By J. Dianne Dotson World-building 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 ecology is one way to achieve that realism. What Is Ecology? Ecology is the science […]
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. Good sales on the first book can lead to good sales on the second, third, […]
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 fantastic. Heck, I use them, and they’re amazing. I’m a list-loving personality theory hoarder. These […]
We’re pleased to announce that the THIRD season of Narrative Worlds will debut on Sunday, October 16, at 1:00pm Pacific Time. Part of the ongoing 2022 Nebula Conference Online, this worldbuilding webinar series is hosted by bestselling author and SFWA member Kate Elliott. Her guest for the first episode will be Agent DongWon Song. They […]
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 pictured Narnia or its characters in my mind. I’m an aphant, that is, someone with […]
By Katie Gill In recent years, audio drama has made a comeback in the form of narrative podcasts, which have gone from relative niche to mainstream markets. Audio drama series have been adapted into successful books, seen financial success on crowdfunding sites like Patreon, and launched Netflix adaptations. Likewise, the pandemic-era growth in remote recording […]
We’ve recently published a new set of webpages, the Safety Resources, on the SFWA website here. These resources contain useful information for creators maintaining an online presence and touch on safety considerations for in-person events for both attendees and event planners. Personal Safety Online includes checklists and safety tips for securing your online accounts, removing […]
By AJ Cunder As writers, we’ve all been there: Submittable, Moksha, a proprietary submission system, or even just a submission email. The cover letter’s been written, the story uploaded, and we’re waiting to hit that mysterious Submit button, wondering what happens after our work is sent into cyberspace. When I first started slush reading for […]
by Hunter Liguore Creating new characters takes a careful eye. When an idea comes, we might rely on familiar images to fashion characters that aren’t truly our own, but rather influenced through media images or by people we’ve encountered or known well. What is often missed in the early drafting of characters is the up-close […]
by Jamie Lackey Everyone agrees that reviews are important for book sales and visibility, but getting reviews can be an uphill battle. Most casual readers don’t bother leaving reviews, and it’s hard to get the attention of new readers who do. That’s where NetGalley comes in. They connect librarians, booksellers, educators, reviewers, and bloggers with […]
Simon and Clara, a pair of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators, chase after a ghostly old 1917 police car as it races through Caligo Falls toward a creepy old shack in the forest where a shocking murder took place in 1922.
Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam is the author of the novel Grim Root and the collection Where You Linger. Her short fiction has appeared in over 90 publications and has been nominated twice for the Nebula Award. By day, she writes for a mobile game.
