This article, reprinted from the Bulletin, explores the various aspects of social networking and how a writer can use them to help promote herself.

Literature is all about metaphors–analogies. One thing is like another. Much of literature works by saying, “This thing is like this other thing.” In secondary world stories, how do you handle metaphors?

When working on the world-building for your secondary fantasy world, here’s an interesting thought to chew on. Did you know that Northern Europeans are uniquely depigmented?

Interstellar space travel. We dream about it. We write about it. Science fiction writers have come up with all manners of interstellar travel, ranging from multigenerational arks, to wormhole generating warp drives that can spit you across the galaxy in a blink of an eye. As wondrous and amazing as all these approaches may be, most suffer from a very fundamental problem.

If you want to go beyond the level of just assigning different skin tones and heritages to random characters, you’re going to have to do some research. Because yes, all people are the same, but they’re also quite different. For now, we’ll set aside the argument that race is an artificial construct, and concentrate on how someone outside a minority group can gain enough knowledge of the group’s common traits to realistically represent one of its members.

As part of her continuing series on How Linguistics Can Help You, Juliette Wad discusses that ubiquitous genre activity making up words.

Who Is Writer Beware®? What Does Writer Beware® Do? Contact Writer Beware® What’s Questionable? Who Is Writer Beware®? Writer Beware® is sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA®). Like many genre-focused writers’ groups, SFWA® is concerned not just with issues that affect professional authors, but with the problems and pitfalls that face […]

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Page updated/links checked 12/3/23 Definitions Is There a Difference Between Vanity and Subsidy Publishing? The Pitfalls of Vanity Publishing Vanity Publishers in Sheep’s Clothing Hybrid Publishers Alternatives Due Diligence Warning Signs Resources Definitions Traditional publishers, subsidy publishers, vanity publishers, hybrid publishers, self-publishing–what’s the difference? Some loose definitions: – A traditional publisher (also known as a […]

Page updated/links checked: 11/25/23 Overview: The Evolution of Self-Publishing Issues to Consider The Challenges of Print Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing? Bad Reasons to Choose Self-Publishing Cautions A Special Warning: Publishing/Marketing/Fake Literary Agency Scams Resources Overview: The Evolution of Self-Publishing * Until relatively recently, if you wanted to self-publish, you faced a labor-intensive and costly process. […]