or even for a particular term on
For those of you who are not familiar with using the
a certain website (this might come in handy if you're
Internet, here is a classic primer: Turn your computer on, looking for a news item on www.cnn.com).
and connect to the Internet via an internet service provider
Utilizing the Internet to access the information you need
such as AOL, MSN, or your DSL or cable modem. Once
is easy, fast, and can be extremely efficient. But why stop
connected, load up your web browser (Internet Explorer or there? Let's experiment a bit and utilize other resource
Netscape are the most popular these days), and in the
tools on the Internet to help you find information. A good
address portion (through which you'll type in a website's
site to obtain trustworthy information is the
address), type in: www.google.com There are thousands ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA: www.britannica.com/
of search engines, but for this exercise I chose the Google Searching appears to be limited on the free site, but if
search engine because of its great speed. Other search
you're serious about research, paying $9.95 a month for
engines are: AltaVista (www.altavista.com), Yahoo!
the service might be worth it. When you visit the
(www.yahoo.com), and Mamma (www.mamma.com).
ENCYCLOPEDIA's site, notice that there are search fields for
After the Google site loads, try some basic searches and a collegiate dictionary and thesaurus. Both can be
see the results. As an example, let's try looking up the
extremely handy tools while writing. (Another useful site to
term "stars." On the main Google.com page, type in
look up the spelling and meanings of words is
"stars" in the search box and then click on the "Google
Dictionary.com: www.dictionary.com.) If you need to
search" button. In approximately 0.08 seconds later, the
research recent news, there's always Time.com
first ten results (out of 14,700,000) are returned on the
(www.time.com/time/) or NEWSWEEK.com
webpage. When you review the results and the links,
(www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp). The sites
notice that only some of the links have to deal with "stars" that I have listed here are basic, simple sites to get you
in space. The results are rather divided among various
started.
terminologies. Instead of having to look through
More advanced searchers might wish to search through
14,700,000 webpages, hit the back button on your web
the Usenet archives of the last twenty years. What's the
browser, and narrow the search.
Usenet? I didn't know the full definition so I went to
This time type in two terms: "stars + astronomy." After Webopedia.com (www.webopedia.com/), a great
you hit the "Google search" button, notice that the search
encyclopedic resource for tech terms, and typed in "Usenet"
took approximately 0.07 seconds and there are only
and discovered that it is: "A worldwide bulletin board
578,000 results. By narrowing the field of terms, you can
system that can be accessed through the Internet or
obtain more detailed information. But for our purposes,
through many online services. The USENET contains more
this information is still too generic. Try the search again
than 14,000 forums, called newsgroups, that cover every
and type in: "stars + astronomy + red." The searched is
imaginable interest group. It is used daily by millions of
again narrowed to 154,000 webpages that contain those
people around the world." I have said this once, but I will
terms. Finally, try searching for: "stars + astronomy + red say it again: Beware. Information found in the Usenet and
+ Betelguese." Notice that the search is narrowed down to in newsgroups is normally compiled by everyday people.
only 199 results. To review the results, scroll down and
How can the Usenet be useful? I often use the newsgroups
to post a question. Fellow Internet users read my question
and then choose to reply to me with the answer through
the newsgroup. Once I visited the "Muppets" newsgroup
and wanted to know which songs were played at Jim
Henson's funeral. Two days later someone saw my
question and answered it. (I later verified the information
from a second source to be certain, but the songs were
correct.) Searching the Usenet can be a powerful tool, but
you need to be careful.
The fact that you can use the newsgroups to find
answers to your many questions is amazing. But Google
takes this one step further. They advertise that: "Google
offers the complete 20-year Usenet Archive with over 700
million messages." For free! Popular use of the Internet,
as we know it, has only been around since around 1995.
Being able to search through 20-year old messages posted
in the Usenet before the advent of the Internet can be
extremely useful. Out of curiosity, I visited
groups.google.com/ and then clicked on the "Google offers
complete 20-year Usenet Archive with over 700 million
messages" link. Listed here are the first postings in the
Usenet of topics such as "First Mention of Microsoft," "First
Thread about AIDS," and even more recent listings such as
"First Thread After the Terrorist Attacks." Not only can you
use the Usenet to obtain information, you can also travel
back in time and capture a people's feeling at the time of
an event.
The Internet can help you with research and is a
powerful tool. Learning how to utilize this tool effectively,
can save you time and increase your knowledge. Doing
research has never been easier!
© 2002 by Ron Vitale
to learning the craft, you'll meet other writers, perhaps
have the opportunity to set up a critique group. Having
other like-minded people read your work is an excellent
way to perfect your craft.
