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Spring 1998 - #137
FeaturesHula Hoops,
Josephson Junctions, Willie Lincoln's Body, and the Molasses Swamp Card:
The Arcane Art of Researching Science Fiction by Connie Willis:
"The flashy stuff is only a small part of the research a science-fiction
writer (or any writer) does, and it's only one kind out of, according
to my last count, five kinds, most of which people are completely unaware
of."
The Art of Writing by Jerry Pournelle: "The secret of becoming a writer is that you have to write. You have to write a lot. You also have to finish what you write, even though no one wants it yet. If you don't learn to finish your work, no one will ever want to see it. The biggest mistake new writers make is carrying around copies of unfinished work to inflict on their friends."
BusinessSample
Magazine Contract by Michael Armstrong: "This is a sample magazine
contract for the purchase of original short fiction appearing in a print
serial publication."
TechnologyAuthors
on the Web
by Melisa Michaels: "The list
of valuable resources goes on and on. Of course there are also useless
pages, acres of misinformation, and a multitude of absurd time-wasters.
Here as everywhere, the researcher must exercise intelligence and discipline
as well as diligence. And there is a learning curve: At first it may
seem to take longer to find information online than off. But once you
get the hang of URLs and search engines, you will probably agree with
Lawrence Watt-Evans, who says, 'The Web may not be the greatest cheap
advertising in the world, but it is the greatest research tool in the
world.'"
ColumnsState of
the Art: The Really Big Hole by Robert A. Metzger: "Wouldn't it
be wonderful if there were some way to get a bit of Venus and Mars right
here on good old Mother Earth? Imagine if you could pack the spouse
and kids in the car, head down the Interstate, and then take the turnoff
to either Mars or Venus. Well, there is. I've got a plan.."
Portrait Gallery: Bill Rotsler by M. Christine Valada
MarketsMarket
Report by Edo van Belkom
SF & Fantasy Markets by Randy Dannenfelser
DepartmentsAbout SFWA/New
Members
Officers & Representatives
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