Planetside Full Archives
Planetside: The Online Magazine of SFWA
No post found!
The SFWA Blog
SFWA Market Report For October
Welcome to the October edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any market in the report below does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA.
Writing to the Shadows
by Paul Jessup
Let’s talk about that early stage of the story, when you have that bright gleaming idea in your head, burning brightly. It wants to be born, it wants to come to life. You spend days, weeks, months doing…
Collaboration
by Daniel Brotzel
Finishing a book sounds like hard enough work when there’s just one of you. Can working with someone else really help? Yes! says Dan Brotzel, who’s recently launched a novel he wrote with two pals. Here’s the why…
Count Your Successes
by Luna Corbden
I have turned my inner narrative around with one simple new rule: “Count your successes.”
Sketching a Story
by Paul Jessup
Novels are hard, yo. I mean, books in general, maybe writing overall? But for me making that leap from short stories to novels was a difficult transition. I had to completely change my writerly habits, completely reinvent the…
Transportation
by Daniel M. Bensen
So I have to get to work with my conscious mind. I have to soothe my limbic system as if it’s a spooked horse. I rub my fingers, I wiggle my toes, I take valerian pills. I…
SFWA Market Report For September
Welcome to the September edition of the SFWA Market Report.
SFWA Minimum Pro Rate Now in Effect
The SFWA minimum payment rate for professional short fiction markets is now eight cents per word. In accordance with our mission to support and empower science fiction and fantasy writers, SFWA periodically reviews and adjusts the minimum payment rate for…
The Jargon and Slang of the Fantastic
by Ken Pelham
World-building is more than misty mountains, crumbling castles, dripping neon cityscapes, and talking rats. It’s also about psychology and language, and the language equation includes the everyday corruptions of jargon and slang.
Last Hours! A Matter of Time Bundle – Curated by SFWA
Just a friendly reminder to all SFWA readers that today (August 22, 2019) is the very last day of the SFWA time travel bundle. That 14 books dripping with the finest paradox flavorings for fifteen bucks. Check it out at: https://storybundle.com/timetravel…
A Tiny Bit of Mathemagic
by Filip Wiltgren
Want to be insanely productive? Check this:
I live in a country where the fruit comes with stickers on it. Meaning that before you eat your apple, you need to remove a piece of plastic, clawing at the little…
Promoting with Podcasts
by Alan Bailey
Podcasters generally have a mixed reputation. Why? I’m not totally sure. Perhaps it’s because the entry fee is low, and anyone with an opinion can put it out there. The sheer number of podcasts doesn’t help either. So,…
Stories that Teach: Adventures on the Crossroads of Fiction and Non-fiction
by Alex Woolf
One trend that I think is likely to have more enduring appeal is narrative non-fiction (NNF): the blending of story elements with non-fiction. Typically, this involves the author inventing characters and a simple plot device, such as a…
Military Logistics for Fantasy Writers
We all know ‘an army marches on its stomach,’ but it’s not like Napoleon discovered something new. Vegetius (De re militari) and Sun Tzu (The Art of War) were well aware of this concept, as was Alexander the Great (Engels,…
SFWA Market Report For August
Welcome to the August edition of the SFWA Market Report.
Broadcast Premiere of “Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin”
On Friday, August 2nd, “Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin” has its broadcast premiere on PBS’ American Masters!
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 led to successful works. Entire books have been written how to plan a story; here, I will focus on one…
Writing While Parenting
by P.G. Galalis Here’s a ten-step guide to writing while parenting: 1. Make some coffee or tea. Head to your special writing place. Close the door and boot up your computer, put a fresh ribbon in the typewriter, or select…
On Keeping a List of All the Books I’ve Ever Read
by Dan Brotzel
I have a list of all the books I’ve ever read.
Well, not ever. But since 1993 at least.
It began with a red spiral-bound exercise book. At first, I didn’t just write the names and authors at first. I…
Waking up to Productivity: Testing Robin Sharma’s The 5AM Club.
by Deborah Walker
Productivity gurus love routine and habit. They say you should have a regular bedtime and a regular time to wake up. I don’t do that. But I am an early riser and no stranger to 5 am. It…
SFWA Market Report For July
Welcome to the July edition of the SFWA Market Report.
“Start a New Series” with a Humble Book Bundle!
Start a new series this summer with the latest Humble Book Bundle from Open Road Media. Get great books at a great price, and support SFWA.
Waking up to Productivity: Robin Sharma’s “The 5 AM Club”
by Deborah Walker
A few months ago, I began to hear great things about Robin Sharma’s bestselling, new book, “The 5 AM Club.” Sharma is a productivity guru whose work is ’embraced by rock stars, royalty, billionaires and many celebrity CEOs’….
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…