What about those companies that promise to read your
book to determine its potential? Many of those companies
are scams with the sole purpose of making money off the
hopes of would-be writers. They'll lead you on, tell you
your book is great but just needs a bit of work and
meanwhile will bilk you out of your last penny.
There are "book doctors" out there, legitimate services
that will edit a book for you, but they are deathly
expensive. We're talking hundreds or even thousands of
dollars. For the same money, you could take dozens of
writing courses, a much more effective way for you to learn
the right way to craft a book.
In addition to mastering the nuts and bolts of grammar
and punctuation, you will need to learn how to develop
believable, three-dimensional characters, how to build a
plot that makes sense, and most crucial, how to make a
story out of the sequence of events in your plot.
Characters and story are essential; if your reader doesn't
care about your characters, he/she may not even finish the
book. If your characters are just aimlessly wandering
around rather than being part of a cohesive story, you'll
also lose your reader.
Once you've gotten as far as completing a book with
great characters and an intriguing story line, and you've
polished every sentence to near perfection, it's time to start
sending it to publishers. How do you figure out which
publishers to send it to? A good place to start is your local
bookstore. Take a look at the books that are similar to
what you've written and check out the publisher names.
Once you have some publisher names, take a look at a
HOW TO GET PUBLISHED
recent WRITER'S MARKET. The WRITER'S MARKET will
by Karen Sandler
have the addresses and hopefully the editor names for all
the publishers. It will also say what the house wants to
How do you get published? There's no magic answer to see. Do they only want to read a query letter? A partial
the question. First, you have to write a dynamite book, the (the first 3 chapters and a synopsis)? Or would they like to
best book you can write. Then you have to send it to the
see the complete manuscript (with synopsis, of course). If
right editor at the right publishing house (that is, the one or you have no idea what a query letter is or how to write a
ones that publish the kind of books you write). Then you
synopsis, then you know that's part of the education you
hope your book knocks the editor's socks off.
need to get before you can begin marketing your book.
The real question is how do you write a dynamite book?
One last caution. If you encounter a publisher that tells
First, you have to know the craft of writing inside and out. you they'd like to publish your book, but they'll need money
That includes understanding the rules of grammar and
from you up front, RUN THE OTHER WAY. No legitimate
punctuation as well as any English teacher. A line editor
publisher will ask you for money to publish your book.
will catch and correct the few tiny errors that might slip
© 2002 by Karen Sandler
past you in your final draft manuscript, but if you don't
***************
know the basics (such as how to use the " " for dialogue),
Karen Sandler is a published novelist and screenwriter with
the acquisitions editor probably won't even finish reading
enough sense to get out of the rain but not enough to
your manuscript. It's up to you to make it perfect.
choose a more lucrative profession. She lives with her
So if you have any gaps in your knowledge of proper
husband and two teenage boys in Northern California.
grammar and punctuation, it's up to you to fill them before
**************
you ever send your manuscript to a publisher. How? By
taking writing classes at your local community college or
extension courses at your local university. As a side benefit
GETTING A HANDLE ON AGENT INFORMATION
by Ron Golden
Gathering agent information on Internet is easy: just
visit google.com, do a search for "literary agents," click on
the sites and download the complete listings to your
computer, including new agency openings, closures, scam
warnings and agent job changes.
Being overwhelmed by the mess you will amass is even
simpler because of the vast amounts of information, lack of
standard formats, content conflicts, and the mind-boggling
task of consolidating everything into a single database for
easy reference.
If you only want to target the best agents for your
submissions based on data from dozens of sources
simultaneously, and not to impress the neighbors with a
showcase agent database, here's a neat way to bypass the
usual hassles. It's a "quick and dirty" method certain to
cause nightmares for organization fanatics.
Once all the agent listings you want are in files on your
PC, decide if you will view and search them in their original
HTML format or convert to the more universal plain ASCII
text. I convert to ASCII text using HTMSTRIP, a freeware
DOS converter available at:
www.erols.com/waynesof/bruce.htm. The benefits of
converting are the data can then be handled by any text file
viewer or word processor, smaller file size and speedier
processing.
Whatever format you decide to use, combine all the files
into a single file. That's your database. Load it into your
word processor, text file viewer or browser and you are
ready to search and extract every bit of information you
have on each agent and topic, one at a time. Some
keywords for searches might be the name of the agent,
"fiction," "non-fiction," "fee," "SF," and "fantasy."
This method is not foolproof. You never know for sure
which source is the most recent or accurate, but the same
problem exists in any listing--things constantly change and
updates take several months to be made.
Advantages for the average writer over building a
conventional database or buying a printed or CD listing are
significant:
* A far more complete and detailed picture based on
multiple sources simultaneously.
* Unbelievable speed and ease compared to using a
conventional database or worksheet program and manual
data entry.
