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Breaking into Comics

October 26, 2017

Julius Schwartz had a long and distinguished career both in science fiction and in comics. And in this article he gives his tips for writers and illustrators who want to break into comics.

When 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

October 23, 2017

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A 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”

Notes to the New Artist by Edd Cartier

October 19, 2017

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Artist Edd Cartier, with over 50 years of experience in the field of illustration and commercial art, wrote this article with words of advice for new science fiction and fantasy illustrators.

Spectacular Settings

October 18, 2017

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I 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.

Illustration for “Everything You Have Seen” by Karsen Slater

Imagination

October 12, 2017

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New 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.

Dr. Yoji Kondo talking to the writer winners at the Writers of the Future Workshop, 2006

On Writing Science Fiction by Dr. Yoji Kondo

October 10, 2017

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"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.

Illustrators of the Future 3rd Quarter 2017 Winners Announced

October 4, 2017

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The judging is in on the 3rd Quarter of the Illustrators of the Future Contest and the winners have been announced.

Character Traits

October 4, 2017

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New York Times bestselling author Dave Farland gives tips on characterization in story writing including common problems to avoid.

Galaxy Press Rocked the Salt (Salt Lake City that is…)

September 28, 2017

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We attended the Salt Lake City Comic Con which took place at the Salt Palace in downtown Salt Lake City with over 100,000 attendees over the 3-day event.

A Guide to Critiquing a Story: Seven Vital Elements Every Story Must Have

September 27, 2017

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Frequently 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.

Meet the Winners – Vida Cruz – 2nd Q 2017

September 20, 2017

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When it comes to writing advice, many writers will tell you not to stop writing. I’m going to be contradictory for a bit and tell you that yes, you should stop—at the right time, for the right reasons.