Archive for December, 2010

Quick Updates for 2010-12-22

Welcome to SFWA's newest Active member @KameronHurley. Read one of her qualifying stories. http://is.gd/jb0iu # Welcome to SFWA's newest Affiliate member Jennifer Jackson (@arcaedia) of Donald Maass Literary Agency. http://www.jenniferjackson.org/ # Welcome to SFWA's newest Active member Michael Sullivan (@author_sullivan) author of Riyria Revelations (Orbit, 2011) http://is.gd/jbNZk #

Some Tips on Evaluating Literary Contests

Since I so often get questions about the legitimacy of literary contests (see, for instance, my posts of December 16 and December 7), I thought it would be helpful to post some suggestions for evaluating any contests you may be thinking of entering.

Nebula Awards Interview: Catherynne M. Valente

I had no idea what that book was actually about, or any notion of characters beyond September and the Green Wind. But the book as it exists in the world of Palimpsest presented certain rules, and I always find it wonderful to write confined to a set of rules.

Guest Post: Why Go to the Museum?

Every fall, I teach my students Walter Pater’s Conclusion to Studies in the Renaissance. What I’m talking about here is not so different from what Pater is talking about: he says that we need to experience each moment fully, to live with a certain passionate intensity that involves continual curiosity, observation.

Quick Updates for 2010-12-17

SFWA member @MFJ72's story "The Dragon's Lesson" is up at Kasma Science Fiction http://bit.ly/gbCmp1 # SFWA member @daviddlevine's story "Written on the Wind" (from sff.net anthology Beyond the Last Star) will be podcast on Escape Pod. # @SFDiplomat @ian_sales What do you mean that SFWA doesn't recognise critics? Critics can definitely be members. # The […]

Key Conditions for Suspense: Table of Contents

Key PROBLEM conditions for reader suspense Part 1 – It’s all about the reader Part 2 – The 3 Problem Types Part 3 – It’s gotta be difficult Part 4 – Uncertainty Key CHARACTER conditions for reader suspense Part 5 – Character troubles Part 6 – Character deservingness Part 7 – Character draws 1-4 Part […]