From an old bookmark. Still fresh. Some of my picks:
6) Long plot explanations aren't going to get it. Like, when something neat (horrible?) happened to one of the characters a real long time ago, and you really really want to tell us about it, you know? Don't.
12) We can't care about sand mutants; if you do, or think you do, kill yourself.
21) If you write a sentence that isn't poignant, touching, funny, intriguing, inviting, etc., take it out before you finish the work. Don't just leave it there. Don't let anyone see it.
23) Also: Obscurity is not subtlety; intentional obscurity is pinheaded and unkind.
Writing Scifi? Have a look at TheScian Scifi Contest for 2008.
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I got a request to collect participants for an online survey on science fiction — take a look and help out if you want. It's long, and a little depressing: it's a list of science fiction movies and TV shows, and you're supposed to rate their scientific accuracy.
A few more days before we close the Scifi Short Story Contest. Thanks to Ramya for the nifty countdown javascript. Now, you can visit the scifi page and feel the urgency.
Wait! Don't answer that just yet. Please allow me to give myself a little Q&A pertaining to issue of "proportionately fewer hot women read sci-fi and fantasy."
Q1. So tell me, Me, do you read sci-fi & fantasy?
A1. Well, not so much lately.
Pimp My Novel: Tip O' the Week: Chasing Trends
You may be amused to hear that "39 Steps" has just been released at Librivox.
http://librivox.org/the-thirty-nine-steps-by-john-buchan/
I imagine it could've been a bit shorter (4+ hours!) had Buchan read the 39 steps before telling his tale.