Speculative Fiction Writers Association
An Online Critique Group with Members from Coast to Coast
Worldbuilding can be the most liberating piece of telling stories in speculative fiction, particularly in sci-fi and fantasy. Being unbeholden to the limits of our world allows your characters to have an entirely different set of environmental, cosmic, and cultural settings. It’s an opportunity for you, as the writer, to …
What we writers do is called ‘creative’ writing. But what is that, really? What do we have to do, to be ‘creative’ in our writing? The definition of ‘creative (adjective)’ is ‘involving original ideas in producing an artistic work.’ So, to be ‘creative’ writers, we must make original ideas. Ideas not heretofore conceived …
As a writer who has been critiqued and often critiques other authors, point-of-view (POV) is a common topic. However, talking about POV is not enough because it is intertwined with the overall narrative perspective of the work. That perspective is a mix-and-match of several concepts that should stay fairly consistent …
You’ve got a brilliant idea for a story about an AI. Time to get writing. You sit at your desk. You boot your laptop. You dismiss those notifications about pending updates. You launch your word processor. You spend five minutes setting the font, paragraph indent, and line spacing. At last, …
2nd of 2 parts Writing speculative fiction is a nuanced craft that demands a blend of creativity, discipline, and technical skill. New writers frequently stumble over specific hurdles that can hinder their storytelling. Here are eight additional common problems beyond the typical advice: Weak Beginnings The beginning of a story …
1st of 2 parts Writing speculative fiction can be a rewarding and challenging experience. New writers often encounter several pitfalls as they hone their craft. This blog post will discuss eight common issues and provide tips on how to overcome them. Point-of-View Slips One of the most common problems for …
Permit me to paint a picture for you: in an epic fight, your characters have overcome immense peril and defeated the villain. It’s the climax to your story, the work of months, if not years. But you run into a hiccup. Your readers don’t enjoy the scene. They find it …
A fantastic source of knowledge and inspiration for writers is other writers. Those who have been through it before can share their knowledge and experience with those who are just starting out or new to a certain area. From planning, writing, and editing to querying, publishing, and marketing—and everything in …
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 …