#Writing workshops

[philcon-programming]

Philcon 2024!

Do you love Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror? Are you a Writer, a Gamer, a Costumer, or a Filker? Are you looking for a weekend of distraction in your life? If you’re in the vicinity of Philadelphia- or more specifically, Cherry Hill, New Jersey- there’s an event coming up on November 22 – 24, 2024 that we’d love for you to come check out. If you aren’t already familiar with PHILCON, here’s what you should know: * We started out as a literary-centric SF convention in 1936, but have grown to embrace all mediums of storytelling (movies, television, comics, podcasts, etc) as well as expanding to cover the Fantasy and Horror genres. Most of our participants are authors, and there will be Readings by them and Autograph sessions all throughout the weekend, in addition to their participation on discussion panels. * While many of our Literary panels are about SF, Fantasy, or Horror topics in general, we also have an emphasis on panels discussing the craft side and business sides of writing, for those looking to develop as authors. * One of our content tracks for the weekend is dedicated to Science & Technology itself, not just how it is used in fiction. * We will be screening several movies over the weekend, and Anime will also be shown in our Anime & Animation room at certain times. * There will be Workshops and Demos for Costuming (including "Fabric Manipulation", "How to Make Foam Armor", "Make-up for The Stage", and "A Pox on Patterns!") and Art (including "Using Alcohol Inks", "Block Printing With Your Own Designs", "How to Make A Controlled Color Palette", and "Making Wire-Wrapped Jewelry"), and if you’ve got an outfit you made that you’d like to show off on stage, we’ve got a yearly Costume Contest. * If you are a Filker- or just enjoy listening to other people sing and play music- Philcon has a room dedicated Filk room, and this year’s Musical Guest of Honor is Cecilia Eng. As Cecilia is not often on the east coast, if you’d like to see her play in person, now is an excellent change to do so without flying to the other side of the country. Lynn Gold, another west-coast Filker, will also be joining us this year. There are also Concerts scheduled for Sirens & Liars, Half a Slime Devil, Brenda and Chuck Shaffer-Shiring, and Sara Henya. * Since the Gaming track moved from an upstairs suite to the “Gallery” room on the first floor, it’s had the literal room to expand the number of games it can run, and we’ve got a bevy of them on the schedule for 2024, as well as a bank of games for you to choose from during Open Gaming hours. There's also a LARP Workshop Series being run by Spectacle INK. * Our Artist Guests of Honor for 2024 are Gina Matarazzo and Matthew Stewart. Each will be giving a presentation on our Main Stage on Saturday afternoon, as well as having their art displayed in our Art Show. * Our Principal Speaker for 2024 is MAX GLADSTONE, and we also have Nghi Vo as our Special Guest. Both will be doing Readings, Autograph Sessions, panels, and a main stage Q&A session. An interactive version of our schedule can be found HERE. While a simplified, static overview, organized by track, can be found HERE. Our LinkTree can be found HERE. We would especially value your support this year, as Philcon’s Covid-19 policy in previous years (which required both mandatory masking and proof of vaccination in an attempt to avoid becoming a super-spreader event as several other conventions had) has led to a slow but noticeable decline in attendance. While masking in public spaces is still heavily encouraged, neither proof of vaccination nor masking are required to attend the convention in 2024. We’d love your help in making this year a success, so that we’re in a good position to bring you all something really fantastic for our upcoming 90th anniversary. We’d also love to give you a great weekend right now, for reasons I doubt we need to explain. Here’s to surviving the next few years! ~ Lynati Head of Programming, Philcon 2024

[adastra-sf]

Learn to write great speculative fiction!

Looking for a workshop to ramp up your fantasy, horror, science fiction, or other spec-fic writing skills?

Award-winning authors and long-time creative-writing educators Kij Johnson and Chris McKitterick are now taking applications for this year's annual Science Fiction Summer!

