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2016 Philip K. Dick Award Judges Announced
The five Philip K. Dick Award judges for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original format in the United States in the 2015 award year are:
In Memoriam: Sir Terry Pratchett
DEATH has come for the humorist. Sir Terry Pratchett (b.1948) died on March 12 surrounded by his family. Pratchett had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for several years.
Launch Pad Workshop: A Testimonial
Any time a science fiction movie is released to the big screen, I see complaints about how science is depicted. Films such as Gravity, Interstellar, and Prometheus come to mind. They show things on screen that don’t line up with…
Seeking Applicants for the Norton Jury
SFWA is looking to convene a Norton jury for the 2015 award.
The Schrödinger Sessions: A Launchpad Type Workshop for Quantum Physics
“The Schrödinger Sessions: Science for Science Fiction” a workshop at the Joint Quantum Institute (a combined initiative of the University of Maryland, College Park and NIST in Gaithersburg) is a three-day “crash course” in quantum physics for science fiction writers.
Guest Post: Should you be a full-time writer?
by Mary Robinette Kowal
A lot of writers have a goal of being a full time writer. I think there’s this image of your life continuing exactly as it is, except that now your job is writing. Sure, you know you…
SFWA Names Recipients of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award and the Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Awards
SFWA is pleased to award Larry Niven the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award, one of SFWA’s highest honors, for his invaluable contributions to the field of science fiction and fantasy.
2014 Nebula Awards Nominees Announced
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America are pleased to announce the nominees for the 2014 Nebula Awards (presented 2015), nominees for the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, and nominees for the Andre Norton Award for Young…
Call for Papers devoted to Names in SF, Fantasy, and Horror
The American Name Society, which promotes onomastics–the study of names and naming practices–will be devoting a special issue of its linguistics journal, NAMES, to the subject of Naming in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
Ten Reasons to Write Short Stories Even Though the Pay is Peanuts
by Daniel H. Wilson & John Joseph Adams
It’s no secret that writing short stories usually isn’t very lucrative. A five-thousand-word piece that you labor over for two weeks (and fiddle with for two months beyond that) will maybe net you…
The State of Short Fiction Roundtable Comes to Baltimore
On Saturday, February 21st at 8PM, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society, located at 3310 East Baltimore Street, will host its annual “State of Short Fiction Roundtable.”
Contracts Committee Report
Since being reinstituted last fall, the Contracts Committee has been focused on two main projects: a review of existing model contracts with the intent of revising them as needed and a response to member concerns with the Magazine of Fantasy…
SFWA Welcomes Self-Published and Small Press Authors!
In a referendum with a third of voting members participating and over 6 to 1 in favor, the membership of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has approved bylaw changes that enable SFWA to accept self-publication and small-press…
Winners in the 17th Annual Preditors & Editors / Critters Readers’ Poll
Aaaaaaaand the winners are in — Preditors and Editors would like to congratulate all the winners in the 17th Annual P&E Readers’ Poll!
Jack McDevitt Wins 2015 Robert A. Heinlein Award
Jack McDevitt, science fiction author is the 2015 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. The award is bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space.
Empathy, Neurochemistry, and the Dramatic Arc
Neuroscience looks at how our brains respond to dramatic arcs.
Odyssey Writing Workshop Announces Its 20th Summer Session
Each summer, writers of the fantastic come from all over the world to attend the Odyssey Writing Workshop. Odyssey is one of the most highly respected programs for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.
Guest Post: Five Things You Should Know About Award Nominations
It’s awards season. It comes around every year, and every year authors wonder whether they should put their work out for consideration.
This can be a scary thing.
2015 World Fantasy Awards Judges Announced
The judges for the 2015 World Fantasy Awards, for work published in 2014, have now been empanelled. The judges read and consider eligible materials until June 1, 2015, so it is desirable for them to receive materials as early as possible….
Guest Post: Setting Your Goals for the New Year and Beyond
by Randy Henderson
Happy New Year!
Rather than share events from my past year, I thought I’d offer a bit of encouragement and advice to help with the coming year. While this is aimed primarily at my fellow writers, it also,…
Painting Characters into Corners
by Nancy Fulda
If you write stories, this has probably happened to you:
The words are flowing. The plot is exciting. Your characters, faced with overwhelming odds, find themselves in the midst of a difficult and absolutely enthralling situation. It’s the Big,…
Guest Post: I’ve made every mistake an author can make in their writing career
by Jason Sanford
This has been a tough writing year for me. I finished my first novel only to learn that at this point in my writing career it’s going to be a hard sell. I’ve struggled with short fiction, publishing…
Creating Aliens
by Deborah Walker
I’ve written a fair few aliens since reading it, always thinking about that advice, but with an added aspect: stealing blatantly from Mother Nature.
How I Remain Productive While Traveling
by Jennifer Brozek When I first attended conventions or traveled for the holidays, my freelance work suffered. Not just during the event but for the few days before and after the event as well. I knew this and scheduled for it….