Fates Worse Than Death Fiction Guidelines

See Submissions for more information on what we are accepting and how to submit it. This page describes what we are looking for in any fiction taking place in the Fates Worse Than Death universe. No agent necessary. Payment is half up-front with commission contract. Royalties available on paper-published works.
All fiction must take place within the setting of the Fates Worse Than Death role playing game. The majority of the stories must take place within “the city” (Manhattan). Writing must show detailed and accurate knowledge of the game universe. Setting questions can be sent via email to submissions@vajraenterprises.com. Game universe “bible” listing planned future developments will be made available to commissioned novel writers.
Serious sci-fi drama, action/suspense, mystery or horror only. Adult themes OK. Sex, violence and drugs OK so long as they are portrayed with realistic consequences and are not glorified. Experimental or non-traditional narrative styles OK. Avoid gender specific language. Avoid cyberpunk fiction clichés. Avoid stereotypes, especially those based on gender, race and economic status.
Readers of FWTD based fiction will be looking for a certain style and certain themes to be adresses/explored:

  1. Technological and social advances of the last 80 years have not gotten rid of any of society’s problems, but have added some new ones.
  2. People do not fear death when they realize there are things worse than death. Many consider living a meaningless life to be one of those things.
  3. City residents (especially Wells and Indies) are forced to decide what they want to do with their lives (think of the end of an existentialist novel when the hero decides that he or she has the freedom and duty to provide their own meaning of life).
  4. Moral ambiguity. There are few easy distinctions between good and evil. Good does not always ally itself with good (or evil with evil) and good characters may be forced to join forces with a lesser evil or battle against someone good.
  5. Every person in the city, even those on the bottom of the scale of social power, have resources, knowledge and abilities that they can bring to bear on a situation if given sufficient prompting. Nobody is defenseless or a pawn or can be killed without consequences.
  6. Self-improvement is a major theme in FWTD fiction, especially when people improve their own lives by learning, overcoming personality flaws or psychological problems or by coming to terms with their own identity and their own place in the universe.

See also Diversity Standards.
For more information on the Fates Worse Than Death setting, see: Fates Worse Than Death.

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