Speculative Fiction Writers Association
An Online Critique Group with Members from Coast to Coast
Whether you’re a “panster” with a predisposition to write your way straight into a sagging middle or a “plotter” who struggles to get the beats just right so you can sit down and write already, having a firm command of plot devices can be the game changer you need to …
Whether you’re a “panster” with a predisposition to write your way straight into a sagging middle or a “plotter” who struggles to get the beats just right so you can sit down and write already, having a firm command of plot devices can be the game changer you need to …
Use of someone else’s work, such as song lyrics, a quotation, or a character, in your story is subject to copyright law. Copyright protects the expression of an idea from unpermitted copying, modification, publication, or performance (“infringement”). Copyright only protects the expression of the idea, not the idea itself. J.K. …
I write short stories. The investment is light, the turnaround is fast, and with every story, I feel my writing improves. While many members of Speculative Fiction Writers are developing novel-length manuscripts, short stories provide an excellent creative break. It might be just what you need to get unblocked. To …
What is an author’s voice, and how can we cultivate it? An author’s voice is the unique way we share and express our story, using an imaginative framework of words to develop characters, settings, ideas, and emotions. A cultivated writer’s voice immerses readers in the story, making them feel like …
In one of my recurring nightmares years ago, I walked through the barracks at Air Force basic training while nondescript men leered at me. I ran but found no way out. I froze in terror and rage as they assaulted me. The Science According to researchers, approximately 2-8% of adults …
Using a trademarked product in your fiction can set a scene or tell the reader about a character. Sure, you can have someone drink a soda, but so much more is conveyed to the reader if that soda is described as a Coke, a Pelligrino blood orange, or a Kroger …
Sensitivity Readers: What They Do and Why You Need Them Learn From My Mistakes It all began with my fascination with the Navajo Code Talkers. Their ability to rapidly send messages in a code they invented, using their native language, provided a huge advantage to U.S.Forces fighting in the Pacific …
Expression of emotions in speculative fiction writing is crucial to engage readers and create a vivid, immersive experience. As a novel writer who struggles with adding emotion to my characters, I did Internet searches on the topic to help me. Lots of writers and educators have suggestions. I asked chatGPT …
Character Symptoms: emotionless, bland, and uninteresting Imagine a critique partner reads your first chapter and says: DIAGNOSIS: Your character is not relatable It’s time for a transplant of personality, humanity, emotion, and agency. Character’s Emotional Reaction to the Plot Characters should show emotion in how they react to situations confronting …