A “mainstream” short story can be about anything: a mood, a character, a setting, even a flashy writing style. A genre (SF or fantasy) short story is about an idea. The fictional elements (character, plot, setting, etc) are only there to dramatize the idea. Here are the rules for the SF (or Fantasy) short story.
Member News for Matthew Johnson and Yasmine Galenorn.
SFWA wishes you a fabulous Fourth filled with “squibs, crackers, backarappers, sparklers, torches, dwarf-candles, elf-fountains, goblin-barkers and thunder-claps.”
There are an estimated 100-300 billion stars in the Milky Way. Of these, in ideal conditions at any given time or place on Earth, only 2,500 are visible to the unaided eye.
Before approaching people to review a book, you really ought to a) make sure they’re actively reviewing; b) determine that they review books in the genre you’re pitching, and c) spend a little time researching the venue you’re asking them to review in, to be sure it’s appropriate (not to mention, that it really is book review venue).
Edited to add: Thank you all for the information you sent in. Please see SFWA’s report regarding Night Shade Books probationary review. Dear SFWA members, Last year, the SFWA board of directors voted to put Night Shade Books on probation for a period of one year. That probationary period is scheduled to end on […]
Industry News and Member News for David Levine.
Today the board of directors of SFWA voted to add Redstone Science Fiction to the list of SFWA qualifying markets. Just celebrating its first year online, this market features science-fiction short stories and essays. They have published SFWA authors such as Cory Doctorow, Vylar Kaftan, and Cat Rambo. Because they have met the SFWA minimum requirements since […]
However, to my mind at least, the conflicts that arise when agencies begin publishing clients’ previously unpublished works are even more concerning. If an agency can publish a client’s book itself, will it try as hard to market the book to traditional publishers?
I usually write a detailed outline of maybe 15-20 pages, including character profiles and brief worldbuilding notes. Sometimes I start a wiki — I’ve done that with the Inheritance Trilogy, so I can easily look up concepts or made-up words I’ve forgotten from book 1 to book 3.
Tollar has a stolen dragon egg & that’s the least of her problems. When the dragon hatches & imprints on her, she must rely on her anxious neighbour. As threats loom, it will take cooperation & some impressive magic to keep everything they love safe.
Auston Habershaw is a science fiction and fantasy author, writing about the could-be and never-was, and also teaches composition and literature at MCPHS University in Boston, MA.
