Where do the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Come From?

25-Year Survey of Entries to Worldwide New Writers Contest Offers a Few
Surprises

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever wondered where all those
science fiction and fantasy stories come from?

A 25-year survey of entries to the global L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future
Contest shows that California, New York, Texas and Florida top the list for
total entries respectively.

The contest, now in its 26th year, recognizes new and upcoming writers of
speculative fiction.

In making the announcement, K.D. Wentworth, Writers of the Future Contest
coordinating judge said, "It makes sense that states that are the most related
to the space program or high-tech industry would have the most interest in
science fiction and fantasy."

TOP TEN STATES IN VOLUME OF WRITERS ENTERING THE CONTEST

1. California (leads the pack by double than #2)
2. New York
3. Texas
4. Florida
5. Illinois
6. Pennsylvania
7. Ohio
8. Washington
9. Michigan

10. New Jersey

The judges of the contest, famous genre writers themselves, are primarily
scientists or Techno related, but it is not a given. Dr. Jerry Pournelle (The
Mote in God'sEye), Eric Kotani (The Island Worlds) and Doug Beason (Ignition)
all work or have worked at NASA or the space program in some capacity. Dr.
Gregory Benford (Timescape) teaches science at UC Irvine, and Kevin J.
Anderson was at Livermore Laboratories before writing became his full time
job. They all write science fiction.

You do not have to be a rocket scientist however, to write good science
fiction.

Wentworth (Black-on-Black) herself was a school teacher with a BA in English
Liberal Arts, Dave Farland (The Runelords) was a prison security guard. Both
are New York Times bestselling or award winning science fiction writers.

"The single most critical component in becoming a science fiction writer is
you have to love to learn about the way the world works," Wentworth also said
recently at a writers conference in which she was a guest speaker.

The Writers of the Future Contest began in 1984 and attracts entries worldwide
in science fiction and fantasy. Twelve quarterly winners receive prize monies
and, along with selected finalists, are published in an annual anthology, L.
Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future (Galaxy Press).

Founded by multiple New York Times' best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard, the
merit-based Writers of the Future Contest was begun to discover and encourage
talented beginning writers of science fiction and fantasy.

Wentworth recommends that prospective writers visit www.writersofthefuture.com
for more information on how to enter the contest.

SOURCE Writers of the Future Contest

Joni Labaqui, +1-323-466-3310, contests@authorservicesinc.com, for Writers of
the Future Contest