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Note: Recent changes appear in blue type.
Hmmm. If you don't know the answer to this one, you should go read
the DargonZine Readers' FAQ first!
The project was founded in 1985 as a way for amateur fantasy writers on the Internet to meet and become better writers through mutual contact and collaboration. The focus of the group is on mutual support, encouragement, and improvement. The project is very strictly noncommercial in nature.
The duchy of Dargon is the common thread
that all stories share. All Dargon Project works take place in that
milieu, and
authors are encouraged to share and borrow the places and characters and
events that take place there. Authors are expected to comment
upon other writers' works in progress, use other writers' events
and characters from other stories within their own, and even
co-author stories.
No. There are several Internet emags that will accept your non-Dargon
fiction and nonfiction submissions. We print strictly Dargon Project
material.
Yes. Because this is a collaborative project, as a non-member you can't just submit a story for publication. Submissions must integrate with both the existing body of published work, and any work that is currently planned or in queue.
You will also be expected to critique
others' works and contribute to the shared world. People who don't
want to participate in a communal project should consider
submitting to other emags.
To become an official Dargon Project member, send email to the
editor, Ornoth Liscomb, at <dargon@dargonzine.org>, requesting that
you
be added to Dargon-L, the Dargon Writers' Forum. Once you're on the list,
you're a member, and will start receiving mail from the writers' forum. Once
you start seeing list mail, Send out a brief hello to introduce yourself
to the group.
Any email that you send to <dargon-l@listserv.brown.edu> is echoed to all the Dargon Project authors. This list is similar to others all around the Internet and the usual rules of netiquette and polite posting apply.
Another thing to bear in mind is that the listserv software
that redistributes your mail doesn't like seeing its own name in
your mail, so when you reply to Dargon-L mail, it's best to
not include mail headers in your citation. If Listserv sees
its name in your mail, it will probably delete it rather than
redistribute it, and no one will see your comments.
Send an email to <listserv@listserv.brown.edu>, with the
text "send
dargon-l list". You'll be sent a copy of the file that lists the current
Dargon-L members.
Being an effective member of the project really requires that you
have the ability to get mail to and from the Dargon-L discussion list.
Although one could technically produce stories
without access to Dargon-L, participation in the discussions
and reviewing others' work are requirements for submitting
your own stories.
Relatively inexpensive email access can be obtained through several
online services.
Very shortly after you are added to Dargon-L, you will also be assigned a "mentor", another writer in the group who has a lot of experience and knowledge about how DargonZine works, the details of the milieu, and so forth. Use that person as your first sounding board for ideas, and the first place you go to get answers to your questions. Your mentor should be supportive, and if you aren't getting what you need from that person, speak to the person who assigned your mentor and see if you can be assigned a different mentor.
We often sponsor special writing exercises and contests, which
usually feature some theme or event that would be widely known
in Dargon, such as a summer festival or eclipse. These are
designed to give new writers something they can dive right into,
and they're usually a lot of fun, getting many people working
together on related stories.
Once subscribed to Dargon-L, you need to get up to speed on what is currently going on in the project, and what has gone on in the past. Ideally, you should read all the back issues, but we realize that's expecting a little much; a few back issues (especially the ones that are pertinent to current storylines) are sufficient to get the flavor of what's going on in the project.
The biggest thing to remember is to speak up. If you have questions, ask away! Don't be shy. We can't anticipate all the information you'll require.
Start bouncing your story ideas off your mentor, and then the other writers. Bear in mind that many of your ideas just won't be appropriate for Dargon, but be patient and try to work within the structure. Don't try to make your first story the be-all and end-all.
Once
you've got an idea that everyone thinks is workable, start writing!
Well, it'll probably take some time for you to get up to speed, so your first story may take some time. We have a general rule that authors are dropped after failing to publish for two years, but the hope is that you'll publish more frequently than that. One to three stories per year would be great!
All authors are expected to post status reports at the
beginning of each month, indicating the stories they are working on, where
those stories are in the pipeline, and what progress they have made in the previous month.
