Mcthew Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Submitted a story myself on the final day, but it was really speculative. I write fiction aside from the day-job, and writing for Black Library is that chance to combine the hobby with those skills, but... (and isn't there always a but?) ... If I'm honest, I'm not that crazy over the Black Library output for AoS so far. I like the fiction included with the main hardback rulebook and the Realmgate Wars battle books. It's always been fun to have fiction squeezed in amongst the rules in Warhammer fantasy (and I loved the fiction they included in the Epic and Adeptus Titanicus rule books back in the day). It gives an added dimension to the narrative, but my enjoyment is down to the very short pieces of prose accompanying the fluff. For me, while the quality of the writing is good, the story-telling is poor. I picked up the collection of shorter fiction, Hammerhal and Other stories, and after the opening stories, I was bored silly. 80% of the story is a battle, or battles, in which a deus ex machina always arrives to save the day. It's as though BL writers and their editors have only the Battle of Waterloo in their mindsets, rather than the most famous battles where no one arrives to save the day. And if AoS is gearing towards narrative, I really want engaging stories, not ones where Lord X clobbers Lord Z and moves onto to clobber the slobbering-winged-monstrous-creature-from-the-writer's-mind, and then "the-end". Where's the drama? Where's the characterisation? The potential for stunning world building? Even recent free fiction on the GW site was layered with so much cheesy writing (and terrible dialogue) that I switched off after three paragraphs. The heroes tend to be two dimensional and there is more menace in the Muppets than the chaotic, necrotic creations that tend to giggle insanely, carry big swords and always have 'genius plans' that fail like Wily Coyote's. There is better, sophisticated fantasy fiction out there that demands more of our time that what's been produced by BL so far. A fellow hobbyist (and gaming shop owner) said to me recently, with AoS it's more "Bland Library than Black". I couldn't disagree, even though I wanted to argue in favour of the hobby. I really like AoS, so this is quite frustrating. I appreciate that BL AoS stories are for more younger fans with less discerning taste and more time to read, but as that is such a tiny audience, is it worth it? I guess that's why writing for them doesn't excite me while GW and BL push in this direction. I'm not saying my stuff is any more sophisticated (I'll be honest, it isn't!) but Hammerhal and Other Stories didn't encourage me to buy another BL book, and if the audience is so tiny and writing for BL takes so much time (and GW tend not to pay that well), I won't be terribly upset if I don't get that opportunity. It would be fun, like the short bits of fiction in their rulebooks, but I guess that's all. And it couldn't tear me away from the day job. My entry aside ('cos I don't think I'll be winning any time soon!), I hope the winners get the chance to change the direction of the writing and make it engaging. A China Mieville or a Clive Barker in the BL fold would make for an amazing AoS universe, with a buy-in to the narrative, not to mention any new models that come from the stories those imagineers could create. (Good luck to all those in TGA that submitted, by the way - got my fingers crossed for you!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Anyone heard anything back from this yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertxtrem Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 I think it's a bit soon to be hearing back anything. They gave 20 weeks I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 1 hour ago, robertxtrem said: I think it's a bit soon to be hearing back anything. They gave 20 weeks I believe. You say that, but anecdotally it seems one or two people have already received rejections - some while the window was still open. I'm just impatient for any news I can get! Anything that might help me read the tea leaves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertxtrem Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 23 hours ago, Jamie the Jasper said: You say that, but anecdotally it seems one or two people have already received rejections - some while the window was still open. I'm just impatient for any news I can get! Anything that might help me read the tea leaves! Oh wow I didn't know that. Cool, would love to hear back about mine. Although having read the tips above mine will definitely be rejected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clan's Cynic Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 23 hours ago, Jamie the Jasper said: You say that, but anecdotally it seems one or two people have already received rejections - some while the window was still open. I'm just impatient for any news I can get! Anything that might help me read the tea leaves! My assumption was they'd begin checking all of them after the closing date, but I guess they started from when the first entries started being received. I guess it cuts down on the total time. I saw one post elsewhere where a guy received a rejection some seven weeks ago. I'd expect at least a few more weeks before most people will hear back, just because of the sheer volume of entries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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