Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Archive for May, 2011

Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 21 – Patterns for Presenting the Problem: Elements 4-5

Saturday, May 7th, 2011

by John D. Brown

The following is part of a continuing series. If you wish to start at the beginning, head to It’s All About The Reader.

As I said in my last post, the story begins when we present to the reader (a) the main character, (b) the problem she’ll face, and (c) a good reason why the character can’t or won’t walk away from the problem. If the main character is sympathetic and interesting, the reader will root for her and want to see what happens. If some of the particularities of the character and problem are surprising to the readers, it will generate more interest than if it’s something they’ve seen many times before. (more…)

Tags: John D. Brown
Posted in Advice for New Writers, Information Center, SFWA Blog, The Craft of Writing, Tips for Beginners, Writing Technique | 2 Comments »

Quick Updates for 2011-05-07

Saturday, May 7th, 2011

• Interview with fashionpunk novelist & SFWA member @jon_armstrong. http://is.gd/nkzOTW #
• SFWA member @StinaLeicht is signing at Barnes & Noble in the Arboretum Austin tomorrow at 2pm. #
• @clundoff Welcome back! #

Tags: twitter
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Pay to Play Anthologies

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware

Vanity anthologies are a popular way for unscrupulous companies to make money on writers' hunger for publication. By far the most common vanity anthology scheme is the free contest scheme, in which writers are enticed to enter poems or stories in a competition, and then pressured--though usually not required--to buy the anthologies in which their work appears. I blogged about one of these a while back: Eber & Wein, a company that is allegedly run by a former employee of the granddaddy of all vanity anthology schemes, Poetry.com.

A less common, but often much more expensive, vanity anthology scheme is the pay-to-play anthology. In this version of the scheme, writers must pay upfront for inclusion in the anthology, usually by buying large numbers of finished books or other merchandise.

Pay to play anthologies typically are nonfiction, usually on subjects of general or inspirational interest, and actively capitalize on their superficial similarity to successful series like the Chicken Soup books (which, by the way, not only don’t require payments or purchases, but offer a small honorarium to contributors). Writers are often targeted by spamming, but also by legitimate-looking calls for submission on the anthology companies’ websites, on the Internet, and in writers’ forums and communities. None of these solicitations mention that a cash outlay is involved--you usually have to dig pretty deep into the submission guidelines to find that out.

(more...)

Tags: Writer Beware
Posted in SFWA Blog, Writer Beware | Comments Off

Quick Updates for 2011-05-04

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

• Welcome to SFWA's newest Active member @DianeWhiteside, author of The Shadow Guard (Kensington, 2011) http://www.dianewhiteside.com/ #
• Welcome to SFWA's newest Associate member, @NataniaBarron, with a sale to Bull Spec. #
• Welcome to SFWA's newest Associate member, Thomas Mays, with a sale to Jim Baen's Universe #
• Welcome to SFWA's newest Active member Dave Gross, author of Black Wolf (WotC, 2000) #

Tags: twitter
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Write on the River 2011

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

2011 WRITE ON THE RIVER CONFERENCE SHOWCASES PACIFIC NORTHWEST LITERARY TALENT

Wenatchee’s year-round writing organization has outdone itself this year, bringing three New York Times best-selling authors and an experienced homegrown array of predominantly Pacific Northwest authors and editors to the upcoming May 14-15 conference.

 

Held at Wenatchee Valley College, this conference has become a premiere Pacific Northwest writing event, catering to writers of all experience levels and goals. The weekend is chock-full:  a keynote address by New York Times best-selling thriller author, Chelsea Cain; 11 interactive Saturday workshops with top notch presenters; available one on one and small group editor appointments; a teen-specific workshop; and a half-day intensive Sunday novel-writing workshop given by New York Times bestselling author and West Point graduate, Bob Mayer.

 

Highlights include:

 

*Cain’s appearance—Her thrillers books have been favored by Stephen King, who included Heartsick and Sweetheart as top ten books of 2008 and NPR, which listed Heartsick among the top 100 thrillers ever written.

 

*Writing the Fantastic—Our successful inaugural teen workshop is facilitated this year by energetic former Seattle Opera singer turned widely published fantasy and science fiction author, Louise Marley.

