Planetside Full Archives
Planetside: The Online Magazine of SFWA
No post found!
The SFWA Blog
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….
In Memoriam: Rocky Wood
New Zealand author Rocky Wood (b.1959) died on December 1. Wood was one of the world’s foremost experts on the writings of Stephen King,
Museum of Science Fiction Announces International Concept Art Competition
The Museum of Science Fiction is excited to announce the start of a concept art competition for its 2015 Preview Museum, which is to be located in the Washington, DC metro area. The competition is open to every creative mind…
Guest Post: Hope as Fuel
by Amy Sundberg
Let’s talk about hope today, shall we?
One of my friends posted this great thought about hope on Facebook, which I cannot share with you word-for-word because privacy, but he basically talked about the importance of maintaining a store…
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Acceptance Speech
Video of Ursula K. Le Guin’s acceptance speech at the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Sunburst Awards Accepting E-book Files
The Sunburst Award Committee announced today that they have moved into the digital age. Starting with the 2015 awards, they will accept e-book versions of submissions as well as print ones.
Speaking With Authority About Things That (Probably) Do Not Exist
by Jeremiah Tolbert
I once sat beside a campfire in Washington and listened to a man with a pistol strapped to his waist lecture for an hour about the ecology and habits of the Sasquatch. Meanwhile, my companions–a college professor and…
Building Strength out of Weakness
by Nancy Fulda
My oldest sister is very wise. Once, long ago, when I was struggling to master a difficult situation, she sent me a letter about strength and weakness. The gist of the content was this: Many strengths are the…
2014 Online Odyssey Writing Workshops Announced
From the Odyssey Writing Workshops Charitable Trust: This winter, the Odyssey Writing Workshops Charitable Trust is offering three live online courses with the same high quality and rigorous approach as its acclaimed, in-person Odyssey workshop: Showing versus Telling in Fantastic…
Veteran’s Day 2014 Charity Challenge
On Veteran’s Day 2014 (Tuesday, November 11), 50 veteran authors will pledge 100% of their print, ebook and audio book royalties to their favorite veteran’s charity.
Guest Post: On Writing: Can You Do It Wrong?
by Cat Rambo
Are you putting words on the page? Then you are doing it right.
You may not be creating publishable words. You may not be creating amazing words. You may not be creating words you like. But by creating words,…
Guest Post: Pushing Past the Terrifying Dip in Motivation
By Leo Babauta
I’m here to talk about how I push past what Seth Godin calls “The Dip” — that slump that we all hit when things get hard, which is (sometimes) before the place where things get great.
Guest Post: Talent is Worthless if You Lack Motivation
I’ve spent much of my life jealous of those around me who were naturally talented at things. I’ve always wished I had something resembling talent in visual arts; I have never been able to draw, and it’s a talent I…
Getting Out of the Pubslush Slush Pile
by Caren Gussoff
We’re on the front lines of the changing publishing industry, and for all the insecurities that encompasses, we have a growing number of tools that help reach out and sell directly to fans. Of these tools, perhaps the…
2014 Sunburst Award Winners
The Sunburst Award Committee is pleased to announce that the winner of its 2014 adult award is A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Penguin Group Canada) and the winner of its 2014 young adult award is The…
Call for Presenters: Literary Estates, Digital Rights
As part of the 2015 Nebula Awards weekend in Chicago, SFWA is seeking to join with the Illinois State Bar Association, as it did in 2005, to present a day-long joint Continuing Professional Education program for authors and lawyers.
SFWA’s Estate Project and Diabolical Plots
When an author stops breathing, the stories stop coming, but the presses keep rolling. Ah, but do the checks keeping coming? Enter: Bud Webster of the SFWA’s Estate Project. CARL SLAUGHTER: Why does the SFWA operate an estate project? How does…
Libertarian Futurist Society to Honor Vernor Vinge
Science fiction writer Vernor Vinge will receive a Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Libertarian Futurist Society.
Grievance Committee Update
In the last few months we have seen reports of possible issues with several publishers including late or non-payment, contract violations and a lack of promised publicity support. We would like to remind members that while the Board is definitely…
Guest Post: Does Book Touring Still Matter?
by John Scalzi
When I’m out and about and recount my tour adventures to people (I can reel off my itinerary just about in my sleep at this point), the question often arises about whether all this touring is actually…
Copper Cylinder Award Winners
The Sunburst Award Society is pleased to announce the winners of the third annual Copper Cylinder Awards. The Copper Cylinder Award is an annual member’s choice award selected by members of the Sunburst Award Society for books published during the…