Christopher McKitterick’s residential Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop runs June 15 - 28, and his “Repeat Offenders” Workshop for alums runs June 29 - July 12. This year’s special guest instructor is experimental particle physicist and SF expert Phil Baringer. There’s still spots available in both - new attendees of the Spec-Fic Workshop are welcome to stay for the Repeat Offenders for the complete experience. Full info here:

Kij Johnson and Barbara Webb’s residential “Novel Architects” Writing Workshop runs June 29 - July 12, and their “Repeat Offenders” Workshop for alums runs June 15 - 28. They still have spots open if you act fast! More info:

Alums of our workshops show a strong record of finding success in spec-fic publishing and related careers, and most build personal and professional friendships that last a lifetime.

At Ad Astra, everyone enjoys equal access to our offerings, and we actively encourage students and scholars from diverse backgrounds to study, especially those from marginalized or disadvantaged communities.

We also believe that earning an education should not depend on financial privilege, so we offer scholarships to enable everyone to participate - we especially encourage people from historically under-represented groups to apply for our courses and scholarships.

In these uncertain times, speculative-fiction writers can make more of a difference than ever, and it's our mission to help make the world a better place.

Apply now and make your writing soar!

[penname-tbd]

the farther along i get in my writing career, the more annoyed and frustrated i am with the traditional structure of writing workshops where they're basically trying to "fix" your writing. and you might be thinking "well duh, why else would you submit something to a writing workshop if you didn't want to know what you should fix?" but listen. i had a professor last year who ran workshops that were just thoughtful craft discussions with some minor suggestions and it was incredibly helpful. i have never learned so much about my writing style as i did in that workshop. every day i mourn the fact that i will never again be in a room full of people who have been conditioned to meet another writer's work exactly where it's at and pick it apart to appreciate how it functions.

like i genuinely don't get a lot out of other people's suggestions for my work, and i think that stems from the fact that most of them aren't critiquing based on what's already on the page; they're critiquing based on what the story is lacking. and while it can be helpful to be told "hey, i couldn't really picture this speculative setting you've got going on, maybe you could dedicate a few sentences to that?" it's pretty demoralizing to sit through a workshop that's just a list of things that these readers kind of had issues with or think you should improve or whatnot. even if, as they usually do, they say it in the nicest way possible.

[adastrasf]

To the Stars Through Stories

We're now @adastra-sf here on Tumblr - follow our new blog for daily posts about SF, writing, science, and other cool stuff.

Check out our website at AdAstra-SF.com

We're also on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

Want to learn to write publishable fiction?

We're currently taking applications for our Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop, which runs June 16 - 29, 2024. Apply now to make your writing soar!

[steven-thefish-burnsides]

A couple years ago, I was in a creative writing class, and after my teacher read one of my stories, she asked me to explain what it was about in 1-3 sentances. When I couldn't do it, she asked me a rhetorical question :

"If you can't explain it, how can you write a story about it?"

At the time, I didn't know how to respond. There was a feeling that she was wrong, but I didn't have the words ready. Then, a couple days later, I figured out what I should've told her:

"If I could explain it in a few sentences, why would I need to write a story about it?"

[thatonebirdwrites]

Excellent article addition to this thread.

It is also bizarre to have science fiction condemned as a tool for imperialism, when a vast majority of it -- if one reads any book that is NOT by a cishet white man -- critiques colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy, and cishet white supremacy. It seems that professor who read a bigoted essay on science fiction failed to examine marginalized people's science fiction. If he'd bothered to do any research whatsoever, he'd have seen just how anti-imperialist science fiction can be.

For example, N.K. Jemisen's The Broken Earth Trilogy tackles themes of colonialism, family, and genocide. It does this through the medium of SF/F, where the world in which the characters live contributes to the layering of the themes. It's not just the characters sharing their story, but the world itself shares its story of sacrifice, oppression, and healing from the trauma of oppression. Jemisen hails from New York, USA.

Another example is Nnedi Okorafor, who is a Nigerian author, who tackles imperialism/colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy. Her books ask the question of who are we? Imperialism/colonialism both strip away culture and attempts to shove people into narrow and painful stereotypes, to steal away their identity and force us into cogs for the capitalist war machines. Resistance means holding onto who we are and who our people are, and fighting to keep that alive. Through that act, we can find the strength to topple harmful systems.

