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Worlds Without End Blog

Guest Post: Writers of the Future Contest and Volume 39 — Are you ready? Posted at 2:42 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future: Volume 39 The highlight of the year, for aspiring writers and readers alike, is fast approaching with the release of the latest volume of the Writers of the Future Anthology. Volume 39 promises to be the most inspiring offering to date, featuring twelve debut stories by the winners of Writers of the Future 2022 and three bonus stories by best-selling authors, all illustrated by winners of the Illustrators of the Future Contest.

It starts off with a deeply human and feminist science-fiction offering about a miracle, a tragedy, and the connection between the two, unexpectedly and delightfully followed by a clever romp with a vampire, a dragon, and a were-dog. Volume 39 begins with thought-provoking, powerful narrative and, story by story, weaves and builds in insight, inspiration, and wonder.

Readers of this volume will find themselves pulled in and captivated by the discovery of new worlds, the exploration of clever technologies, and the imagining of futures with complex problems. They’ll experience alien worlds, first contacts, clever and convincing AI, and life and death choices. Skilled storytelling and artful Illustration go hand in hand with the beauty and caliber of art included in Volume 39, coming together with the narratives in flawless union. The imagery lives up to the high bar set by the stories.

For readers, the Writers and Illustrators of the Future provides a singular opportunity. It is a veritable buffet of offerings from fresh new voices in speculative fiction, a genre that includes science fiction, fantasy and the less definable stories that skirt the borders between realism and fancy. The blind judging process ensures that each volume is composed of diverse new voices from around the world. The stories that win are themselves compelling, meaningful, and boast the forward thinking insight that speculative fiction is known for.

Writers and Illustrators of the Future volumes are uniquely suited for sharing among family members because it comes in a digestible style that is appropriate for middle grade readers. Volume 39 is no exception, with its flaming dragon bedecked cover and a collection of stories and illustrations that manage to uphold the same standard for excitement, adventure, and immersion.

Each volume boasts articles with exclusive advice and trade secrets for success in writing and illustration. Volume 39 in particular includes a very useful article on priorities, by Kristine Kathryn Rush, that outlines how to write (or meet other priority goals) without forsaking health or relationships.

Writers of the Future Trophies For aspiring writers and artists finding out about the contest for the first time and wondering how to be the next winner included in the Writers of the Future anthologies, picking up a copy of Volume 39 and reading it cover to cover is the first, most important step. It’s the most comprehensive way to learn your market, to get a feel for what kind of material is right for Writers of the Future and to learn from the previous winners, judges, and pros affiliated with the contest.

You may be wondering if the contest is as worthwhile as it sounds, or if all this excitement over a single anthology contest is warranted.

The short answer is: yes, get excited; entering the contest is free and easy to do, with very tangible rewards if you win. The long answer is still yes; setting your sights on getting into the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest is one of the most worthwhile goals out there for an aspiring writer or illustrator.

The official website has an intuitive, easy-entry submission portal with all of the rules and guidelines displayed clearly. The support and free-training is invaluable for beginners as well as more seasoned writers teetering on the edge of pro-writing. On the website you’ll find a lively forum of over 10,000 writers and illustrators with active discussions, critique trades, support threads, and advice for winning the contest. There are posts by judges, editors, and past winners geared towards helping entrants build their knowledge and skills.

The website also features a free online writers training course that teaches the fundamentals of short story craft with articles and video lectures by legends like Orson Scott Card, David Farland, and Tim Powers. It’s free—have I mentioned that enough times yet? It’s broken up into manageable chunks, and you get a completion certificate at the end. Once you’ve registered, you can move through the course at your own pace or come back to it to revisit and refresh your memory.

Even the judging system provides more support and feedback than writers and illustrators can expect elsewhere, featuring Returned with Comments, Honorable Mentions, Silver Honorable Mentions, Semi-Finalists, and Finalist rankings, to show entrants their current level and progress.

With four entry quarters a year and three winners each quarter, writers and illustrators can use the contest as a quarter by quarter goal-marker for their own progress and benefit from multiple opportunities to win the contest. The culmination of winning is a free trip to Los Angeles for a week of workshops, networking, and hands-on mentorship with industry professionals, the whole event ending in a red carpet award ceremony and a professional book signing. Aspiring authors and illustrators have nothing to lose by entering the contest and everything to gain: practice, support, community, and, maybe, the biggest win of their career.

What are you waiting for?

By CL Fors


CL Fors CL Fors lives and breathes stories in multiple mediums: the written word, illustration in watercolor, acrylic, digital, and ink, and the creation of custom jewelry and other artifacts of story. She is an artist with a myriad of interests and experiences that inform and flavor her writing and illustrating. A multipotentialite, mother, author, and adventurer, CL is a science and science-fiction enthusiast with a passion for research based sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction in general. 

CLʼs debut novel, Progeny, is the first installment of the Primogenitor series. The second and third books in the series, Adaptation and Reunion. are available on Amazon and the fourth book Schism will be released soon.  CL also writes science articles and short stories and has articles published at Genetic Literacy Project and Midwifery today Magazine. Website: CLForsauthor.com


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