A Few Of Things

[mmerriam]

1. I just discovered that I qualify for an affiliate membership with the Horror Writers Association. Do I join HWA? I'm taking advice and opinions.

2. The Reverend is sleeping on my legs. I'm lying on my stomach and she's curled up in the crook of my knees. She is very warm.

3. I finished the requested rewrite and sent the story back to the editor.

4. In a rejection I received today, the editor pointed out that the piece read more like the beginning of a novel than a short story. I am concerned that it may morph into "Untitled Novel #6."

5. It's snowing. Seriously.

Comments

[pezwitch.livejournal.com]

Do you think it could be limiting to your career to be a member of the HWA (or SFWA or some other not-so-greatly-thought-of organization)? Or is it something that you could get personal joy/benefit from at the expense of your reputation? Or is it something that you may derive no joy/benefit from but grants you some kind of credibility in that genre?

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

I think the main reason to join either of those organizations is to have access to a couple of the good things they do, such as the Grievence Committee (help with bad contracts and publishers) and the Emergency Medical Fund (or in HWA's case, the Emergency Loan Program). Those are good things for my dues to support. As for crediibility within the genre: they don't matter much except to show you've written at a certain level for a period of time.