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Interview: Johanna Sinisalo
Our sister site, NebulaAwards.com, interviews Johanna Sinisalo about her Nebula Nominated Novelette, “Baby Doll.”
Victoria Strauss — Bad Impressions for Good Impressions Audio Books
To fee-charging services looking for more customers, what could be more lucrative than a referral from a literary agency or publisher? To a literary agency or publisher, what could be more tempting than to make money not just from its…
Reading Aloud
There are few things that can destroy a good story faster than a bad reading. At the same time, a really good reading can make an audience excited and drive sales. Short of a background in theater, how…
Philip Pullman speaks against UK’s vetting laws
A measure in the UK that would require anyone working at a school, even if for only a day, to be vetted by the government has caused some outcry, particularly among children’s authors. Philip Pullman has gone on record as…
Resource: Historical Food Timeline
When writing historical fiction or fantasy, the question of food either seems daunting or is completely overlooked. With the Historical Food Timeline, you can get an approximate idea of when a given food was introduced.
National Writers Union Opposes Google Settlement
The National Writers Union today announced its opposition to the proposed $125 million settlement of a class-action copyright infringement lawsuit brought by writers and publishers against Google because its massive book-scanning project violated their copyrights.
Is Africa Ready for Science Fiction?
At our sister site, NebulaAwards.com, Nnedi Okorafor, talks about science-fiction in Africa. It’s an interesting and thought-provoking read.
Writer Beware wins big as frivolous lawsuit rejected by court
A Massachusetts Superior Court judge has awarded costs and attorneys’ fees to Ann Crispin and Victoria Strauss, the principal operators of the Writer Beware website, soundly rejecting a frivolous lawsuit filed by a purported literary agent.
SFWA statement on proposed Google book settlement
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA), in conjunction with outside counsel, has reviewed the terms of the proposed settlement between Google, Inc. and the Authors Guild, Inc., and other class action plaintiffs.
Mystery Writers of America will co-sponsor SFWA’s Writer Beware
Mystery Writers of America (MWA) will co-sponsor the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Writer Beware program, which exposes publishing scams, educates writers on how to protect themselves from fraud, and maintains a massive database on their website…
Hugo Winners Announced
Anticipation is pleased to announce the Hugo winners for 2009.
Interview: Mary E. Pearson
Our sister-site, NebulaAwards.com, interviews Mary E. Pearson about her Andre Norton Awards finalist novel The Adoration of Jenna Fox.
Andre Norton Award jury seeking candidate submissions
The jury for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy is actively reading works published in 2009.
World Fantasy Nominee list
SFWA extends our congratulations to the nominees for this Year’s World Fantasy Awards. The World Fantasy Convention is an annual gathering of professionals, collectors and others interested in the field of light and dark fantasy art and literature. The…
2009 SFWA business meeting scheduled for World Fantasy Convention
LOS ANGELES — Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America will hold this year’s annual business meeting at the 2009 World Fantasy Convention in San Jose, Calif.
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions
The following list of questions is meant to aid authors of fantasy fiction who are seeking to create believable imaginary settings for their stories. While many of these questions may be helpful or crucial to certain stories, they will not…
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Daily Life
By Patricia C. Wrede General How do ordinary people feel about foreigners? Non-humans? How ready are they to accept different ideas? How cosmopolitan are they? How much social mobility is there? Is it easy or hard for a person born…
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Commerce, Trade, and Public Life
By Patricia C. Wrede General Which peoples/countries/races fought, allied, traded, or were traditional rivals? Where are there still hard feelings about old events? Is there a “trade language” that facilitates commerce between countries that don’t speak the same tongue? Is…
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Social Organization
- Where is scientific and/or magical research done — universities, private labs, under the auspices of the ruler/government, etc.?
- Does it require a license to be a wizard? If so, is it more like a driver’s license (something nearly everyone in our…
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Peoples and Customs
By Patricia C. Wrede Copyright © 1996 General Do average people believe old tales, or do they dismiss some that have a basis in fact (e.g., Troy)? Do wild and rebellious young people dress any differently from anyone else? Are…
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Magic and Magicians
Rules of Magic
*
What things can magic not do? What are the limits to magical power? How do magicians try to get around these limits?
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: The World
By Patricia C. Wrede
I. The World
1.
Basics
*
Are the laws of…
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Physical and Historical Features
General
*
In which geographical areas will the story take place? How much ground will the story cover? What are the most striking features of landscape, climate, animals, etc. in thisarea? How…
Victoria Strauss — Niche Age Media: Laray Carr Returns
One of the strangest schemes ever covered in this blog was a faux magazine startup called Laray Carr.
Operating out of Terrell, Texas, Laray Carr first came to my attention in August 2007 with a call for…
Operating out of Terrell, Texas, Laray Carr first came to my attention in August 2007 with a call for…