Page updated/links checked 12/20/23 Copyright Basics Moral Rights To Register or Not? Registration Services For US Writers: The Copyright Claims Board Common Copyright Myths Resources Copyright Basics Copyright, literally, is “the right to copy.” It guarantees the authors of creative works–including books, stories, artworks, films, recordings, and photographs–the exclusive right for a set period of […]

Page updated/links checked 12/17/23 Predatory Contests and Awards Contest and Award Profiteers Is It Worth It? Assessing Contests and Awards Resources There are hundreds of literary contests and awards. Many are real; some are prestigious. But others are either exploitative or pointless. And some are outright scams. Predatory Contests and Awards Predatory contests and awards […]

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA), in conjunction with outside counsel, has reviewed the terms of the proposed settlement between Google, Inc. and the Authors Guild, Inc., and other class action plaintiffs.

This article by David Alexander Smith covers some of useful rules of thumb for story structure and world-building.

The following list of questions is meant to aid authors of fantasy fiction who are seeking to create believable imaginary settings for their stories. While many of these questions may be helpful or crucial to certain stories, they will not all apply to every story. It is not necessary for an author to answer all, or even any, of the questions in order to start writing, (or to finish writing, either). The idea is simply to provoke people into thinking about the ways their settings and backgrounds hang together … or don’t. If it’s useful, use it. If not, don’t.

By Patricia C. Wrede General How do ordinary people feel about foreigners? Non-humans? How ready are they to accept different ideas? How cosmopolitan are they? How much social mobility is there? Is it easy or hard for a person born a peasant to advance to the middle class, or a middle class person to the […]

By Patricia C. Wrede General Which peoples/countries/races fought, allied, traded, or were traditional rivals? Where are there still hard feelings about old events? Is there a “trade language” that facilitates commerce between countries that don’t speak the same tongue? Is there a “universal language” spoken by educated or noble persons, as Latin was in the […]

• Where is scientific and/or magical research done — universities, private labs, under the auspices of the ruler/government, etc.?
• Does it require a license to be a wizard? If so, is it more like a driver’s license (something nearly everyone in our culture gets upon coming of age) or like a doctor’s license (something only a small percentage of the population will ever get)? Who certifies wizards: government, wizard’s guild/AMA, local priests?

By Patricia C. Wrede Copyright © 1996 General Do average people believe old tales, or do they dismiss some that have a basis in fact (e.g., Troy)? Do wild and rebellious young people dress any differently from anyone else? Are they allowed to? How do most people make a living here? Customs Does the weather […]

Rules of Magic

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What things can magic not do? What are the limits to magical power? How do magicians try to get around these limits?