Building your writing skills

“Generating ideas isn't some mystical talent that you have to be born with: it's a skill you can develop.“ – Charles Stross

Born in Leeds, England, on this date in 1964, Stross first wrote for computer magazines before discovering that his Sci-Fi short stories attracted large audiences and writing awards.  A 2002 short story collection, Toast: And Other Rusted Futures, is a best-seller, and subsequent stories have been nominated for the both Hugo and Nebula Awards.

In 2003, Stross decided to try novels and his first one, Singularity Sky, also was  nominated for a Hugo.  His 2005 novella "The Concrete Jungle" was a Hugo winner.  He has since won numerous Sci-Fi/Fantasy awards.  He still writes short stories but enjoys novels because,  “Novels are one of the few remaining areas of narrative storytelling where one person does almost all of the creative heavy lifting.”      

                   In 2012 he collaborated with Cory Doctorow (no relation to E.L.) to write the bestseller, The Rapture of the Nerds.  He and Doctorow also have been involved in the Creative Commons licensing and copyright movement, allowing creators to communicate which rights they reserve, and which rights they waive.  Creative Commons licenses do not replace copyright, but are based upon it.

As for his own creativity, Stross now has over 20 books and continues developing new and interesting settings.   “ . . . Build a world that people want to inhabit (especially as readers),” he said,  “and the inhabitants will come. “  

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