Precision
Writers of the Future Coordinating Judge and bestselling author, Dave Farland discusses why some stories just aren’t publishable and it usually narrows down to a few common mistakes.
Questions of Balance
/0 Comments/in Writer Articles/by Joni LabaquiWriters of the Future Coordinating Judge, David Farland, passes on his tips on writing stories that are well balanced.
Avoid Hesitation
/0 Comments/in Writer Articles/by Joni LabaquiWhen you sit down to write a story or the opening to a scene, you’re presented with a problem: how to begin? As a contest judge, I see too many tales that don’t work—right from the very first sentence.
Writers of the Future: Playing the Odds
/1 Comment/in Writer Articles/by Martin L. ShoemakerA friend recently asked me about ways to improve your chances in the Writers of the Future contest. I thought it was a good question, and I thought my answers were a nice summary of lessons learned. So I decided to share them here as a simple set of “rules”
Spectacular Settings
/0 Comments/in Writer Articles/by Joni LabaquiI mentioned last week that when I judge a story, one of the simple things I look at is your setting. There are so many aspects to setting, here’s a look at just a few.
Imagination
/0 Comments/in Writer Articles/by Joni LabaquiNew York Times bestselling author and Coordinating Judge for the Writers of the Future Dave Farland gives tips on writing, taking up the subject of imagination and originality.
On Writing Science Fiction by Dr. Yoji Kondo
/0 Comments/in Writer Articles/by Joni Labaqui“On Writing Science Fiction” is an article by Dr. Yoji Kondo with tips on writing. It originally appeared in Writers of the Future Volume 14.
Character Traits
/0 Comments/in Writer Articles/by David FarlandNew York Times bestselling author Dave Farland gives tips on characterization in story writing including common problems to avoid.
A Guide to Critiquing a Story: Seven Vital Elements Every Story Must Have
/18 Comments/in Writer Articles/by Joni LabaquiFrequently authors ask if I have a “form” that I used to help me critique a story. Given the large number of things that I look at in a story, any form that I had would simply be too long to be workable. Yet it makes sense to try to codify the critiquing process.
Building Plausible Futures by Jerry Pournelle
/0 Comments/in Writer Articles/by Joni LabaquiThis article by Dr. Jerry Pournelle was originally published in Writers of the Future Volume III. Timeless advice then and now.