To conserve hard disk storage space, compress the
database using any popular archiver. My favorites are ARJ
and PKZIP.
This same technique can be used to compile a personal
book publisher database. A magazine market database
might not be workable because they are notoriously
short-lived enterprises.
© 2002 by Ron Golden
Something every writer needs--a creative license. Ron
Golden composed it years ago during his copywriting days
and still has it on his desk in fancy printed form.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CREATIVE LICENSE
------------------------------As a professional writer
(YOUR NAME HERE)
is hereby authorized
to maim, mangle and mutilate
grammar, logic and convention
in the pursuit of excellence.
(SIGNED)
________________________
ATHENA, Goddess of
Wisdom & The Arts
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
QUEENS PRIESTESSES AND PHARAOHS
WOMEN OF ANCIENT EGYPT III
by Karen L. Kobylarz
When you hear the words queen of Egypt, what do you
think of? The Sphinx? Pyramids? Royal mummies?
Cleopatra?
Of all Egyptian queens, Cleopatra is probably the most
famous. But she wasn't the only one to strike out on her
own or leave her mark on history. If you've studied ancient
Egypt, you may have heard of Queen-King Hatshepsut,
sometimes called "the first great woman in history," or
Nefertiti, the queen famous for her beauty.
But there were more queens than Hatshepsut who took
the throne of Egypt for their own, and there was more to
Nefertiti than her good looks. Their stories are here, along
with those of other women who made a difference along
the banks of the Nile.
HATSHEPSUT (1498-1483 B.C.E.)
If Tetisheri, Ahhotep, and Ahmose-Nefertari had wills of
iron, then Hatshepsut had one of pure steel. She was the
daughter of Thutmose I--the same Thutmose whom
Ahmose-Nefertari helped become pharaoh--and Queen
Ahmose, who may have been Ahmose-Nefertari's daughter.
Thutmose I and his queen may have had the family
history in mind when their daughter was born, for the name
Hatshepsut means "first among women." And first she
would be. Growing up in the royal court, Hatshepsut
probably heard stories of her great ancestors: how
Tetisheri got the fight for Egypt's freedom in motion, how
Ahhotep rallied the troops, how Ahmose- Nefertari worked
side by side with her husband to restore the country's
greatness. Hatshepsut might have even heard some of
these stories from Ahmose-Nefertari herself, who lived well
into Thutmose I's reign. And with women like her for role
models, how could Hatshepsut dream of being less?
Instead, she dreamed of being better.
And why not? Hatshepsut had a good relationship with
her father, and her brothers seem to have been a sickly lot.
Three of them died before their father. The eldest
surviving one, Thutmose II, wasn't exactly a healthy
specimen either. Scabs found on the chest, shoulders, and
arms of his mummy may be the symptoms of some
disease. But if Thutmose I ever considered making his
daughter his heir, he must've thought twice about it. What
was good enough for Tetisheri, Ahhotep, and
Ahmose-Nefertari would be good enough for Hatshepsut.
Why threaten the balance of maat?
When Hatshepsut was about twelve or thirteen years
old, her father died. She was left with no choice but to
follow tradition, and tradition dictated that to preserve the
royal bloodline, pharaoh's eldest son and eldest daughter
must marry each other. So, whether she liked it or not,
Hatshepsut married her brother, Thutmose II. They ruled
together for about fourteen years, and Hatshepsut seemed
content to play chief queen to Thutmose's pharaoh. She'd
also inherited the role of God's Wife of Amun and had a
daughter named Neferura.
But that doesn't mean she felt entirely happy with the
situation--particularly with that brother-husband of hers.
Their father, whom Hatshepsut admired, had been a great
warrior who'd battled Egypt's enemies and kept the country
safe. Her brother, on the other hand, seemed a mere
shadow of Dad, though he did fight a battle or two.
Perhaps she advised him, as Ahmose-Nefertari did for her
husband. But if she did, Thutmose II didn't bother to make
note of it.
Then, Thutmose II died, leaving behind Hatshepsut,
their daughter, and a son by a non-royal wife. And here's
where Hatshepsut got her chance.
It's also the point in the story where
Egyptologists--people who study ancient Egypt--thought
they saw a real-life soap opera: a king's tragic death, a
widowed queen, a fatherless child. This child, Thutmose
III--the family was into a rut when it came to names--was
just a little boy at the time. Someone would have to rule in
his stead until he grew up, and that someone would be
Hatshepsut.
And following in the footsteps of her great ancestresses,
Hatshepsut did rule in his name--for the first few years or
so. But then she decided to change things a little.
Thutmose III was still a little tike--too young to cause any
trouble--so in the seventh year of his reign, she took the
title of pharaoh for her own, becoming king of Egypt like
Sobekneferu before her.