 

*Your Story:  The Heart, The Fuel, The Events, and The People—By popular demand, the Sunday intensive workshop has been expanded.  Join Seattle-based New York Times best-selling author Bob Mayer for a 3 ½ hour workshop on how to shape a novel, warrior-style.

 

*Editor feedback opportunities—Join Kent Sturgis, president of Epicenter Press Inc and Jennifer McCord of Jennifer McCord Associates for a book concept nonfiction feedback session.  Or sign up for an appointment with California-based literary agent Verna Dreisbach, who will hear non-fiction and fiction pitches.

 

Other workshops will focus on:  poetry and theatrical techniques with Seattle poet Elizabeth Aoki, short nonfiction with Wenatchee’s own Andy Dappen, picture books with Wenatchee-raised New York Times best-selling author Bonny Becker, the role of literary agent and author with Dreisbach, women’s fiction with Florida author Terri DuLong, memoir writing with Montana’s Sarahlee Lawrence, writing successfully in the publishing world with Mayer, making re

aders swoon with Oregon-based NPR contributor Naseem Rakha, starting your novel with Seattle’s Robert J. Ray, a discussion of today’s nonfiction market with Sturgis and McCord, and finding the story in nonfiction with western Washington author Craig Welch.

 

Registration for the conference ranges from $40 to $140.  To register or find more information, please visit:  writeontheriver.org or phone:  509-860-7751.

 

Posted in Press Book, SFWA Blog | Comments Off

A New Allan Cole’s My Hollywood Adventures

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

The newest My Hollywood Adventures newsletter by Allan Cole is up!

You can find it here.

Tags: Allan Cole, pressbook
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Duncan Jones, Director of Source Code – a Video Interview

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Warren Etheredge recently interviewed Duncan Jones, the director of Source Code and Moon. Topics include: science fiction, filmmaking in an era of special effects, and the shifting nature of story in Hollywood. Jones also reflects on the speed at which science is progressing and the effect it is having on science fiction writers. Jones lists William Gibson, Philip K. Dick, and J.G. Ballard as influences on his work.

An entertaining thirty minutes, the interview contains far more substance than is typically found on a publicity tour. Recommended.

 

The High Bar – Warren Etheredge and Duncan Jones, Director of Source Code

Tags: duncan jones, film, Warren Etheredge, William Gibson
Posted in SFWA Blog | 2 Comments »

Quick Updates for 2011-05-03

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

• SFWA member @eugiefoster sold a short story, "Requiem Duet, Concerto for Flute and Voodoo," to Daily Science Fiction. #
• Welcome to SFWA's newest Active member James Treadwell, author of Advent (Hodder & Stoughton (UK), 2012) http://www.jamestreadwell.com/ #
• SFWA member Sunny Moraine (@dynamicsymmetry)'s short "The Thick Night" is now up at Strange Horizons: http://qr.net/bptl #
• SF Signal Podcast mentions OF BLOOD AND HONEY by Stina Leicht as one of the books that blew them away. http://bit.ly/mm7alj #

Tags: twitter
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Milford SF Writer’s Conference Opens for Registation

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

The UK Milford Writers’ Conference has extended the following invitation:

You are cordially invited to join the Milford SF Writer’s Conference, held at the Trigonos Centre in Snowdonia (Saturday 17th September to Saturday morning 24th September 2011).

Entry requirement: You need to have had a story or novel professionally published. Self-publication does not count.

Milford is a gathering of professional authors, loosely linked by science fiction or fantasy writing. It is not a school for beginners, and there are no ‘teachers’ or ‘students.’ However, neither is it an elitist in-group: we welcome new participants, and invitations are extended to authors who have only sold the minimum requirement of 1 published piece as well as those among us who only dimly recall what rejection slips look like (HAH! – ed). Writers who have not attended a previous Milford are particularly welcome.
(more…)

Tags: Milford SF Writers Conference, workshop
Posted in News, SFWA Blog, The Craft of Writing, Workshops and Critique Groups | Comments Off

Quick Updates for 2011-05-01

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

• The Diversity Tour, founded by SFWA members @malindalo and @cindypon, begins in 7 days. http://youtu.be/i1yonaMTgMs #

Tags: twitter
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