By J. D. Harlock For a world to feel lived in, characters should receive the same attention as the lore, with characterization and worldbuilding intertwining, each influencing the other. This is as true for main characters as it is for supporting casts. When we think of classics like Discworld or One Piece, often our memories […]
By Jason P. Burnham Climate change is the top public health emergency of the twenty-first century. Naturally, you may be inclined to write a story somewhere on the dystopia-to-solarpunk spectrum that mitigates your burgeoning existential climate dread. Perhaps one of your characters works in healthcare and is struggling with an ever-increasing burden of antibiotic-resistant infections […]
By Cat Rambo You have been told, like so many writers before you, that you must have a social media presence. That nowadays, agents and publishing houses look to see how many Twitter followers you have before opening your manuscript. That it’s all about connection with readers, and the only way to manage that is […]
By Kelly McClymer Do you dream of seeing your indie book in your local library catalog? You are not alone. Many a traditionally published author shares your dream. Here are a few hard facts: Libraries generally purchase hardback library editions (volumes that have had the spines reinforced to hold up for multiple reads). Shelf space […]
By Gideon P. Smith Getting the science right in SF can make the difference between writing cute stories and great science fiction. If you are a non-scientist writing SF and want to know how to do that, then this blog post is for you. Doing Background Research If science is critical to the overall plot, […]
By Scott King ‘Tis the season for selling. No matter your holiday affiliations, now is the time to be selling books, so let’s recap what you can do to help boost sales this holiday season. Start with your cover. It needs to be the best you can afford to appeal to your target demographic, and […]
By Andrew K Hoe In our previous post, we examined how battling robots and aliens utilize armaments. Today, we’ll detail human arsenals further to illustrate the options for how imaginary warriors could fight. And since sci-fi armaments like lightsabers are heavily influenced by our earthly swords, we’ll expand our discussion to include fantasy fiction. SINGLE: (baton, […]
By J. Dianne Dotson World-building takes many forms in genre fiction. Whether a story takes place on another planet, in a mystical land, or in a hellscape of horror, adding touches of realism enhances the world for its inhabitants. Using ecology is one way to achieve that realism. What Is Ecology? Ecology is the science […]
By Anthony W. Eichenlaub Whether it’s the one-two punch of a duology or the sprawling epic of multiple loosely connected trilogies, there is no doubt that science fiction and fantasy readers love series. For an author, series can be amazing. Good sales on the first book can lead to good sales on the second, third, […]
By Katherine Garcia Ley We’ve all seen them: the thirty pages of interview questions you should ask your characters. The analytical texts on astrological signs. The “ultimate of ultimate” tools offering twenty-some Enneagrams for character development. All these resources are fantastic. Heck, I use them, and they’re amazing. I’m a list-loving personality theory hoarder. These […]
Humanity is crushed onto seven small worlds, and an enigmatic alien super-culture sets impossible goals to qualify for contact. A discharged mental patient finds himself bankrupt; his escape is to venture further into the cosmos than he ever dreamed.
Laurie Stevens is the author of the multi-award winning Gabriel McRay suspense series and The Return, a new sci-fi/fantasy that pits AI against human consciousness.
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