The first step in the creation of a Dargon story is coming up with a story idea. Bear in mind some of the concerns discussed in the "Guidelines" section, below. Once you've got an idea of what you want to write about, you should send a brief description or outline to your mentor, who will discuss it with you. When your mentor approves, you should post the outline to Dargon-L, so that the other authors know about it. They'll do a sanity check to make sure that it fits in with the project and what's gone before, and may suggest alternative storylines and point out potential problems. Iterate as necessary.
Once there's general acceptance of your storyline, you can go off and write your initial draft. Bear in mind the items discussed in the "Stylistic Concerns" section, below. When you're done, spellcheck it, proof it, and have some of your friends read and comment on it. Then send it to your mentor. Iterate as necessary. When you're satisfied that it's in good shape, post it to Dargon-L. Be aware that if you post a story which has obviously not been spellchecked or proofed by another person, you are likely to receive strong feedback.
The other writers will make general and specific comments on your story and recommend changes. Allow a couple weeks for people to read and comment, but don't hold the story up by waiting for comments after a reasonable period (say, four weeks). Consider what they have to say and make any changes you think are appropriate and re-post the story. Iterate as necessary!
Keep doing this until everyone's pretty happy with the story as is.
Then, send a copy of the story to the editor for publication and
get started on your next story!
No. DargonZine is oriented toward the aspiring amateur writer,
and as such is thoroughly noncommercial. We have no funds with
which to compensate writers. No one receives monetary
compensation for the work they put into the project. The value
our writers derive is from sharing ideas and techniques with
other writers.
Kinda sort-of, but not much. Let me explain...
For the past dozen years, the editor handled all costs incurred in producing DargonZine. However, it now takes over $1500 to run DargonZine for a year. In order to relieve the editor of these costs and more fairly distribute the burden of our "vanity publishing", the authors recently voted to institute what we think is a fair system of dues for writers. It works like this:
The only people who *have* to pay dues are those who have been with the project for more than a year, and who have had at least one story printed in DargonZine. That way new writers have a "free trial" period to determine whether the group is of value to them.
Furthermore, the fees are graduated. People who have full-time jobs are expected to contribute the full fee: $25 per year. But students, part-time workers, and other people who are cash-poor are only expected to contribute $12.50 per year.
We hope that is a fair system. The intent is to try to offset some of the costs associated with running the magazine, and all dues and expenses are strictly tracked by the Assistant Editor.
Note that paying dues doesn't relieve a writer of their other
requirements such as actively working on stories and
participating in discussions. Even if you have paid dues, you
are still subject to removal from the project if you aren't an
active participant.
DargonZine retains the right to reproduce its own issues and reprint stories for special collections such as "Best Of" issues. The names "Dargon" and "DargonZine" are copyrighted by the editor. The author retains all other rights. A copyright notice to that effect appears in every issue.
Be aware that most publishing houses and magazines consider publication in DargonZine to constitute surrender of "first publication rights". This has implications for writers who wish to print their Dargon stories elsewhere.
Also note that your use of other writers' characters is with their permission -- they retain the rights to those characters. Unauthorized use of characters and things that are not yours, in stories that are printed elsewhere, constitutes a violation of copyright laws.
Because of these issues and the essentially collaborative nature
of stories which take place within the shared milieu, DargonZine stories cannot be
published outside DargonZine itself unless reworked so that they no longer reference
the shared world or any other elements which the publishing writer does not have
exclusive ownership of.
Once you have introduced something to the project, anyone can (with your permission) use it. After you leave the project, your characters and things become free game for anyone to use. Writers are encouraged both to use other writers' characters and places, and also to create characters and places and things that other writers can reference in their stories.
While you are an active Dargon Project member, you are the "curator"
of the characters, places, and things that you create. You are the authority on
those things, and have final say in what can be printed regarding it,
unless you are overruled by the group as a whole. However, if you leave the
project, the project retains the right to use those characters and
things within future Dargon Project stories. "Curatorship" of those
entities may also be transferred to other active writers.
As this is a collaborative anthology, authors are highly encouraged to
use other writers' characters, but there are some important factors to be
kept in mind. Above all, check with the curator of the character. That
character may be destined to do something else or be in the wrong
geographic location or be out of touch in terms of timeframe. If the
original curator is no longer with the Project, check with the group to see if
someone else has adopted or is using the character in their work.
