"A word after a word after a word is power" - Margaret Atwood

BRIDGET WHELAN

A blog for readers and writers

A blog about the stories we tell each other and how we tell them...

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Ever felt like a complete and utter idiot? Worse, a complete and utter NAIVE idiot

Just had a great email from Man Price in Portland, Oregon in response to my plea for clarification of the term used by sci fi and fantasy publishers Angry Robot. This is the mission statement which caused my confusion.
Angry Robot ™ is a new global publishing imprint. Our mission, quite simply, is to publish the best in brand new genre fiction – SF, F and WTF?!
Traditional SF and fantasy has been ploughing an entertaining furrow for many decades, but to our way of thinking much of it is missing a trick.
Man Price was very gentle when he attempted to explain.
I assume you are aware that WTF can mean, in non publishing circles, something along the lines of "What the heck" but with Heck being replaced by a much stronger word. USA kids will use WTF on Facebook and while texting on their phones.  So in theory, Angry Robot could be asking for WTF fiction--maybe, that is, fiction that makes you respond, "What the heck was that?"

Otherwise, I have not heard of WTF as an abbreviation related to writing.
To quote Homer Simpson: DOH! 

He (Man Price, not Homer) suggested that working out alternative meanings for WTF might  be a good source of a small stone...and he has come up with a few ideas.
White Transgendered Futurist
Wild Terrifying Fiction
Withhold The Facts
So, in keeping with the publishing theme, here's my thoughts...

Winsome tender fantasy
Wasted torpid fairytales
Wise teasing fables
Got anything better?

Thanks Man Price. 
You can read his own small stones at http://manprice.blogspot.com/

4 comments:

Lisa-Marie Jordan said...

I love Wild Terrifying Fiction! I need to write some of that myself! (They sound a lot more creative than Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!)

BRIDGET said...

You're right - so much better than wimpish timid fiction - which should be avoided at all costs

Man Price said...

I love it when folks find the fun in little things and run with it. More, more!
Man Price, Worldwide Terms Fanciers

Eliza said...

Lol Bridget, that was a really funny post and made me smile. I would have been just as puzzled as you were though..... but you've got me thinking and I'm going to have a go at some of my own WTFs today! :O)