Writer’s Craft #12 – The Crowd Scene

The action is rolling along fine. Then your hero bursts into that special obstacle: the crowd scene. Whether the build-up to the crowd scene is psychological or blood-and-guts fighting, the risk of losing momentum while you pause to set up the new situation is palpable. Have a look at my example, below, from my work-in-progress,……

Clarion Call #11: Gone

Place this scene fragment in context: “It was in my head this morning,” Rina moaned, “but now it’s gone.” “What do you expect me to do about it?” said Gar, rustling his wings slightly in irritation. There are only two rules for Clarion Calls: If you choose to try the assignment, do not read the……

Spec Tech: When In Ancient Rome…

From the sweeping backdrops of sword and sorcery, to the alien societies of planet-hopping space traders, fantasy and science fiction writers often draw from history and archaeology to inspire their worlds. You don’t have to be a history buff to create a detailed and believable setting for your stories. But using history as a source……

Market Insights: Jonathan Laden, Daily Science Fiction

On the other hand, we meet readers where they are, we provide a short fiction break in an otherwise harried day for many, we make frequent contact, we’re easy to share and easy to tout. Best of all, the price is right: a subscription to Daily Science Fiction is free. Thanks to the lack of paper and postage costs, it will be for years to come.

Writer’s Craft # 11 – Dialogue Tags

Is it best to keep it simple or to get creative when using attribution tags for dialogue? Here’s what some of the members of the SF Canada discussion list had to say about the topic when it came up in discussion. If in doubt, stick to the simplest choices like ‘said’ or ‘asked’. Some authors……