Contains 12 pages of Science Fiction and Fantasy from Leicester’s foremost speculative fiction writers group.

Download The Speculator issue 1 as a PDF from this link.

‘It is a showcase of our work, our imagination and our love of the craft of writing,’ says editor-in-chief Daniel Ribot. ‘I hope Alt.Fiction attendees will enjoy, comment and participate with us, perhaps going so far as buying a thirsty editor a well-deserved pint!’

Seventeen writers in all have contributed, their efforts accentuated by the feverishly dazzling handiwork of many genre artists. So that’s twelve–count ‘em–twelve pages of sheer mind-fondling, vision-injected 100% STORY for your delectation, all TOTALLY FREE!

Because we love you, people, really we do. No, really.

Not quite in the flesh, but in the hats certainly.

“There are three rules of good writing. Trouble is, no-one can agree what they are.” Somerset Maugham

Suggestions for improving your writing.

1) Take out all adverbs and adjectives.

2) Once you have done that, strengthen the verbs (i.e. He ran quicky is much better expressed as; he raced, he careered, he pelted etc.)

3) Replace only the essential adverbs and adjectives

4) Turn all passive sentences into active ones

5) Remove AND, BUT, HOWEVER, SO and MEANWHILE from the beginning of sentences.

6) Dialogue should be clear about who is speaking without constant use of attribution (he or she said, he exclaimed, she retorted etc). Kill most of it.

7) Avoid tautology, cliche and solecism.

Don’t trust your spell-checker.

The Literature Network also have 7 tips for being a Great Writer.