We're thinking of replacing Book Club — With Something Better We've been looking at what we offer inside Space Authors and asking a simple question: Does this actually help our members become better writers? And when we looked at Book Club, we realized we could do something much more useful with that time. So we're thinking of replacing it with Draft Station. A sort of Scene Beta Club, exclusively for our VIP members (to replace the Book Club offering). Here's how it would work: A member submits a scene approximately a week before the live session. Participating members read it ahead of time, then we meet live and open the floor. What worked? Where did you get confused? What pulled you into the scene or knocked you out of it? Did the character's choices feel believable? How was the pacing? What did you expect to happen next? It wouldn't be a lecture. And it isn't one person sitting under a spotlight while an editor tears apart their work. It would be an open conversation between writers and readers. Randy Surles and/or Krista Baillie would be there to participate and facilitate, bringing both an editor's and working author's perspective to the discussion. But the real value comes from hearing how different readers experience the same scene. The goal isn't for anyone to rewrite your scene or tell you what your story should be. It's to give you reactions, questions, observations and professional insight. Then you decide what serves your story. Because feedback should help you see your work more clearly. It shouldn't take the story away from you. Draft Station would be available to Space Authors VIP members, where personalized feedback on your writing is part of the membership. I think this is going to be a lot more useful than Book Club. 🚀 Let us know. K. Baillie, R. Surles

I'm already working on editing one manuscript, while I have another finished first draft that needs consideration. YET... I'm already thinking of a third idea. I've been pondering a Strikeback in space, but after watching Lioness, I'm thinking it's time to branch out to female protagonist. What are you working on? And are you juggling more than one idea?

Who’s your favourite artificial intelligence, android, synthetic, or robot in science fiction? Bonus points if they’re emotionally unstable.

In anticipation of next week's Narrative Architecture session which includes character development, I've got a question for the group: who are your favorite protagonists? The ones that jump off the page. The ones that have you screaming when they walk into the room where you know the bad guy's laid their trap. The ones that have you cheering when they vanquish the antagonist you've spent three hundred pages begging the author to kill. For me, it's Harry Dresden. Love me a good Dresden Files book. And here's the deeper question I want to chew on before next week: what do you think is the single most important ingredient in a protagonist who makes you feel all that? Wants & Needs? Proactivity? Voice? Flaws? Something else entirely? Let me know my fellow Space Authors!