Editorial

by Ornoth D.A. Liscomb
<ornoth@shore.net>

It wasn't quite Armageddon... but it *could have been*!

The 1997 Dargon Writers' Summit took place last month in Washington DC. Movers and shakers (we won't specify who was which) from all four corners of the planet gathered to talk writing, visit tremendous damage upon our nation's capital, and determine the fates of millions. And we got some pretty nifty tee shirts, as well!

The overall purpose of our Summits is to get our writers together and to build closer relationships between them, to set policy and goals for the project, and to have fun in the process. In each respect, the '97 Summit was fabulously successful.

For many of us, it was our first exposure to the people we've been working with via email for years. It was great to see even people who had become antagonistic or isolated on the writers' list getting to know one another and laying a groundwork for mutual respect and friendship. It really was wonderful to see our writers come together with such enthusiasm, and I'm not referring to full-contact bowling here!
The Summit's working sessions were equally productive. Topics ranged from the project's purpose and goals to how to better bring new readers and new writers up to speed. We also talked writing; brainstorming session were held on how to generate story ideas, what constitutes a "good" story, and how to create great characters. We even dealt with some lingering specific questions, such as the fates of certain characters after the war between Baranur and Beinison.

In the end, I think everyone enjoyed themselves, contributed great ideas, and grew as a result of our getting together. And those are the reasons why FSFnet and DargonZine were founded in the first place.

For pictures and more details about the Summit, check out the 1997 Dargon Writers' Summit page on the Web site!

This issue starts out with Jon Evans' "Sailor's Homecoming". For all its brevity, this story has been a work-in-progress since 1994! Let's hope it doesn't take Jon as long to bring his other ongoing projects to print! Observant readers will also notice that Jon's name now appears in the masthead under the title of "Assistant Editor". Jon has always been willing to put in extra effort in order to make the project a success (as shown by his hosting the DargonZine Writers' Summit this year), and I'm glad to have his help in running the zine.

Also in this issue, the plot thickens in Max Khaytsus' "Deep Woods Inn" series. For now, this is all that is in the pipeline for this storyline, so if his stories have interested you, help me get Max to write more!

And we end this issue with the return of Mike Schustereit, whose only previous Dargon story, "A Rogue's Gambit", was printed way back in 1995. Oddly, although Mike's writing is much improved in "Piercing a Steel Heart", we had to threaten him with all kinds of horrible fates in order to convince him to finish it up and get it printed. I think you'll agree that it was well worth the effort (as well as the $14.95 for the ice pick)!

As ever, be sure to check out the DargonZine Web site for pictures of the '97 Summit, maps, an online Dargon Glossary, and all the latest news. And be on the lookout for our next issue, because 10-5 is going to be a very special issue!