When Egyptologists first discovered Hatshepsut, they
had a feeling that all was not well when this woman was on
the throne. Her name and image had been hacked out
from nearly all her monuments, and what hadn't been
destroyed had been hidden by other building projects or
buried in a "Hatshepsut landfill." Egyptologists also learned
about the dethroned prince and envisioned a family feud
with a fairy-tale ring to it. Hatshepsut was the wicked
stepmother and Thutmose III, a boy-Cinderella, in need of
a fairy godmother to help him regain his stolen kingdom.
Indeed, ancient records seemed to support all this, for one
inscription tells of supernatural intervention.
According to the inscription, one day, when Thutmose
was almost an adult, there was a festival to the god Amun,
and the god's shrine was paraded through the temple halls.
As Thutmose watched the parade from the sidelines, the
shrine came to a sudden stop and began wandering about.
At last, it paused before the prince, indicating that this
young man--not some upstart female--was the true
pharaoh.
With this sign from Amun--his fairy godfather, so to
speak--Prince Thutmose gained a loyal following, and
Hatshepsut's days were numbered. No matter that she had
proved herself an able ruler, raising temples to the gods
and strengthening Egypt's economy. She was the wicked
stepmother and met a wicked stepmother's fate--cast from
her throne and probably killed. Her name was hacked out
of her monuments, her statues demolished, and her
mummy destroyed as well. So much for her.
A great story--and not only that, it was history, too! It
inspired Egyptologists to reexamine the evidence in the
hopes of learning more about Hatshepsut and her nephew.
And learn more, they did. They analyzed the damage in
Hatshepsut's temples and discovered it had been done near
the end, not the beginning, of Thutmose III's thirty-year
solo reign. Then they looked at the location of Thutmose's
mortuary temple, where his soul would be worshipped after
he died. He'd built it right next to Hatshepsut's. And there
was also the limestone jar from Thutmose's tomb: a jar
with Hatshepsut's name on it.
In light of these discoveries, Egyptologists began to
question the Cinderella story. If Hatshepsut had been a
"wicked stepmother," why did Thutmose wait so long to
have his revenge? Why did he place his temple by hers
and take a memento of her to his grave?
These questions led them to chuck the fairy tale for
another more believable, but nonetheless, intriguing tale.
Here's what probably really happened: When Hatshepsut
lost her husband, both she and all of Egypt were in a bind.
She had no son, and Prince Thutmose was probably no
more than two at the time. At first she decided to follow
tradition and rule for the boy until he came of age. But
then people in the court started to grumble--not about
Hatshepsut, but Prince Thutmose. Who was this little
prince anyway? His mother was a nobody, and his father
had been only half royal. Why, if he became king, it would
be like placing a commoner on the throne of Egypt, and
that was unacceptable! People might start to think that
anyone could become pharaoh.
Many of these grumblers probably had royal blood
themselves and could claim Tetisheri and her sons,
daughters, and grandchildren as relatives. Some of them
might have even been plotting to take the throne.
Upon hearing about this, Hatshepsut knew she had to do
something. She might not have been happy that Prince
Thutmose was some other woman's son, but he was also
Hatshepsut's nephew and no way was she going to let
some other princeling harm the boy or steal the throne.
Instead, she did the stealing, so to speak, by declaring
herself pharaoh.
Since both her parents were of royal blood, Hatshepsut
had a strong claim to the throne. Also, she'd earned the
respect and support of the high priest of Amun and some of
her father's closest advisors. She also tinkered a bit with
family history, claiming not only that her father intended for
her to be his heir, but that the god Amun, not Thutmose I,
was her real father. So what if she was a woman? She had
backers, the right genes, and divine origins. And that shut
up the grumblers.
As pharaoh, Hatshepsut followed Sobekneferu's example
and had herself portrayed as a man on statues and
carvings, confusing a whole new generation of Egyptian
artists. She began many great building projects, adding on
to Amun's great temple at Karnak, ordering a new and
better tomb for her father, and building a magnificent
mortuary temple for herself, which is now one of the most
famous temples in all Egypt.
But building was only one of Hatshepsut's interests.
Egypt's neighboring countries also held her interest, as
trading partners and possible enemies, too. Neighboring
countries who thought, "Well, well! Egypt has a mere
woman on the throne," received a nasty surprise when they
tried to attack. Hatshepsut kept Egypt's army as strong as
ever, and she wasn't afraid to send out the troops when
she had to. She also organized a trading expedition to
Punt, a country located in what is now Ethiopia. The
Egyptians brought back myrrh, wood, ivory, and even
animals, and Hatshepsut saw to it that they celebrated their
success with a great festival in which her nephew
Thutmose--now almost an adult--took part.
