by Shanna Swenson
Rejection is one of the worst parts of writing. When you get a story or novel rejected by an editor or agent, it stings. Your first instinct may be to go online and seek comfort and commiseration by letting your followers know what you’re going through. But stop and think before you spread the news of your rejection all over social media.
by Anthony Izzo
Next to people wondering where a writer’s ideas come from, the question I hear most is “How do you find the time to write?” Currently, I’m working on my 18th novel. Like many other writers, I hold a day job. With a 9-5 job, family obligations, and other responsibilities, how do you find time?
by Joshua Sky
Writing is fun, but it can also be a tough way to make a living. The wait times for checks can be a drag, and the dry spells between one sale to another can be Saharan. Even if a sale is made, too often the money can be nominal. However, an avenue in the field where writers can potentially make a comfortable living, while working on their passion projects, is copywriting, also known as writing for advertising.
I think game developers, both in tabletop and in videogames, don’t necessarily need to be good writers, but they do have to be good storytellers. At the very least, an emphasis on storytelling creates a common language. Developers need to understand how a story comes together, and how to work in partnership with the writer, to craft something cohesive and meaningful.
by Aidan Doyle
Twine was created by Chris Klimas in 2009 and is “an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories.” Simply put, it’s a program that makes it easier for writers to make their own “Choose Your Own Adventure” style fiction. There are a number of tools for writing interactive fiction, but Twine is one of the simplest and most popular.
by Cat Rambo
Make sure you have a business card. This should have your contact information, your social media presence (you’ll see why in the at the convention tips) and at least one way to find your books.
by Intisar Khanani.
Last spring I released my third fantasy novel, after three years between books. Since I indie pub, I decided to take a couple extra months to make sure I planned for early reviews. I’m here today to share why early reviews are important, and the strategies I used to gain those reviews.
by Joshua Sky
A big part of selling scripts and landing writing assignments is pitching material in Hollywood. These dealings are nurtured through a series of meetings that you can get in a variety of ways. Let’s explore how to land and get the most from these meetings.
Maybe that stubborn determination to find an agent and get picked up by a NY publisher so that your book ends up in Barnes and Noble isn’t really worth the (huge) effort.
In the past year SFWA has seen several examples of magazines contemplating monetizing the writers submitting work to them for publication.
For those interested in breaking into genre television writing, an agent is paramount. They are the gatekeepers into a very exclusive world with a limited number of buyers. Here are some useful tips to garner representation.
by Cat Rambo
One question comes up more than any other when I teach writing: how do I know when a piece is ready for submission?
