by Marie Croke Editorial note: This piece is part of an occasional series titled “Writing by Other Means,” in which authors share personal experiences and industry intel around different production contexts and writing tools. Contributions will be published as often as distinct perspectives emerge. From phones and tablets to computers, we all tend to fall into habits once we turn the power on, whether those habits lead to social media, games, endless news, or some other vice. Despite all our good intentions, those habits hold us in thrall and require a great deal of motivation to overcome—on a ..read more

by Austin Conrad How do you move forward when stuck on telling a story? Sometimes the best way is to play your story at the gaming table. A roleplaying game’s collaborative creativity is a fun and effective method of discovery “writing” your way through writer’s block. Better yet, this can be used whether you’re writing games or fiction! As a game writer, I’m well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of my chosen medium. Good games have compelling narratives but also leave space for player agency. Writing for such an open medium is exciting—without the restriction of a programmed computer ..read more

By Priya Chand Editorial note: This piece is the first in an occasional series titled “Writing By Other Means”, in which authors share personal experiences and industry intel around different production contexts and writing tools. Contributions will be published as often as distinct perspectives emerge.   This piece was drafted in pieces, first on a crowded train, and then in a fairly popular café. Five-odd years ago, my first draft setup looked like this: laptop, desk or armchair, total silence, and a minimum of two hours to focus on what I was doing. So how did I get here? Truthfully, I ..read more

by Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas Introduction – In Which I Rant a Little First, let me get this off my chest; I don’t believe that reading slush can make anyone a better writer. I say this because anytime a magazine opens applications to add first readers to its team, several folk come out encouraging emerging writers to try it, as if the experience counted as training wheels for the creative process. I’m sure those people are well-intentioned, but I think they miss the mark of what this editorial position should focus on1. The decision to be a first reader in any publication shouldn’t come onl ..read more

By Gideon P. Smith We all have writing dreams, but they often remain dreams without solid productivity goals to turn them into reality. Unfortunately, as with adhering to the Prime Directive or making the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs, most quickly fail. Many systems have been proposed to help us succeed. SMARTER goals is a helpful project management tool that helps us design measurable goals, and James Clear’s Atomic Habits suggests using routines to make them stick. But neither of these approaches tricks our brain into wanting to do the work. This article reviews how combining ideas from ne ..read more

John Maddox Roberts (25 June 1947 – 23 May 2024), also writing as Mark Ramsay, was a prolific and best-selling science fiction, fantasy, historical, and mystery writer over the course of thirty-five years. He was the author of many novels set in ancient Rome, including Hannibal’s Children and its sequel The Seven Hills, and the SPQR series, the first of which, now titled The King’s Gambit, was an Edgar Award finalist in 1991. Robert’s first publication was The Strayed Sheep of Charum in 1977. His early settings were built around his personal experiences growing up, then in the U.S. Army, and t ..read more

Full SFWA members had the opportunity to vote last spring for 2024 candidates for the SFWA Board of Directors. We’d like to thank all our members who took the time to vote. The SFWA Board and staff would also like to thank the candidates who volunteered their time and expertise to run for office in the 2024 SFWA elections and those who continue to serve the organization in various ways. Most of our programs, services, committees, and the Board of Directors are run by volunteers. Additional Changes to the 2024-2025 Board Due to health reasons, SFWA Secretary, Jasmine Gower, will be stepping dow ..read more

By SFWA Publications Crew Independent publishing can feel as daunting as it is empowering. Monthly at the SFWA Blog, the INDIE FILES has offered tips and insights to help authors taking this route to share their writing with the world. Whether you’re just starting out or an active indie author who feels they need a little more guidance to boost sales and reader response, there are articles in our archives that might have just what you need to improve the business end of your writing. Have you checked in with Kelly McClymer’s “5 Ways to Sell Your Book Directly”? This overview of direct sales ex ..read more

By Dannye Chase So you’ve got a solid story and a perfect publication. The problem? They don’t quite match up.  Have no fear! If you wrote it, you can unwrite it, and then rewrite it for that sweet new market.  Before we get started, it’s important to note there are some really good reasons not to rewrite a story. You might have other markets that could work for the piece as-is, or you’ve gotten great feedback on it, maybe even made a short list or two. Or you might just really like the story the way it is. A rewrite makes more sense if a piece is almost right for a different call, e ..read more

June 8, 2024 – The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 59th Annual Nebula Awards®. These awards are given to the writers of the most outstanding speculative fiction works released in 2023, as voted on by Full, Associate, and Senior SFWA members. The awards were presented as part of the SFWA Nebula Conference, which took place both in Pasadena and online. Hosted by Toastmaster, Sarah Gailey, you may find the replay of the live broadcast on the SFWA YouTube channel. The winners are as follows: Nebula Award for Novel The Saint of Bright ..read more