Writer’s Craft #55 – From Self-Righteousness to Vengeful Pen

Jennifer Lott has appeared in print in Neo-Opsis Magazine (“A Day in the Life”; Issue 18; December 17, 2009) and the Opus 5 Okal Rel anthology (“Pet Peeves”, Absolute XPress, 2011). Her first public foray into writing is her popular fan fiction Alternative Ending to the Animorphs, which was well received by readers disappointed by……

2011 Write-a-Thon, Week 2

Hello, friends of Clarion!  Week Two of the Clarion Write-a-Thon has begun, and it’s time for some new challenges to keep you on your toes.  But before we begin, it’s time to honor those who have gone above and beyond so far in our fundraising effort.  Our total number of participants has exploded to 147,……

Writing Life: How Novel!

Until fairly recently, it was standard practice for a new science fiction or fantasy writer to rack up a few sales in Asimov’s or Weird Tales before even attempting a novel.  Very few writers would be taken seriously until they had established a track record of published stories.  These days, speculative fiction writers (particularly in……

SF&F Troubleshooting with Delia Sherman: Reading Aloud

One of the most useful pieces of writing advice I’ve ever gotten is one of the simplest: Before your last draft, read your story out loud. I’m not talking about droning through it as if you’re reading the telephone book or a recipe for roast chicken, or trying to outtalk John Moschitta.  I’m talking about……