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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…
Variations of Villainy
by Nancy Fulda
Villains are challenging to write. Make them too heartless, and no one will find them believable. Make them too empathetic, and the audience will end up rooting for the wrong team. It can be difficult to create an…
New Market: Ares Magazine
The first issue of Ares Magazine is now in the hands of subscribers and available for purchase. The 84-page first issue features nine original science fiction and fantasy stories, an interview with game designer and author Bruce Cordell, and an…
National Book Foundation to Give Lifetime Achievement Award to Ursula K. Le Guin
The National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards, will award its 2014 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to Ursula K. Le Guin at the 65th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner. The event will…
Science Fiction Stories Night
Friday is Sci-Fi Stories Night at 100 Year Starship 2014 Public Symposium featuring award-winning authors— Yoon Ha Lee, Les Johnson, Nisi Shawl, and Edward Lerner—book signings and a special screening of the original The Day the Earth Stood Still.
To Vlog or Not To Vlog
by Alethea Kontis
Luckily, there are many other outlets for writers to alternately channel their particular brand of creativity: Blogging, podcasting, memes, fan fiction…in this day and age, the possibilities are endless.
SFWA at Dragon Con
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America will be participating at Dragon Con again! Our table will be located in the Hyatt, outside the Comics and Artists Alley.
Endeavour Awards Finalists
News from the Endeavour Awards:
Four novels and a single-author collection of stories are finalists for the Endeavour Award. The 2014 Award will be the sixteenth year for the Endeavour, which comes with an honorarium of $1,000.00. The winner…
The Scientist Next Door: Or How to Approach Experts with Research Questions
by William Ledbetter
The email was short and straightforward. I identified myself as a science fiction writer who was curious about one aspect of their paper.
Central Oregon Writers’ Guild’s 7th Annual Writing Contest
Entries for the Central Oregon Writers’ Guild’s 7th annual writing contest are closing on September 1st!
Clarion 2012 Releases Fundraiser Antho
The Red Volume is a collection of stories largely written and revised during the Clarion Foundation’s fundraising write-a-thon, which runs concurrently with the workshop. The anthology will be available this September on a pay-what-you-can basis. Readers can snag a copy…
SFWA Spotlight on Pro Markets: Interfictions
Interfictions: A Journal of Interstitial Arts is an extension of the anthology series. It’s a bi-annual, online publication featuring interstitial fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art.
Backstory Secrets
Backstory is tricky to interweave into your story effectively. Sometimes, it is introduced too soon, or all at once in one large info-dump. At other times, its power is undercut by giving it away for free before the reader has…
Museum of Science Fiction and DC Public Library Partner to Host Film Festival and Use Science Fiction to Raise Child Literacy
The Museum of Science Fiction, the world’s first comprehensive science fiction museum, and the District of Columbia Public Library, today announced a partnership to enhance science fiction literacy and project-based learning within the community.