DargonZine
Volume 15, Number 8 |
Distributed: 9/30/2002
Circulation: 645 |
 |
DargonZine is the publication vehicle of the
Dargon Project, a collaborative group of aspiring fantasy writers on the
Internet. We welcome new readers and writers interested in joining the
project. Please address all correspondence to
<dargon@dargonzine.org>
or visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.dargonzine.org/, or our FTP site at
ftp://users.primushost.com/members/d/a/dargon/.
Issues and public discussion are posted to newsgroup
rec.mag.dargon.
DargonZine 15-8, ISSN 1080-9910, (C) Copyright September, 2002
by the Dargon Project. Editor: Ornoth D.A. Liscomb
<ornoth@rcn.com>,
Assistant Editor: Jon Evans
<godling@covad.net>.
All rights reserved. All rights are reassigned to the individual
contributors. Stories and artwork appearing herein may not be reproduced
or redistributed without the explicit permission of their creators, except
in the case of freely reproducing entire issues for further distribution.
Reproduction of issues or any portions thereof for profit is forbidden.
|
Editorial
his issue marks the first time in 18 months that DargonZine has
distributed two issues within a single calendar month. Great thanks go
out to all the people in our writing group who made this possible.
DargonZine 15-8 features the first installment in P. Atchley and
Dave Fallon's "Heir to Castigale" story, which is itself merely the
debut story in a brand new Dargon story arc, which you'll definitely see
more of in the future. It's been a long time coming, and we hope you
enjoy the results of our writers' hard work. Rounding out the issue is
the second chapter in "Talisman Nine", which is, of course, another
installment in Dafydd's very lengthy story arc. After three years and
thirty chapters, this storyline has begun catching up with Dargon's
"present-day", and as it does, it will reach its long-awaited climax.
Dafydd was one of our first ten contributors, having joined the
project back in 1986, and is also our most prolific author. One of the
reasons why veteran writers like Dafydd stay with the group is because
the Dargon Project continues to challenge them. Even after five, ten, or
fifteen years with the group, our members are encouraged to improve
their craft and grow as writers. Each new writer who joins our group
brings a fresh outlook and their own understanding of what "good
writing" is, ensuring that even a veteran who knows everything the
project has ever done can still learn more about both the art and craft
of writing, if they are open to it.
It might not seem intuitive, but being open to growth and learning
can be a very difficult and threatening thing, particularly in a group
setting. This was a very critical element at the consulting company I
used to work for. Left to themselves, employees would do adequate but
mediocre work; this was described as everyone's "comfort zone". However,
as consultants we held ourselves to a higher standard. We put ourselves
under intense pressure to do exceptional work in a shorter time frame,
even in unfamiliar roles. This was referred to as the "stretch zone".
And, of course, the key to success was keeping your team in that
fast-learning, hyper-productive "stretch zone" without pushing so hard
that they would snap or be unable to succeed.
Writing for DargonZine is similar. A first draft is usually written
from a writer's "comfort zone". He is doing something that's familiar,
based on what he already knows, and without taking too many risks.
However, when that draft is critiqued, even the best writer will hear
from a dozen people who have suggestions for how he could improve the
story. Our peer review process pushes the writer into his "stretch
zone", encouraging him to produce something better than he would if he
stayed in his complacent "comfort zone". With each successive draft, new
critiques will again challenge the writer to continue to improve his
work, until it's finally ready to give to our readers.
This recurring challenge is critical to learning and growth,
because the writer may indeed already be satisfied with his work after
the first draft and see no reason to strive for something greater.
Working outside your "comfort zone" is both scary ("what if I'm not good
enough?"), and arduous ("that's a lot of work!"). How the writer
responds to this challenge often determines his opinion of the group, as
well as how long he'll stay with us.
Ideally, the writer rises to the challenge, learns a lot about
"good writing", and produces a story that is indeed better than he would
have written without the group's support: a work that he will be
justifiably proud of. However, a writer who lets his fear or laziness to
overcome him will become frustrated and abandon his nascent story and
possibly leave the group having neither learned anything nor grown as a
writer.
The Dargon Project challenges our every one of our writers. Each of
us is forced to do the best work we possibly can, and the willingness to
be changed by one's fellow writers' ideas is what separates a hobbyist
from a successful DargonZine writer. Because of this, even sixteen-year
veterans like Dafydd still find the project a challenging and rewarding
opportunity for growth and learning.
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