Hey hey!
It’s time for another little insider view with me, Jack Lhasa. This article is about funding available to adults, specifically those who write speculative fiction.
What is Speculative Fiction?
This isn’t something most of us were taught in school, so I felt like a short definition was in order.
Speculative Fiction is an umbrella term for tons of genres, large and small. Basically, the rule is that if your story requires different rules of reality, it’s Speculative Fiction. It should take a step away from tradition and fiction set in our world, without any changes.
Included Genres(not a complete list):
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Alternate History (like steampunk)
Post-apocalyptic settings, including utopian and dystopian.
And most anything else that blurs the lines of reality.
If your story has a special change to our history or present reality, and puts heavy focus on this change, it’s Speculative Fiction.
There are lots of ways to pay the bills as a writer. Most of them aren’t exactly well-advertised. Age is mostly irrelevant, as is publication history.
Literary grants generally want a complete writing sample(novel, novella, short story, etc). They are known to focus purely on style.
Speculative Fiction grants, on the other hand, usually ask for a much smaller sample. Then the grant’s panel(3-6 people who read and discuss) focuses on things like thematic resonance, world building, and internal logic. They are basically looking for consistency throughout.
It’s important to mention up front that you shouldn’t send your complete lorebook(if you have one). You should spend time describing your underlying narrative. Ask yourself what breaks if your protagonist fails.
Now, because I don’t want this to get very long, I’m going to list some grants and what they pay. Be sure to search for them for the details.
Working Class Writers Grant - $1000/yr
Gulliver Travel Research Grant - $1000
Diverse Worlds & Diverse Writers Grants - $500
Older Writers Grant(ages 50+) - $1000
Winning more than cash
Clarion & Clarion West Workshop
Need and merit based
Winners get a six week intensive mentorship with leading genre editors and authors.
The SFWA Givers Fund & Emergency Medical Fund:
What’s unique here is that the grant is only given to writers experiencing financial hardships.
Odyssey Writing Workshop Scholarships
Covers expenses to attend their Summer Program.
The program has a very deep focus on the mechanics of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Having attended any of the courses in the above three is basically portfolio gold. It’ll instantly catch the attention of agents, editors, and publishers.
The next will again be just a list, because the awards are pretty complex. There’s no fee to enter them, and most have award tiers, meaning there’s more than one prize available. Each is focused on helping build your career as a writer. Look these up yourself, you’ll understand it much better than if I tried here.
L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest
BAMF! (Books and Authors of More Fantasy) and Indie SFF Contests
Dream Foundry Emerging Writers Contest
Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
One of the best things about grants in Speculative Fiction is that most only require you to submit 500 words!!! HOW EASY IS THAT??
500 words is actually pretty tight if you’re writing novel length books. It’s important to keep some parts in as few words as possible. A good rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t use new terms created for your project. It’s okay to include a few, but keep it short.
Now, here’s some tips from my personal experience. I didn’t pay for college at all. I’m talking tuition, books, food, dorm, the works. 4 years I never paid a penny. That’s because I talked to the English Department Heads at the 3 schools I’d narrowed it down to. I asked them about grants and scholarships, and learned how these sorts of applications work: what’s needed, what to leave out, etc etc etc. Each one turned me onto scholarships and grants that were completely new to me.
So, here’s what a good project description needs:
First of all, one of the main things a grant panel looks for is if you can produce a finished project. Define what the finished product will be(standalone novel or novella, include your current progress(word count, draft stage). If you can include an outline, or just the end point, it’ll help a lot. This is heavily weighted, but depends on the other factors.
Avoid long blocks of history. I create these all the time in world building, but they don’t grab attention. Instead, focus on a problem or scarcity. Friction. give them a taste of the conflict. That’s what you want to show grant panels.
Always start with your core premise and your Hook. Use basic narrative language on this one.
Thematic Conflict. Your protagonist should face a climax that involves choosing to use or not use the special qualities(like magic, or tech).
Detail the specific engine in your work. Clarify things like magic or technology. Be sure to include how these abilities or qualities are learned, and the cost paid to use them. You want to really focus on the cost, limitations, and scarcity.
It is a lot to fit into 500 words. That’s honestly the most difficult part. If you have any room left, mention how the funding would help you. Good examples for this include dedicated research time, access to references that are paywalled, or production expenses.
I truly hate writing pitches, but that’s basically what grant panels are looking for with the above components.
You should do some research before applying for anything. You can find examples of grant proposals. Be sure to research the grant you’re applying for. Look for past winners, and other info that is specific to that grant panel.
You can easily find examples online, or you can buy a book. There are so many on writing a good grant proposal. It’s a tough dance trying to balance everything inside 500 words. I know that some of the awards I detailed aren’t awarding money.
They offer a chance at attending an incredibly deep, prestigious class, course, etc. this kind of prize means clearing out a block of your schedule. If there’s anyway you could possibly attend, do it! Most adults will likely have issue with spending six weeks at a writers’ retreat, but it is absolutely worth it if you can.
Finally, check the University’s and community colleges in your area. Here in Chattanooga there are workshops nearly every weekend. These cover most any genre or type, and they have guest speakers who are often celebrated for writing narratives that are notoriously hard.
(Tim O’Brien read from his book of short stories at my 2nd workshop. If you aren’t familiar with him, he’s often called “the only person to write about Vietnam with real truth.” Vets call him that. He wrote “The Things They Carried” a book of short pieces that are roughly about his time in Vietnam.)
Check with the English department at every college that’s within driving distance. LOTS offer unique opportunities to network with agents, publishers, and other writers. Plus, writing is a craft. You can never learn too much. Your work can always be honed.
Alright. That’s it for me. Let me know if you apply for these or any other grants. Especially if you’re selected for a prize!
I’m Jack Lhasa
You are Amazing.
👊👊Solidarity👊👊
(All images care of Unsplash.com)