So what was Prince Thutmose, the rightful heir, doing
while Hatshepsut sat on the throne? Growing up of course,
and probably loving the situation. With Hatshepsut being
pharaoh, Thutmose probably had more time to enjoy being
a kid. When he got older, he joined the army, where he
gained lots of experience on the battlefield--experience that
would one day help him become Egypt's greatest
warrior-pharaoh. Of course, as he came into his teens, he
probably became restless and began wishing that his aunt
would step down and let him take charge. But Hatshepsut
was probably in no hurry to do so. Being pharaoh was
something she excelled at.
Nevertheless, Prince Thutmose didn't have too long to
wait. After reigning for about twenty years, Hatshepsut
died--a natural death, not a violent one--and Thutmose
finally gained his throne. Sad to say, his half-sister
Neferura, Hatshepsut's only child, wasn't there to rule with
him. When her mother had
become pharaoh, Neferura filled in the role of chief queen,
even becoming the God's Wife of Amun. But she died just
a few years before her mother and never shared the throne
with Thutmose.
Rather than destroying all that Hatshepsut had built,
Thutmose let her monuments stand as a sign of respect for
the woman who'd protected him. It wasn't until twenty
years after her death that he began removing her name
and statues from public view. After all, pharaohs were
supposed to be male, and a woman on the throne.... Not
even a mighty warrior like Thutmose III wanted to risk
upsetting maat. Nevertheless, he did manage to
"accidentally"÷ miss a few, insuring that his aunt's name
would be remembered for centuries to come.
© 2002 by Karen L. Kobylarz
BIBLIOGRAPY
Forbes, Dennis. "A Hatshepsut Momento." KMT: A
MODERN JOURNAL OF ANCIENT EGYPT Spring 1990: 13.
Hawass, Zahi. SILENT IMAGES: WOMEN IN PHARAONIC
EGYPT. Cairo, Egypt: Cultural Development Fund, 1995.
Petty, William. "Hatshepsut and Thutmose III
Reconsidered" KMT: A MODERN JOURNAL OF ANCIENT
EGYPT Spring 1997: 45-53.
Robins, Gay. WOMEN IN ANCIENT EGYPT. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1993.
Tyldesley, Joyce. HATCHEPSUT: THE FEMALE
PHARAOH. New York: Viking, 1996.
WEBWALKER TALES
Reviewed: The Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies
URL: www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/labyrinth-home.html
("old" site)
URL: labyrinth.georgetown.edu (new "improved" site)
reviewed by: Diana C. Ice
This website, sponsored by Georgetown University, is a
real heartbreaker. The site comes up quickly, and is easy to
navigate. And there is so much fascinating and useful
information here, but a plethora of broken links make it one
of the most frustrating websites I've ever tried to work
with. So, I quickly went to their "new and improved" site.
In my opinion, the old one is much better, broken links and
all. If you know precisely what to ask for, (e.g. "Wharram
Percy") or exact terms in a title (e.g. "Medieval village") the
new site may help you, but I was unable to find anything
useful.
On the old site, the "Labyrinth Library" lists Medieval
books and articles from French, Iberian, Italian, Latin,
Middle English, or Old English literature, as well as modern
articles. "National Cultures" lists Anglo-Saxon, Byzantium,
Celtic, England 1066-1500, France, Germany, Iberia, and
Italy. But I must warn you that this is where the problems
start.
Seeking information on daily life that I might be able to
use in a story, I began with "Anglo-Saxon" and was
impressed. It has Manuscripts; Art and Archaeology; Living
History; Teaching Resources; links to organizations,
journals, and to ORB---the Online Reference Book for
Medieval Studies.
If you want to set a story in a Medieval village,
"Wharram Percy: A Lost Medieval Village" is a wonderful
resource. A description of the valley and the people who
lived there, the church, the peasant and manor houses, and
a bibliography is accompanied by illustrations and a map
showing the land and what the village looked like, plus
floor-plans and descriptions of the church, century by
century, and an drawing of the interior of a peasant house.
It is almost like a pre-fabricated setting, to which you can
add your own characters and story.
In "Living History", the "Anglo-Saxon and Medieval
Recipes" worked fine. "Clothing" required a short detour.
Most of the other links are broken. "Teaching Resources"
had interesting material and may be worth exploring.
The rest of "National Cultures" was disappointing. The
link to "Byzantium" was broken. Nor could I find anything
for it on the new site. "Celtic" was okay, but all the links
within it were broken, as were many under "England
1066-1500."
The link to Wales, however, was wonderful. (Never mind
that, technically, Wales isn't England.) If you're interested
in setting your story in Wales or a Welsh-like world, do
check out this link. When I tried "Wales" on the new site, I
got nothing.
