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THE INDIE FILES: Writing Through Trauma
by J. Scott Coatsworth In the middle of 2022, I broke my arm. And not just a simple fracture—my orthopedic surgeon said it looked like it had exploded. Thus began a difficult (and still in progress) recovery. I won’t go…
Belying The Belly Dancer: Misconceptions of Raqs Sharqi That Need to Be Corrected In Your Writing
By J.D. Harlock Introduction The “belly dancer” is one of the most prevalent tropes western media has of Middle Easterners, and it’s often used as a cheap source of fan service in Middle Eastern and Arabesque settings. However, not only…
In Space, There’s Actually Lots to Hear: Science Fiction Audio Drama
by Emma Johanna Puranen It seems like everyone’s listening to things these days. Between the larger podcast boom and the rise of the audiobook, it can be easy to overlook the small but thriving world of science fiction audio drama. …
Diamond in the Rough: How to Shine in the Slush Pile
A.J. Cunder As an editor, I’m tempted to say there’s a certain magic when it comes to submissions that catch my eye in the slush pile: an ethereal feeling when the story just clicks, an almost intangible quality to the…
THE INDIE FILES: Balancing the Indie Workload
by Anthony W. Eichenlaub Your time has value. That’s it. That’s the lesson. If you’re looking to save a few minutes, you can skip the rest of this article and just keep that one thought in mind. Your minutes have…
SAFETY DISPATCH: How to Secure Your Author Website
by the SFWA Safety Committee Numerous user-friendly options exist for authors to set up and manage their own websites, from single, static pages to actively updated blogs. They can be built with templates or custom designed, self-hosted, or placed on…
Making Soft Magic Systems Work
by M.K. Hutchins Soft magic has been with us since humans had stories: it’s in our fairytales, our folklore, and continues to be popular today, appearing in everything from Studio Ghibli films to the writings of Terry Pratchett, to Axie…
You’re Quite a Character: How to Craft Interesting Minor Characters in Spec-Fic
By J. D. Harlock For a world to feel lived in, characters should receive the same attention as the lore, with characterization and worldbuilding intertwining, each influencing the other. This is as true for main characters as it is for…
THE INDIE FILES: Yes, You Do Need an Editor
by Colin Alexander Almost by definition, writers love to write. We also tend to fall in love with our words. What we put on the page paints the exact picture of the idea we have in our minds, and all…
In Memoriam: Suzy McKee Charnas
Suzy McKee Charnas (22 October 1939–02 January 2023) was a groundbreaking feminist science-fiction and horror writer and beloved Clarion West teacher. Originally from New York City, where she also studied, she lived and wrote from New Mexico for over 60…
SFWA Market Report – January 2023
Welcome to the January edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any venue in this report does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. Those included on this list pay at least $0.08/word in at least one category…
Climate Change and Antibiotic Resistance: Facts for Fiction
by Jason P. Burnham Climate change is the top public health emergency of the twenty-first century. Naturally, you may be inclined to write a story somewhere on the dystopia-to-solarpunk spectrum that mitigates your burgeoning existential climate dread. Perhaps one of…
Social Media Strategy for Writers
By Cat Rambo You have been told, like so many writers before you, that you must have a social media presence. That nowadays, agents and publishing houses look to see how many Twitter followers you have before opening your manuscript….
THE INDIE FILES: How to Bring Your Indie Book to the Attention of a Librarian
by Kelly McClymer Do you dream of seeing your indie book in your local library catalog? You are not alone. Many a traditionally published author shares your dream. Here are a few hard facts: Libraries generally purchase hardback library editions…
A Brief History of Persian Sci-Fi
By Kamiab Ghorbanpour For many years in Iran, and Persian pop culture in general, science-fiction books, movies, and TV shows were often ridiculed as “testicles-fiction” (تخمی “testicles” and تخیلی “fiction” have a similar stress). This wasn’t always the case, though….
Writing the Science Right
by Gideon P. Smith Getting the science right in SF can make the difference between writing cute stories and great science fiction. If you are a non-scientist writing SF and want to know how to do that, then this blog…
Should I Be Using AI-Generated Cover Art?
By Jay O’Connell In the blink of an eye, AI-generated art has evolved from a disturbing oddity into stunningly crafted images mimicking every art medium. But is this content good enough for commercial use by publishers and indie authors? And…
THE INDIE FILES: Maximizing Your Sales for the Holidays
by Scott King ‘Tis the season for selling. No matter your holiday affiliations, now is the time to be selling books, so let’s recap what you can do to help boost sales this holiday season. Start with your cover. It…
Spec-Fic-Fu 2: Weapons!
by Andrew K Hoe In our previous post, we examined how battling robots and aliens utilize armaments. Today, we’ll detail human arsenals further to illustrate the options for how imaginary warriors could fight. And since sci-fi armaments like lightsabers are…
Climate Fiction: Adaptation to a New Literary Landscape Panel
The SFWA Events Team is excited to announce our next Connecting Flight panel! These panels serve as a bridge between the 2022 Nebula Conference Online voyage and the 2023 Nebula Hybrid Conference. Next up: “Climate Fiction: Adaptation to a New…
The Ecology of Worldbuilding
by J. Dianne Dotson Worldbuilding takes many forms in genre fiction. Whether a story takes place on another planet, in a mystical land, or in a hellscape of horror, adding touches of realism enhances the world for its inhabitants. Using…
THE INDIE FILES: An Indie Approach to Series
by Anthony W. Eichenlaub Whether it’s the one-two punch of a duology or the sprawling epic of multiple loosely connected trilogies, there is no doubt that science fiction and fantasy readers love series. For an author, series can be amazing….
ROMANCING SFF: “So, How’s Your Love Life?” and Other Questions to Ask Your Characters
by Katherine Garcia Ley We’ve all seen them: the thirty pages of interview questions you should ask your characters. The analytical texts on astrological signs. The “ultimate of ultimate” tools offering twenty-some Enneagrams for character development. All these resources are…
Imagination Without Images: Aphantasia and SFF Readers and Writers
By Kim Zarins When I was a child, I snuck out to the backyard, made a little circle of stones, and jumped inside the circle. The goal was to get to Narnia, which I loved intensely. But I have never…