Our primary tool is a database called the Author's Master Database (or "the AMD"), which lists all stories, writers, characters, things, references, curators, and so forth. The database is regularly updated, and is one of the most important resources a Dargon Project writer can have.
A subset of the AMD is the Glossary, which lists all characters
and places and such, along with their definitions and what
stories they appear in. This is available on the DargonZine
Web site at <http://www.dargonzine.org/glossary.shtml>.
Each year a new version of the DargonZine CD-ROM is made available to our writers. It contains all our back issues, databases, a copy of the Web site, a log of all the Dargon-L discussions, lots of photos, and much more. It's a great resource to have around.
There are also several facilities available on the DargonZine Web site through the DargonZine Writer Menu at the URL <http://www.dargonzine.org/bin/writer_menu.pl>. From there you can view the Global Status Report, which shows all the stories currently in progress and where they are in the pipeline. From this menu you can also obtain the current list of DargonZine writers, as well as their IDs on the various instant messaging systems like ICQ and Yahoo Messenger. There is a full-text search which allows you to specify a character string, and you will be shown every instance of that character string in every FSFnet and DargonZine issue which contains it. There is also a form for updating Glossary items and the details of each time that item is referenced in a story.
Note that the Writer Menu is password protected. If you are a participating writer and need a password,
please contact the editor. This Writer Menu will be the place where future facilities for the writers will
be made available.
Sure! Unless you're geographically close to someone or have the money for a lot of phone calls, true co-authorship may be difficult. But don't let that stop you from trying!
Two ways that we've gotten around this are as follows. We've produced several stories where different authors wrote different sections of the text. For example, one person would write a specific encounter between two characters, while the other writes a larger context: one of the characters' visit to Dargon.
Another alternative is to write about the same events from two different characters' perspectives.
But feel free to experiment with whatever
you think might work! The main thing to be careful of is plotting out a lengthy
storyline that requires multiple people to get their parts done.
We've had problems in the past where a storyline took years (of
real time) to develop, and in the meantime some of the key writers left the
project. Be careful that you don't put yourself in the position
of having to clean up after someone who left you holding the bag!
Obviously, the first thing to try is compromise. If differences of
opinion still exist, the opinion of the majority of active Dargon Project
writers rules. When people are in a receptive mood, the editor can
occasionally get away with issuing edicts.
If someone discusses (for example) an idea about a new coin, it
doesn't become an immutable fact unless it sees print in a story. As
authors, we are bound by what the readers have seen within the pages of the
magazine. We are not bound by ideas that have been presented in Dargon-L. The
ultimate test of whether something is a fact is whether or not it has seen
print.
As a project member, you are expected to be an active participant in the discussions that take place on Dargon-L. You are expected to provide opinions and critiques of other authors' ideas and stories in a timely manner. Your comments on stories should be turned around within two to three weeks at most. And don't forget those monthly status reports! In short, Dargon is not a place for lurkers!
Individuals who do not actively participate in the project and are "idle" for several months at a time will periodically be removed from Dargon-L at the editor's discretion.
When you join Dargon-L, you will find some people who are better writers than you, and some who aren't as good, and many with specific areas of knowledge. One of the difficulties you face is taking blunt criticism of your writing maturely, without getting emotional. Remember that criticism is intended to improve your writing.
You are also expected to provide criticism of others' works in a sensitive and constructive way. Be considerate in your comments. The goal of the project is to provide a supportive environment for aspiring writers who wish to improve.
Above all else, be a professional.
Each year our writers are invited to attend the DargonZine Writers' Summit, which is held in a different location each year. The Summit is about half work and half sightseeing, and lots of fun.
It is also hoped that you'll help promote the magazine by
telling your friends and encouraging people you meet on the net to
subscribe. The magazine's success is in your hands, and we hope that you
can help us make it better.
Over the course of a fifteen-year collaborative writing project, we've learned quite a bit about writing fantasy. What follows is a list of general suggestions to bear in mind when developing a story idea. While some may sound arbitrary or unnecessarily restrictive, the collaborative nature of the project requires that we accept certain limits on what we can write about.
This section details how submissions should be composed and formatted.
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