MinnSpec -- Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers

Meet online to discuss this month’s book. As a writers group, we are particularly interested in looking at how these books can inform our own writing.

Be ready to share what you think about the book as a reader and what you think about it as a writer. If you wish, also bring ideas of books for future sessions. While the classics are great, we plan to focus on more recent works.

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This month’s book is Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. I chose this because it was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula awards in 2023, and it is often held up as an example of a “cozy fantasy,” which is a sub-genre that I am interested in exploring as a reader and a writer.

From the back cover:

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Remote streaming will be available with Zoom. (Please RSVP to see the link.)

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How to submit:

• A. Send your manuscript to: minnspec.crits@gmail.com.
• B. Leave a comment on this page what you submitted.
• C. RSVP to this event. (No RSVP, no critique.)

Max 4 manuscripts
Max length 10,000 words
Manuscript submissions open when this Meetup event goes up (no submissions two months ahead). They remain open until December 3rd.
Priority is determined based on:

1. Whether or not you RSVP
2. When we received your manuscript.
3. When you left a comment. (This is for visibility to others.)
4. Whether or not you were critiqued in the previous month.
5. If you submit and then must submit a revision, you will have to go to the back of the line. So submit a polished manuscript!

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How to download submissions:
Request to join our Google Group by sending an email to:
Address: minnspec.crits@gmail.com
Subject: Join Request
Body: Your name as it appears on Meetup.
Tips on how to give an effective critique: http://critters.org/c/whathow.ht
More info: https://www.meetup.com/MinnSpec/messages/boards/thread/51072805/