Science Fiction Writing Resources

On the Science Fiction Writing Resource site You'll find workshops, practical advice and information on writing, creating new worlds, and much more.

Paths To Follow Writers Edge Agents Agent FAQs Aids For Writers Book Reviewers Children's Awards Children's Illustrators Children's Writing Compilers Contests Copyright Dream Jobs Editors Fab Jobs Freelance Jobs Illustrators Illustrator Agents ISBN Faq Literary Agents Mystery Writing Online Reference Poetry Writing Publishers The Query Letter Reference Library Romance Writing Science Fiction Writing Self-Publishing Writers Assoc Writing Awards Writing Courses Sci-Fi Writers Software Writer's DreamKit Designed for aspiring writers Writers DreamKit mentors you from initial story idea all the way through to completed narrative treatment, inspiring and supporting you along the way. Dramatica Pro 4 Got an idea for a novel or script? Work it out with Dramatica Pro, a virtual creative writing partner with a totally unique approach to story development. StoryCraft Pro To understand story is to understand modern myth and the classic 3-Act Structure. StoryCraft guides writers through each stage of masterful story telling with its Concept Design, Type/Genre Determination, Environment/Characters Description, and Structure Creation. StoryView 2 StoryView is a new and revolutionary 'visual' text outliner with the unique ability of arranging project elements on a timeline. You see what pieces make up your story, as well as how much time (movies, TV, events) or how many pages (novels, other stories each piece occupies. Power Writer Imagine a word processing software console integrated with formatting, outlining and story development tools designed specifically for fiction writers. Imagine having every plot point, note, research, story idea, character info, AND your main text right there at your finger tips. Online Writing Courses Science Fiction Writing I - The Basics Using Myth to Power Your Story CD Fiction I - The Basics Books For Sci-Fi Writers On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Short and snappy as it is, Stephen King's On Writing really contains two books: a fondly sardonic autobiography and a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists. Conflict, Action & Suspense You'll learn what constitutes conflict, action and suspense, how they relate to other important ingredients in your story, and--perhaps most important--how to manipulate them. Dynamic Characters Throughout this guide, Kress balances her writing instruction with enlightening exercises to help you build strong characters from the outside-in. The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile In this well-organized, clear and pointed guide, Lukeman - himself a literary agent who has evaluated thousands of scripts - details how to quickly create a positive first impression and keep out of the reject pile. We searched the galaxies for informational and instructional links that will provide the resources you need to write your Science Fiction stories and get them published. Good luck and happy writing! "Only in men's imagination does every truth find an effective and undeniable existence. Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art as of life." ~Joseph Conrad Science Fiction Writing Resources General Writing Resources -- We have listed links here for resource sites, including grammar and usage, free online workshops, and science fiction writing. eBook Crossroads Writing Resources Plenty of resources for writers of science fiction and all genres. Writer's Workshop Really good information here about writing specific aspects of Science Fiction and just good fiction writing. Pitfalls of Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy As the name implies, these are the don'ts of Science Fiction writing. SFWA Writers Beware Warnings about publishers, agents etc. for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Community. Online Writing Workshop A free to join online workshop where you can post your stories for critique in exchange for critiquing others. Character Building Workshop A free workshop from Writers' Village University. Otherworlds A free to join online workshop where you can post your stories for critique in exchange for critiquing others. Constructing an SF Universe A great article (with exercises) on creating your own Scence Fiction world. Manuscript Preparation -- Proper formatting is an important part of getting your manuscript ready for an editor or agent. In this section we have information on standard novel formatting, checklists and even sample manuscripts. Science Fiction and Fantasy Format for manuscript submission to science fiction editors. Eclectics Manuscript Setup SF Writer Manuscript format checklist complete with sample manuscript. Quick and Easy Tips How to submit a professional manuscript. What Is a Word? Informative article on the obligitory word count. Building Fictional Characters -- In this section, you'll find links to websites, articles and workshops to help you build true-to-life characters and even non-human characters... Constructing Characters Four Steps to Characterization Aliens and Faeries: Non-Human Characters Acting Badly Generators: Naming and Related Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Character Building Workshop Synopsis/Query Letter Writing -- With these links we hope to make writing the dreaded synopsis and query letter just a little easier! Here you will find information on formatting, samples and general writing tips and techniques. Writing The Query Letter Outlines and Synopsis Examples The Complete Nobody's Guide to Query Letters Sample Novel Query Letter Research Links -- We have found some great sites to help you do your research without leaving your computer chairs! Here you will find links to timelines, astronomy, space stations, writing and much more. Rutgers Education Background sources to help in creating your fictional world Hobgoblin.net A host of resources for the Science Fiction writer. SF Writer Award winning Science Fiction writer, Robert J. Sawyer provides some really great insights and resources. A good site to check out! Dyson’s Recommended Resource Links Links to backgound resources on the moon, space stations, astronomy space education and more... Handbook of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics Online book featuring astronomy, space travel and much more. Good resource. Science Fiction Timeline Site A lot of timeline and other resources for Science Fiction writers. Reference Books Science Fiction Writers Markets -- If your ready to try your hand, below are a few good listings of writers markets for you to try out. Good writing... Analog Analog pays 6-8 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words, $450-600 for stories between 7,500 and 10,000 words, and 5-6 cents per word for longer material. We prefer lengths between 2,000 and 7,000 words for shorts, 10,000-20,000 words for novelettes, and 40,000-80,000 for serials. Fact articles are paid for at the rate of 6 cents per word. Asimovs Asimov's Science Fiction magazine is an established market for science fiction stories. Pay on acceptance, and beginners get 6.0 cents a word to 7,500 words, 5.0 cents a word for stories longer than 12,500 words, and $450 for stories between those lengths. Fantasy and Science Fiction We are looking for stories that will appeal to science fiction and fantasy readers. We prefer character-oriented stories. Payment is 5-8 cents per word on acceptance. Glimmer Train Looking for original, unpublished stories. The payment for accepted stories is $500 for first-publication rights. "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." ~Ray Bradbury