Atomic Resonance at the SFWA Nebula Conference
by R J Theodore
I was unprepared for the wall of celebration, creativity, and acceptance I felt when I walked into the midst of a crowd of storytellers at my first SFWA Nebula Conference in 2017.
Archive for the ‘The Craft of Writing’ Category
Building Worlds
by K. C. Norton
For the past three years, I have been working as a ghostwriter, writing coach, and English tutor. In my line of work, I almost invariably partner with people who are writing or editing their memoirs. For the most part, they’re content to know that I have a Master’s degree, but occasionally they want to know if I’ve published anything, and if so, what kind of stories I write for myself. I both dread and relish this moment, because it’s a chance to reveal my dirty secret: my preferred genre is Science Fiction.
Forming Practice from Passion
By Michael Michel
Regardless of where you end up on the journey known as being a writer, my guess is you want to enjoy the experience. Here’s my recommendation: focus more on the crafter than the craft. As the crafter, you are the instrument through which creativity flows and stories are shared with the world. If you want to be successful, start writing the story you’d love for yourself, first.
Building The Disabled World
by Sandra M. Odell
I love intricate, detailed worldbuilding; it’s the backbone of science fiction and fantasy stories, even those set in the modern era. Sadly, few things make me stop reading faster than the realization that a writer gave more thought to the description of a meal than they did to the how or why an accommodation for a character with disabilities came to be in a story. Inclusion and representation matter, and so do the supports that allow an individual with disabilities to interact with a writer’s world.
10 Reasons to Romanticize the Donkey
by Barbara E. Hill
Because of this diminutive rose-colored darling I learned a lot about life, relationships, and especially about writing.
“But… wait, what? Writing?” you ask. “A donkey taught you about writing?”
Odyssey Writing Workshop Opens for Applications
Beginning this year, bestselling author George R. R. Martin is funding a scholarship for an Odyssey student. The Miskatonic Scholarship will be awarded to a promising writer of Lovecraftian cosmic horror.
Surviving Times of Stagnation
by Paul Jessup
It will probably happen to you. Almost every career for a professional writer hits a snag at some point. Usually after a huge burst of activity and a feeling of momentum, of going somewhere. It comes out of nowhere, out of left field.
Building Worlds with SFWA
by Jeffe Kennedy
It’s apropos that “Lonen’s War,” book one in my Fantasy Romance series, “Sorcerous Moons,” is featured in the first SFWA Fantasy StoryBundle. That’s because the fantastically smart and helpful folks in SFWA helped me out with a worldbuilding challenge.
The Voodoo of Research
by Tim Susman
Since it’s fall and ghosts are in the air, I thought it might be a good time to talk about my research into vodou/voodoo, the religion and spiritual practices that coalesced on Haiti among the African slaves there and spread to America, most commonly and famously in New Orleans (for the purposes of this article, I use “vodou” to refer to the Haitian religion and “voodoo” to refer to the New Orleans practices).
On Writing of a Different Culture
by Douglas Smith
Eventually, I came to understand these stories were transcribed from versions people remembered being told when they were young or used to tell their children. Story telling was an oral tradition.
