Speculative Fiction Writers is an online critique group based in Colorado, serving writers from coast to coast. For a couple of years, the group met in person at coffee shops to critique pages from our manuscripts. After numerous sessions that were cancelled because of snow, we tried meeting online with video conferencing. We never went back to the coffee shop. The group added members from coast to coast. In 2023 we formed a dues-financed non-profit social club. We are officially named Speculative Fiction Writers Association, but we are also known as Spec Fic Writers or specficwriters.
Our members write and publish many of the speculative fiction sub-genres including science fiction, fantasy, horror, dystopian, weird west, fairy tales and more. Our writers are at all skill levels, and we are always open to new members who write speculative fiction.
We critique each other’s works with the goal of helping to create excellent speculative fiction stories readers will love. Members critique an average of 7000-9000 words of our peers’ submissions a week. In return, writers receive 3-4 critiques from those also attending a session. We upload pages by 12:00pm MT on Sunday and complete the critiques prior to meeting on Zoom video chat on Tuesday evening.
Our sessions start on Tuesday at 6:00 PM MT with “writerly” discussion about craft, publishing, and marketing. At 6:30pm MT we break into Zoom subgroups to discuss our critiques and end at about 8:00pm MT.
You should plan to audit one of our online sessions (free) before deciding to join (no critiques necessary, just watch).
| Dues | Due By | Amount* | How to pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Renewal (Expires Dec 31 with 1 month grace period) | Jan 31 | $20 | See email notice |
| New members According to month of joining | |||
| JAN, FEB, or MAR | Mar 31 | $20 | “ |
| APR, MAY, or JUN | Jun 30 | $15 | “ |
| JUL, AUG, or SEP | SEP 30 | $10 | “ |
| OCT, NOV, or DEC | DEC 31 | $5 | “ |
If you write speculative fiction and are age 18+ and are interested in becoming a member, then use our contact form and check “I want to apply for membership.” Submit the form and our membership coordinator will respond with more details and ask you to pick a date to audit.