Most of the links for France, Germany, Iberia, and Italy
were either broken or mostly general discussions of those
countries in the Middle Ages, but Iberia, for example, on
the new site turned up only copies of historical documents.
Under "International Culture," "Archaeology and
Cartography" holds the aforementioned "Wharram Percy,"
and "Arts and Architecture" has a neat "Visual Tour of the
Deserted Medieval Armenian City of Ani." Most of the other
links unfortunately seem to be broken, as were nearly all
the links I tried under Medieval, Religious, and Social
History.
"Science," with information on alchemy, falconry and
hunting, medicine, etc., was more rewarding. When I
searched for "science" on the new site I turned up only
something on gargoyles. Nor could I find anything specific,
e.g. leprosy.
In "Science," my favorite section was "Medieval
Technology," which can help you set a scene, avoid
anachronisms, and understand how things worked if you
need or want to include them in your story. For example,
under "Soap" and "Mirrors" you can find out where they
were invented, how they were made, and who used them.
Should your hero use liquid or hard soap--or none at all?
Should your heroine's mirror be polished bronze or
lead-backed glass? Do you need a description of a Medieval
rat trap or how wattle-and-daub was made? Although some
of the pages were better than others, there were no broken
links, and most of the descriptions, illustrations, and
bibliographies for further information, were excellent.
Again, I could find nothing comparable on the new site.
This old site has a lot to offer, as, I'm sure does the new
site, if I could find any of it, but a major university like
Georgetown can do a great deal better than this.
ADVENTURES IN MARKETING
TIMING
by Varda One
Timing is everything; that's especially true about books:
l. Brand names or "when you're hot, you're hot and
when you're not, you're not." I can envision a day when
Stephen King will not be able to sell anything he writes
January l, 2097.
2. Newsworthiness. Publishers commission books based
on upcoming anniversaries of famous people's birth or
events such as the millennium. Because of instant books,
we had a run of O.J. titles. If you could get advance copies
of newspaper headlines or videotapes of news, you could
predict the titles of a majority of nonfiction books.
3. Fads and trends. Acquisition editors, agents, book
packagers, marketing analysts, and futurists study them to
predict what the fickle public will be reading next year.
They're often wrong. Example: THE BRIDGES OF
MADISON COUNTY, a real sleeper.
Fads and trends zip in and out even more quickly
because electronic inventory systems pinpoint slow-selling
titles. The barrage of competing books becomes denser
and fiercer. You make it fast or you don't make it at all.
Hardbacks get a two-month window before they're
remaindered; for paperbacks, the rack time is figured in
hours.
That's too bad because some books take a while to
catch fire. The philosopher Gurdjieff believed that his ideas
needed absorption time. While writing a book, he would
send chapters to his world-wide study groups over a period
of years. They would discuss his far-out ideas and slowly
assimilate them. Having thus prepared the ground, a sort
of literary leavening, he would publish the book.
Many books need such a launching. Instead, either they
get hyped or dumped into the marketplace and are
expected to grow "legs" (gain a following) with a
lean/mean promotion budget.
Consider the case of the legendary best seller, THE
ROAD LESS TRAVELED, by M. Scott Peck, published in
1978. Dr. Peck was an unknown psychiatrist and this was
his first book. What caused it to remain on the best-seller
list for years? Well, he had respectable credentials, wrote
lucidly, and had absorbing experiences from which he drew
intriguing conclusions. It was a self-help book (very big
field in the 70's-80's) and his title came from a famous
Robert Frost poem.
So what? There were hundreds of titles by experts with
similar claims. Why was this book such a big hit?
Did he travel all over the country with a van full of books
as Wayne Dyer (also a neophyte writer in the field of
psychology) did in 1976 to turn YOUR ERRONEOUS ZONES
into a smash hit? Nope.
Did he do zillions of talk shows à la Jacqueline Susann in
1966 (VALLEY OF THE DOLLS)? She had glamorous photos
on her book jackets and husband was a publicist. No way.
Did he buy truckloads of books himself from those
stories tallied for the NEW YORK TIMES Best-Seller list as
some writers have done? No.
Did his publisher (this is a true instance) have employees
buy books from bookstores, return them, and buy more
books in order to make the list? Never.
As far as I know, the only thing Dr. Peck did that was
unusual was to insist that the initial printing of his book be
increased. For an unknown with zero clout this was nervy,
but he knew that the size of the initial run influences
booksellers. If the publisher didn't value it enough to print
a decent run, why should they push it?
With this launch in 1973, his book grew legs. And grew
and grew and grew until it danced all over the world. It
made the NEW YORK TIMES Best-Seller list in 1978 and
has had a record-breaking long run. Why?
