Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
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Tips and Advice
WRITING | GETTING YOUR WORK READ | THE PUBLISHING BUSINESS
We've asked some SF & F authors and editors and workshop members (and the occasional other writing professional) to contribute a little
of their expertise to the workshop in the form of tips and advice--short
articles on subjects that vary from preparing your manuscript for
submission and what agents are for to writing believable characters and
choosing a setting and making it real. More words of
wisdom on other topics will be contributed every now and then, and
we'll announce any new tips and advice in our monthly newsletter.
(Our thanks to
Del Rey Books for
allowing us to make tips from their editors and authors available
to workshop members.)
Read workshop member Greg Byrne on scene analysis--how to make sure each scene helps the story
Read workshop member Carlos J. Cortes on pacing and the three functional types of scenes
Read David Eddings, bestselling author of The Malloreon and The Belgariad, on starting a fantasy, doing research, and making time pass
Read Nicola Griffith, winner of
the 1997 Nebula Award for Slow
River, on observation, the pitfall of the favorite word, and avoiding
clichés
Read Former Del Rey editor Ellen
Key Harris on "sequelitis" (why you shouldn't make your second book a
sequel)
Read Laura Kent, workshop member, on how to improve your non-visual descriptions
Read Anne McCaffrey, bestselling
author of the Pern series, on how to make
your story believable
Read author and workshop alumna Jodi Meadows on how a jar of rocks, pebbles, and sand can guide your writing process
Read Ruth Nestvold, workshop
member and published short-story author, on POV (point of view) in
fiction
Read Joshua Palmatier, published author
and workshop member, on reflecting plot-related world change in genre fiction
Read Sarah Prineas, published author
and workshop member, on the place of basic grammar rules in fiction
Read workshop member Nigel Read on dealing
with never-ending sentences, balance, and pace
Read workshop member Kelly Schaub's advice on creating believable characters
Read Shelly Shapiro, Del Rey
Editorial Director, on why not to write in the
first person
Read workshop member Helena Szczepaniak's
advice on introducing characters
Read workshop member
Donnamarie Thiel-Kline on use of the passive voice, a common
critiquing complaint
Read Harry Turtledove, author of the
Worldwar series and other fantasy and alternate-history novels, on four important
principles of writing alternate history
Read Kate Wilhelm, author of
30+ novels and a writing teacher for 30+ years, on plots to avoid and the benefits of workshopping
TIPS ON GETTING YOUR WORK READ AND GETTING REVIEWS
Read Workshop and SFFWA member Linda
Dunn's guidelines for writers' workshops
Read Workshop member Roger Eichorn on what to ask when evaluating a review of your writing
Read workshop member and staffer Jonathan Paradise on how to deal with the less-than-pleasant critique
Read workshop member Jaime Lee Moyer, author of
Delia's Shadow, on writing advice, a.k.a. "the rules."
Read Mary Rosenblum, author of
The Drylands, Chimera, and
The Stone Garden, on writers' groups and workshops
Read Katie Waitman,
author of The Merro Tree, on handling criticism and
rejection
Read Kate Wilhelm, author of
30+ novels and a writing teacher for 30+ years, on plots to avoid and the benefits of workshopping
TIPS ON THE PUBLISHING BUSINESS
Read Moira Allen, author and owner
of Writing-World.com, on how to write a query letter
Read the list of Frequently Asked Questions about synopsis-writing compiled by the members of the workshop's first synopsis focus group (August-September '01)
Read Tara K. Harper, author of Wolfwalker, Cat Scratch Fever and other books, on agents: what do they do and are they worthwhile?
Read Former Del Rey editor Ellen Key Harris on the difference between developmental editing, line editing, and copyediting
Read Former Del Rey editor Jenni
Smith on some basics of writing and submitting
Read Katie Waitman, author of The Merro Tree, on agents
And that's not all! Check out our list of SF/F Writers' Resources Online for organizations, publications, advice, directories, and newsgroups of interest to science-fiction and fantasy writers.
