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Pay to Play Anthologies
Vanity anthologies are a popular way for unscrupulous companies to make money on writers’ hunger for publication. By far the most common vanity anthology scheme…
Write on the River 2011
2011 WRITE ON THE RIVER CONFERENCE SHOWCASES PACIFIC NORTHWEST LITERARY TALENT Wenatchee’s year-round writing organization has outdone itself this year, bringing three New York Times…
Duncan Jones, Director of Source Code – a Video Interview
Director Duncan Jones discusses crafting stories, science fiction, and the making of his latest feature, SOURCE CODE.
Milford SF Writer’s Conference Opens for Registation
You are cordially invited to join the Milford SF Writer’s Conference, held at the Trigonos Centre in Snowdonia, Wales.
Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 20 – Patterns for Presenting the Problem 1-3
Have you thought about starting with a bang right away? Or does your story want another hook before you roll the main one out on…
Clarion West to Honor
Paul Park, Connie Willis, and Gardner Dozois
On June 24 at 8 p.m., Clarion West will open the Locus Awards Weekend with a party in honor of CW instructor Paul Park. …
In Memoriam: Joanna Russ
Joanna Russ (b.1937) died on April 29, 2011, two days after entering hospice. Russ was admitted to hospice following a series of strokes. Russ received…
The Interminable Agency Clause
An “interminable agency clause” (sometimes called an “interminable rights clause” or a “perpetual agency clause”) is language inserted into an author-agency agreement whereby the agency…
Self-Publishing: An Interview with Scott Nicholson
Somewhere during the summer, when I got the latest “I can’t sell this” from an agent, I realized, “You can’t, but I can.” I have…
Hugo & Campbell Best New Writer Nominations Announced
Nominees for the Hugo Awards and for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer have been announced.
Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 19 – Use Patterns & Options, Not Formulas
Building stories is like building houses. Yes, you need a foundation, walls, and a roof, but holy cow–look at all the variations that are possible…
Tidbits
Last October, I blogged about David Boyer, a self-styled author and publisher who was discovered to be committing extensive plagiarism, publishing stories and books both…
Guest Post: Klingons Invade WorldCon
Every summer, Klingon speakers from around the world have gathered for a long weekend of barking and spitting, singing and storytelling, impromptu game shows, off-the-cuff…
Quick Updates for 2011-04-21
Member News for Randy Henderson, Donald Norum, Jason V. Brock, K.V. Johansen, Adam Christopher, Allan Cole, David Levine, Vonda N. McIntyre, Anna D. Allen, Mary…
Renovation: Teaching SF Workshop
Renovation, the 69th Worldcon, is delighted to announce “Teaching SF”, a workshop for teachers, librarians and parents on how to use science fiction as a…
Guest Post: The Google Books Settlement–It’s Not Too Late to Fix It
The question now becomes, “where do we go from here?” The parties were left free to negotiate a new settlement, or continue the original lawsuit….
Nebula Awards 2009 Interview: Jeff VanderMeer
With regard to Finch, I think a lot of readers who thought I did more leisurely-paced fiction were surprised (although they shouldn’t have been) that…
Key Conditions for Suspense: Part 18 –
The 3 Phases of Problem Solving for Suspense
Along every step of the way, readers need to be surprised, not about everything, but about enough of the particularities of the problem, character, actions,…
Bull Spec is SFWA’s newest qualifying market
The board of directors of SFWA voted to add the magazine Bull Spec to the list of SFWA qualifying markets.
Book Fair Bewares
Throughout the year, book fairs draw crowds of publishers, agents, and industry professionals of all kinds to promote their products, take stock of the competition,…
Nebula Awards 2009 Interview: N.K. Jemisin
I believe in probability, which most of us refer to as luck, mostly because that word is easier to say than “outlier” or “likelihood as…
Guest Post: Labadie Mansion, A Visitation
Our destination is Labadie Mansion, a derelict house that neither of us have ever seen, and the site of numerous accounts of ghostly activity. According…
What SFWA Authors Need to Know about
Archiving Their Literary Papers1
You and your work are important. Science fiction and fantasy literature permeates our culture. The mission of libraries, archives, and museums is to document our…
Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 17 – Structure is Problem Solving, Not Voodoo
Our job as writers is to create a narrative that evokes this desired experience in the reader. Yes, we have to be passionate about our…