I can't prove it, but I think it's because there were lots of
young adult boomers who were ready to hear his message:
"Life is hard." And plenty of parents who felt this message
should be heard by them so it became a favorite graduation
and birthday gift.
Timing. Gail Sheehy published THE SILENT PASSAGE
(on menopause), a big seller in l992. The first boomer was
born in 1945. You figure it out.
© 2001 by Varda One
******************************
WRITING AS ADVENTURE by Varda One is on sale online
or by phone at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and xlibris.com
******************************
Aliens Only is a cross between Callahan's Saloon and MIB.
Set in turn-of-the- century Chicago, Mrs. O'Leary finds it
more profitable to rent to aliens (cats, bugs, whatever)
than humans. The antho focuses on the stories of aliens,
whatever you imagine them to be, and how they got to be
in this backwater, low-tech planet, as they sit around Mrs.
O'Leary's gas lit parlor. I am looking for well written,
imaginative stories between 3,000-10,000 words. Payment
is only 2 cents/word advance against royalties of 8% split
between authors and editor. It is also possible that the
book, after a time, will be resold to a major publisher. I
have an agent who is looking into that with our current
books. If that happens, payment will be increased to 4.5
cents advance against royalties. But that is not a
definite--only the 2 cents is.
"If anyone wants to see the first few...preliminary
opening pages, send me an e-mail at
[email protected]. I am looking at late 2002 or
early 2003 for publication of this book."
from ralan.com:
THE NIGHT HAS TEETH, Randy Speeg, Editor,
DarkVesper Publishing, P.O. Box 36298, Cincinnati, OH
45236, E-subs & info: [email protected] URL:
www.darkvesperpublishing.com Length: short stories
between 1,000-10,000 words. Deadline: 31 August 2002.
Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy, or Science Fiction (sci-fi
stories must border on horror). Subject: Can be anything
as long as it contains two key plot elements: Most of the
story takes place at night or in the dark. Someone or
something in the story has very sharp teeth. Payment: 5¢
per word up to 5,000 words ($250 maximum payment).
Payment will be made within 30 days of publication date.
Rights: Asking for first North American English language
rights. All rights to return to author 6 months after
publication date. "I'm looking for previously unpublished
stories that have not appeared in any other form. I want
stories that are original, powerful, emotional, creepy,
MARKET REPORT
chilling, and disturbing." Simultaneous submissions are
by Kathleen Woodbury
okay if so noted in your e-mail (if your story sells elsewhere
please notify me immediately so I can remove it from
Sue Linville reports that FUTURE ORBITS is closing and
consideration). You may submit up to 3 stories at a time.
is no longer open to submissions.
E-Mail submissions to the above e-mail address as an
SPECULATIONS reports that Steve Pasechnick is
attached Word.doc or RTF file. Snail Mail submissions to
"starting a fantasy magazine, ALCHEMY. I'm looking for
the above mailing address. Please include your name,
stories up to 8,000 words and I'm paying 5 cents/word."
address, and e-mail, and SASE if submitting by mail. (If you
Edgewood Press, PO Box 380264, Cambridge, MA 02238.
SPECULATIONS also says that HARPERS is in the market publish under a pseudonym please include both your
for "[s]hort stories. Snail mail only with SASE for response. pseudonym and real name.) More information can be
found at the above web site.
Pays $0.50-1.00/word. Rights negotiable." 66 Broadway,
ralan.com reports that DNA Publications (the webzine) is
11th Floor, New York, NY 10012; 212-614-6500;
closed
as a market and will only reprint stories from DNA
www.harpers.org but ZOETROPE: ALL-STORY is currently
magazines.
ralan.com also reports that TALEBONES has a
closed. "Submit Sept. thru May. Buys FNASR and two year
new
URL
<www.fairwoodpress.com>
and new email
film option. Pays up to $1,500 per short story." 916 Kearny
addresses
(for
queries
and
information
only--submissions
St., San Francisco, CA 94133; 415-788-7500;
must come by regular mail): [email protected]
www.all-story.com [email protected]
and [email protected] Submission address is
Also from SPECULATIONS: Publisher Winifred Halsey
TALEBONES, Patrick & Honna Swenson, Editors, Fairwood
seeks "stories for our [new] antho, MRS. O'LEARY'S
Press, 5203 Quincy Ave SE, Auburn, WA 98092
BOARDING HOUSE: ALIENS ONLY [Speculation Press].
MEMBER NEWS:
now thought to be a sure way to break the sabers.
*** Most cats crush their victims' neck bones.
Mary Soon Lee sold her short story "Coming of Age" to
*** Smilodon, a 300-pound sabertooth tiger, roared like
ANALOG (after 22 rejections).
a lion.
