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"I'm not going to lie to you. There are no secret handshakes or rules that will get you on your particular dream-path. If there was, we'd all be on our own already. If you want to be a successful writer, be prepared to have to make up most of it as you go along."
In these essays, Sean Williams-the best-selling author of over 120 short stories and fifty novels-shares his thoughts on the aspects of writing craft and the publishing business that young authors should know.
Drawn from essays, keynotes, and presentations delivered over a decades-long career, Eyes on the Stars: Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy features Williams' thoughts on balancing passion and professionalism, understanding the new writer's career path, embracing the delicate art of writing media tie-ins, and reaching for the stars with your writerly ambitions.
Whether you're looking for writing advice from one of the preeminent writers of Science Fiction and Fantasy working in Australia today, or you're a fan of Williams' work who'd like to capture a slice of his creative philosophies, this chapbook is chock full of advice from a veteran of the Australian genre scene.
About the author
Sean Williams was born in the dry, flat lands of South Australia, where he still lives with his wife and family and a pet plastic fish. He has been called many things in his time, including (somewhat ostentatiously) "the premier Australian speculative fiction writer of the age" (Aurealis), the "Emperor of Sci-Fi" (Adelaide Advertiser), the "Lord of the Genre" (Perth Writers' Festival), and the "King of Chameleons" (Australian Book Review) for the diversity of his published output. That output includes over forty novels for readers all ages, one hundred-plus short stories across numerous genres, the odd published poem, and even a sci-fi musical. He also likes making up new words. He is a multiple recipient of the Aurealis and Ditmar Awards and has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Seiun Award, and the William Atheling Jr. Award for criticism. He received the "SA Great" Literature Award in 2000 and the Peter McNamara Award for contributions to Australian speculative fiction in 2008. His latest series are Troubletwisters, a fantasy for middle grade readers co-written with Garth Nix, and Twinmaker, a near-future thriller for young adults (and old adults too). Over forty bonus short stories set in the Twinmaker universe are available online. In 2014, Sean and Garth co-authored the third novel in the New York Times bestselling Spirit Animals series, Blood Ties.
