What School are You?
I’m brushing the dust off some old stories and looking around for places to send them. Most of the stories are of the sword and sorcery variety and although there are magazines that say they want ‘fantasy’; I’m not sure sword and sorcery is such a big seller and I was just wondering how other writers pursue short story publication.
I think there are two schools of thought.
The first school believes: write the story that’s in your heart. Write the best story you can. Then seek out a magazine and “make” them want it. Magazines are looking for good stories and no matter what their guidelines say, what they really want are great stories.
The second school believes: find out what they publish-then create a story just for them. They too, believe in ‘Write the best story you can’. Just gear it toward what the magazine wants. If you create a story that a magazine normally publishes, then you give yourself a better chance of having the magazine accept yours.
I must say that I’m of the first school. Or was, and am seriously considering joining the other side. Normally when I write I get an idea and go with it and then once I’m finished find magazines to submit to. I’m no longer sure this is the best way to go about it.
So, my question is: “What school are you from? Do you write whatever comes to you or do you find a magazine and create a story aimed at them?”