Mike Brotherton sold his short story "Blood Bone Tendon
*** Sabertooths could kill game much larger than
Stone" to the anthology IN THE SHADOW OF THE WALL,
themselves. One the size of a large house cat could kill
edited by Byron Tetrick. He also sold his first novel, STAR deer. The bigger ones, with nine-inch sabers, preyed on
DRAGON to TOR.
mammoths, mastodons and woolly rhinos. By comparison,
If you have news of a SALE (that means someone has
even lions and tigers don't usually attack today's elephants.
paid you money for your story--no news of reviews or
*** Most cats are lone hunters, but some sabertooths
awards or other recognition please--we're only interested in may have lived in prides, like lions. Several cats have been
money here), send your name, the story's name, the
found that survived severe illness or injuries.
publisher and date to Susan U Linville at
*** And the beat goes on: An eleventh sabertooth may
[email protected] or mail her at 606 Jocedan Ct,
be evolving as we speak. The Asian clouded leopard has
Bloomington, IN 47404 and we'll let SF&FW readers know. the longest canine teeth of any cat. [[Is that an oxymoron?
Bob]
LOCAL GROUPS, WRITING WORKSHOPS, AND
*** The La Brea Tar Pits have yielded over a million
CONFERENCES (AND ONLINE GROUPS)
bones, including 160,000 sabertooth bones, more than any
other animal. Water, covering the tar, lured creatures to
from SPECULATIONS:
drink. They became entrapped and in turn lured the
The 13th Annual Writers Institute conference will be
carnivores to what looked like an easy dinner and turned
7/11-12/02 "at The Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison out to be a last meal.
[WI. It will] featur[e] a wide array of workshop[s] in fiction
*** An adult lion needs sixty pounds of meat every three
and nonfiction... including...sci-fi [sic] and fantasy...
or four days. Lionesses make most kills. The females are
[R]egistration... is... $225... To register, call (608)
sleeker and faster than the males. Males, on the other
262-7942, or for a brochure call (608) 262-3982... e-mail
hand, protect the pride and territory against other males,
Christine DeSmet at [email protected]." Details at
who will kill cubs if they manage to take over.
www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing/awi.
*** The Smilodon is the saber-toothed cat pictured in
also from SPECULATIONS:
most books. A powerfully built, stocky cat that had short,
"Don Webb is teaching an online course in Writing
powerful legs. Built like a bear, it ambushed prey rather
Science Fiction through UCLA. Don has published over 250 than chasing it down.
stories, 50+ on various 'year's best lists' as well as teaching
*** Smilodon is best known as the cat that feasted on
writing for years. Check it out at
prey caught in the famous La Brea tar pits and itself
http://uclaextension.org/writers."
couldn't get out.
If you have information about local,
*** A second sabertooth, "Homotherium" is more catlike
national/international, and online groups and science
and probably chased prey. It had knife-like teeth, serrated
fiction, fantasy, or horror writing workshops/conferences,
like steak knives.
please send it to Kathleen Woodbury at the workshop
*** An as-yet-unnamed Florida saber-toothed cat
address or via email at [email protected]
weighed about five hundred pounds, the size of a male lion.
It lived about one million years ago.
DATA BANK
Bob Blumenfeld <[email protected]>
David Carter
Big Cats
*** Saber-toothed cats may have evolved and become
extinct at least ten times. In addition, at least one South
American saber-toothed marsupial evolved.
*** Scientists think saber-toothed cats ambushed or
rushed their prey. They may have leaped on the prey's
back and ripped out its throat or attacked the prey's belly.
Both were hazardous for the cat, since a young mammoth,
rhino or other big herbivore might fall or roll on the cat.
Fossils of cats crippled in this way have been found.
*** It used to be thought that the cats thrust the sabers
between the neck vertebrae to cut the spinal cord. This is
***************
The Science Fiction and Fantasy W orkshop exists to provide participants
w ith a com m unication link, a w ay to exchange ideas, inform ation, and new s
pertaining to the w riting of science fiction, fantasy, and horror fiction.
There is no one w ay to w rite, and nothing presented w ithin these pages is
intended to be taken as that one w ay, but as one of the m any thousands of
options available to each of us and as a guide to finding our ow n w ay to
w rite; the w ay that w orks best for us. Opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the SF&FW staff or of the group as a w hole.
*************
SF AN D FANTASY W ORKSHOP. Published m onthly by SF & Fantasy
W orkshop, <w w w .burgoyne.com /pages/w orkshop> Volum e 21, W hole
Num ber Tw o Hundred Fifty, August 2002. Copyright 2002 by SF AND
FANTA SY W ORKSHOP. All rights revert to the original authors after
publication. To receive SF AND FANTA SY W ORKSHOP, go to the above
w ebsite and fill out the order form . The new sletter is free via em ail.
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