In a genre that often sparks debate over fairness to each sex – whether it is the representation within stories, the amount that get published or the amount of that get read/reviewed – it is great to see that, for the second time in so many years, 3 of the 4 quarter final winners in the esteemed L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest are women.
The 1st place winners for each quarter are:
Quarter 1 – Terry Madden of California (F)
Quarter 2 – Randy Henderson of Washington (M)
Quarter 3 – Leena Likitalo of Finland (F)
Quarter 4 – Megan O’Keefe of California (F)
Why do I make such a big deal about this? Well, over the last few years, since I wrote a list of my top ten most anticipated novels and noticed that I’d inadvertently failed to name more than one female author, I’ve began to pay attention to gender-balances in terms of how many of each sex are out there writing, getting publishing and being read/reviewed. In relation to WotF, I know that of the first 28 competition winners, the ratio was – if my calculations are correct – 21 men to 7 women… an obvious imbalance. In terms of F-F these days, although I try not to get too O.C.D. about things, I have since tried to make sure that Fantasy-Faction publishes around 1:1 reviews & Interviews for male & female authors and, I have to say, that since doing so I’ve found my fondness and enjoyment of the genre has increased all the more.
My personal views are that to say that male and female authors write in the same way would be ridiculous and a blatant attempt to appear politically correct. I believe writing is a hugely personal thing and the way you write is always going to be shaped by your individual life experiences and, therefore, in many way a reflection of them. Because men and women have, despite the best attempts of many, different experiences in life and therefore different attitudes and values, you do see variety in the writings of each sex. What I will add is that this isn’t always the kind of difference you may have been led to expect: women’s writing isn’t necessarily more slushy, nor is it necessarily more emotional as opposed to physical (as Victorian psychologists might have you believe). Rather, like-for-like subjects portrayed through a women’s eye-view compared to a male’s can give you a new perspective on things; something that is both refreshing and enriching for someone who is well-read in the genre.
Writer’s of the Future have recognised and commented on the strong entrants of female authors over the last few years, stating that: “Randy is the lone male this year in the normally male dominant 1st place category, but we also had this exact circumstance last year. I can’t explain it but we certainly have a healthy amount of females entering in recent years. Since the contest is judged anonymously, there are no considerations of gender, age or any other factor. The best stories are chosen by the judges and that is the simplicity of it. No political factors are part of the process.” What I take away from these comments is the fact that the selections are in no way an attempt by Writers of the Future to correct past miss-representation.
For those who were unaware of the Writers of the Future contest until now, it accepts entries of speculative fiction – science fiction, fantasy, light horror and alternate history – throughout the year and each quarter will have a winner. The four quarter winners – such as those named above – will then compete for the grand prize of $5,000.00. This year the finals are to be held in April (each author has already won $1,000.00 for their first place win for their respective quarter, btw!).
Writers of the Future added, “The Writers of the Future Contest is an effective means for aspiring writers to make their break in the publishing industry, an industry well-known for being closed to the newcomer. L. Ron Hubbard’s vision was so grand at the start of the contest 30 years ago, it wasn’t realized back then just how big the contest would become. Thirty years later it is the largest contest for new writers in the world with hundreds of writer careers launched and a total of 12 New York Times authors launched.”
To put an exclamation point on that, just this week it was announced that Tom Doyle, winner of 2012’s Writers of the Future Award, has signed a three book deal with TOR. The first novel, American Craftsman, will be published on May 6th this year. Contest coordinating judge and New York Times bestselling author David Farland said “[Doyle’s] story for Writers of the Future was brilliant. We were very confident that he would have a successful career. Apparently Tor agrees.”
Geoff Matthews
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
Marc,
Excellent article. Thanks for sharing this perspective. I noted much the same in my interviews following the contest. I do think the fact that they have a “blind” submission process is awesome — the judges don’t know who submitted the works they are judging, so judge the works on their own merits. I suppose the only potential influence remaining is that the judges are predominantly older white males I believe, and lean towards the scifi side of the house, so as with any market you submit to, the subjective tastes of the editor/first reader/judge may affect whether your story is chosen for publication. It is always a good idea to read the market you are submitting to in order to get a feel for they style and types of stories they like.
Cheers,
Randy Henderson