Translating the Hero’s Journey Into a Linear Plan
by Susan Forest There are as many paths into creating fiction as there are writers, and widely differing approaches have […]
The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Writing Technique
Writing Technique
Advice for New Writers, Information Center, The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Tips for Beginners, Writing Technique
Grice’s Maxims and How You Can Use Them in Your Fiction
by Dan Brotzel
The philosopher of language Paul Grice (1913-88) is best known for his four conversational maxims, which describe what’s going on when people hold a conversation. I want to look at these to see how they can help us in crafting fiction.
Advice for New Writers, Information Center, The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Tips for Beginners, Writing Technique
Lovable Predictability: The Pleasures and Challenges of Writing a Children’s Fiction Series
by Alex Woolf
“Why do we always have to reinvent the wheel?” my editor once asked me.
When a new book is launched, it’s like introducing a stranger to a largely disinterested world. Potential readers know nothing about its characters or the kind of plot they might expect. Publishers are forced to spend a great deal of money on marketing to give the book a comforting, pseudo-familiar feel. The title and cover design will be reminiscent of other, similar books that readers might already have enjoyed.
Editors and Publishing Houses, The Business of Writing, The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Writing Technique
Why I Review, or Rather: What Is Reviewing?
by Cameron N. Coulter
Since March 2018, I’ve been writing a monthly short fiction review column for Skiffy and Fanty. A year ago, I didn’t have too many thoughts on reviewing, but now I find I can have long conversations about it.
The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Writing Technique
The Art of the Playlist
by Paul Jessup
Ever since I first started taking writing seriously as a teenager, I’ve always written to music. Back then it was a bit more difficult than it is now, in the days of Spotify and gigantic playlists that can stretch on for hours or even days. Back in those days I would make mix tapes for my writing, each story and scene would get its own mixtape of songs that I felt carried the tone and the emotion of what I’m trying to convey.
The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Writing Technique
How to Avoid Writing That’s as Clear as a Mountain Stream
by Chris Sumberg
The phrase “clear as a mountain stream” gets splashed around pretty loosely, sometimes in reference to clear writing but also in reference to the sometimes not-at-all-clear names of actual bodies of water, clear or otherwise. When you take time to examine the hard, cold facts, it makes you wonder if writing that is as clear as a mountain stream is, in fact, very clear at all.
Advice for New Writers, Information Center, The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Tips for Beginners, Writing Technique
Two Simple Rules of Editing
by E. D. E. Bell
As a former engineer, data analyst, strategic advisor, and manager who entered the fiction writing and fiction editing world not too far apart and not so long ago, I’ve had to come up to speed quickly on concepts and best practices that a lot of editors my age have been practicing a long time.
The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Writing Technique
Analog Writing in the Digital World
by Paul Jessup Believe it or not, I hammered out the first draft of this post on a typewriter. Gasp!
The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Writing Technique
Suspension of Disbelief
by Stephen Sottong
One of the problems when writing any SF story is keeping the technology reasonable enough that the reader can suspend their disbelief and focus on the story rather than being rudely pulled from the plot by preposterous violations of the laws of nature.
Advice for New Writers, The Craft of Writing, The SFWA Blog, Tips for Beginners, Writing Technique
Developing Humanity’s Competitive Advantage for the Future Workplace: Empathy Through Fiction
by Katherine Quevedo
A lot of discourse these days builds up the case for why the world needs more empathy. It’s not a hard case to make. When placed against the backdrop of artificial intelligence (AI) and the possible technological singularity, I believe empathy could become a source of competitive advantage for our species as a whole.