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.
You are cordially invited to join the Milford SF Writer’s Conference, held at the Trigonos Centre in Snowdonia, Wales.
Have you thought about starting with a bang right away? Or does your story want another hook before you roll the main one out on the stage?
Somewhere during the summer, when I got the latest “I can’t sell this” from an agent, I realized, “You can’t, but I can.” I have not looked back since.
Building stories is like building houses. Yes, you need a foundation, walls, and a roof, but holy cow–look at all the variations that are possible AND successful given those basic requirements!
Along every step of the way, readers need to be surprised, not about everything, but about enough of the particularities of the problem, character, actions, reactions, and resolution that it prevents the reader from knowing what WILL happen.
The board of directors of SFWA voted to add the magazine Bull Spec to the list of SFWA qualifying markets.
This list is not comprehensive, but includes SFWA Circulating Book Plan Depositories, and libraries with relatively large SF/F collections.
You and your work are important. Science fiction and fantasy literature permeates our culture. The mission of libraries, archives, and museums is to document our culture. We want to preserve the historical record of the SF/F field in all of its diversity for future researchers.
Our job as writers is to create a narrative that evokes this desired experience in the reader. Yes, we have to be passionate about our story. Yes, it’s an art and is complex and sometimes feels a bit mystical. But we can’t let that make us forget the fact that the ultimate purpose of the story is to guide the reader through an experience.
Completely reliant on automation and artificial intelligence to manage their lives, desperate human beings learn to survive, bond, and unlock the power of their minds when a war destroys all the world’s power grids. “An Enthralling Page-Turner!”
Stephen K Stanford hails from Melbourne, Australia and misspent a youth devouring his fathers’ vast “golden age” collection of Science Fiction. His debut novel Jubilee, a witty space opera, will be released in February 2024 by Flame Tree Press.
Register now for the 2024 SFWA Nebula Conference--A weekend of professional development, panels, and networking for ALL genre writers!
