Planetside Full Archives

by Albert Zhang Science fiction is often much more concerned about the physical than the organizational reality of a setting (and that’s understandable). But a good fundamental economic story can facilitate plot development and lend realism to a setting. To…

by the SFWA Publications Crew In recent years, The SFWA Blog has undergone many changes and refinements to serve its community better. Where we once had a single editor, we’re now a team that reviews pitches collectively and looks for…

by Ira Nayman Early in my short-story writing career, I received a delightful email from an anthology editor who had accepted one of my works. “The hard part is over,” she wrote. “Your story has been accepted. Compared to this,…

by Aaron H. Arm There’s an adage that people like to bring up when discussing current events: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”* It’s a fair assessment, actually. Everything is confined to the context of its time, after…

by Misha Grifka Wander Editor’s note: This piece is part of the series Perspectives in Translation, where creators discuss the many facets and challenges of translating fiction. The terms “source language” and “target language” will be used throughout this series….

by Elena Kovalenko Editor’s note: This piece is part of the series Perspectives in Translation, where creators discuss the many facets and challenges of translating fiction. The terms “source language” and “target language” will be used throughout this series. If…

by Libby Schultz The future of digital currencies offers science fiction writers a unique opportunity to enhance their worlds. As a fintech founder and entrepreneur in the crypto industry, I navigate these topics daily alongside regulators, innovators, and organizations. Related…

by Jeremy Zentner Fifty million dead, continents in ashes, and the emergence of a global struggle between two superpowers: World War II changed the path of history forever. It’s only natural that it would be a hot topic for historical…

by Carrie Finch Editor’s note: This piece is part of a series titled Writing by Other Means, where authors share personal experiences and industry intel around different production contexts and writing tools. Painters have brush and canvas. Dancers have mirrors…

by Samuel Poots In 2009, I met my hero. I was eighteen, painted blue, and wearing a borrowed kilt, a brave choice for November in Ireland. At the other end of a line of eager fans sat a man with…

by Marie Croke As speculative fiction authors, we twist and remake reality. Yet, when it comes to retelling events or using fiction to manipulate a real-life person’s biography, those places we’re remaking were someone’s home, those events were often the…

by Anneke Schwob I’ve spent a lot of time in archives and special collections: parsing handwritten letters, transcribing diaries, puzzling over telegraphs and radio transmissions. I was trying to write a dissertation. But inside the climate-controlled sterility of the reading…

by Austin Conrad Online media is my preferred starting point when seeking historical inspiration for my game writing—especially my recent fixation on King Arthur. If you use a discerning eye, the internet’s free resources are flush with useful information. For…

by Eugen Bacon Editor’s note: This piece is part of a series titled Writing by Other Means, where authors share personal experiences and industry intel around different production contexts and writing tools. You have a novel, a novella, a short…

by John Ryan When you hear about narrative in video games, positions such as writers and narrative designers might be the first roles you’ll think of. What people don’t think about is one of the most important roles in the…

by Austin Conrad Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are built from basically two elements: game mechanics and narrative. Unlike video games, TTRPGs strongly focus on collaborative narrative between the players and the gamemaster at the table. Playtesting the narrative of a…

by Marie Vibbert Every three months, the Cleveland Game Developers host a Play Test Night for our members.  Last time, I got to play a card game. It drove home the crucial differences between video games and physical games that…

by Will McDermott Writing narrative content for board games is different from any other writing I’ve ever done. It’s even different than writing for video games or role-playing games. The reason is simple: length. Novel and short story authors have…

by Emily Jiang AN INTRODUCTION OF SORTS: To Boldly Go Where I Have Never Gone Before “We often fear what we do not understand. Our best defense is knowledge.” –Tuvok Over 15 years ago, when I enrolled in an MFA…

by John Dale Beety In science fiction and fantasy (SFF) terms, game writing is exactly what it sounds like: writing for games. Calling oneself a game writer, however, is akin to declaring oneself a scientist. Divisions within game writing include…

by Jeff Reynolds A game we authors enjoy is “discuss how the short story market used to pay so well you could make a living from it.” When the topic appeared again recently, I wondered: Is there any truth to…

by Misha Grifka Wander When I teach video game analysis to college students, I sometimes tell them that they’re going to make their own games—and their eyes glaze over in panic, thinking of the intense production requirements of a video…

by N. R. M. Roshak Editor’s note: This piece is part of a series titled Writing by Other Means, where authors share personal experiences and industry intel around different production contexts and writing tools. My laptop is my mainstay. Between…

by Michael Capobianco Editor’s note: This piece is the second in a two-part overview of the first year of SFWA, curated by a member of the organization’s History Committee. Part 1 is available here. Damon Knight was now president of…