That's just two authors, but they are both Black authors, and if there's one thing I learned in my short stint in the Iowa Writer's Workshop back in 2005, is that Black authors are rarely highlighted. Thus the program could not truly tackle its own bigotry until it reckoned with its silence and erasure of marginalized authors. (This happened after I left, when Black and Indigenous graduate students toppled the mostly white professors controlling the program. Suddenly in the 2010s, the Iowa Writing Workshops pumped out online classes anyone could take that dug into marginalized stories to examine these themes. Sadly, these online classes are no longer funded and have since ended in the early 2020s.)

I remember how hurt I was when my professor rejected my science fiction story about grief and erasure by those in power. How they used it as an example of 'low brow works.' How they told me to stop writing nonsense and write what I know. How they pushed back on the fact I had people of color in the story.

I dropped out of the program and for awhile stuck to nonfiction and poetry. Then I discovered authors like N.K. Jemisen and Octavia Butler and so many other LGBTQIA, Disabled, and/or BIPOC authors. Which lead me to more and more marginalized authors, and it was them that helped me return to writing. I learned so much from their writings and how they crafted their stories and themes.

When I escaped my abusive ex and couldn't write for a long while, it was the stories of queer characters of color that helped me find my voice again. Characters and stories my professors in the writing workshop would have derided as 'low brow' and 'no good.'

So I guess the questions I always have for these so-called writing programs is:

Do they view the writings of marginalized authors as legitimate and worthy of respect? Are they willing to challenge themselves and examine the themes in our works? In the works of Black, Indigenous, people of color? In the works of Disabled people? In the works of LGBTQIA people? In the works of people who are not cishet white American or European men?

If they writing classes do not draw from marginalized authors, then it's highly likely they have nothing to teach me other than bigotry and stereotypes, like the one I had quit. I've been forced to read those so-called literary classics. And sure there is some points to learn from them, but I learned the most about writing from marginalized authors -- the very authors these professors seem to write off as less than.

And where is that 'they are less than' mentality coming from?

Internalized, unchecked bigotry socialized into us by American (and some European) societies, which have yet to reckon with their racist and imperialist pasts. When academic circles deem stories by marginalized people as 'less than' they are drawing on that legacy of writing off whole populations as disposable in order to justify the exploitation, slavery, and horrifically brutal oppression rained down upon them. Much of which still happens today to many marginalized populations such as Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA, Disabled, and immigrant populations (not just in America but in Europe and other countries too).

Writing workshops don't live in a vacuum, and the context of where they stand in our history and how they were weaponized by governments needs to be examined.

The writing workshop world has yet to reckon with that harmful legacy that seethes through it, and there's a reason why marginalized writers often form their own workshops. Because the ones in the academic halls are still steeped in imperialist, colonialist, patriarchal, cishet white supremacy. Until the academic writing workshops in many universities reckon with that legacy, they will continue to cause harm to budding writers, especially our most marginalized.

Which is why it is a joy when marginalized writers band together to form their own workshops.

my creative writing prof also HATES fantasy. as in if she asks for an example of symbolism in a book, and you give something from a fantasy novel, she’ll ask for an example from a “non-commercial book” instead.

I dunno man, people can have preferences, but the second you discount the artistic merit of sci fi and fantasy I stop taking your opinion seriously. and there’s such a big culture in Canada of only valuing literary fiction, to the point where one of our biggest authors, Margaret Atwood, refused for a while to classify her books as sci fi or fantasy. she said they were “speculative fiction”, which is entirely separate and very highbrow (sarcasm).

and I could go on about how Octavia Butler and Ursula Le Guin wrote books every bit as intellectual (and honestly, even more so) than their literary counterparts, but I am also an enjoyer of schlock!! I think there’s artistic merit in animorphs, and in isekais where a japanese schoolgirl reincarnates into a magical spider who has to level up like it’s a video game! it’s like with everything, you can’t draw a clean line that separates ‘art’ from ‘non-art’ or even ‘lesser art’, and pretending you can do so just makes you look ignorant and goofy. in my opinion.

[adastra-sf]

Summer Speculative-Fiction Writing Workshops

Looking for a workshop to ramp up your speculative-fiction writing skills? Award-winning authors and long-time creative-writing educators Kij Johnson and Chris McKitterick are taking applications for the Ad Astra Institute's annual Science Fiction Summer right now.

Christopher McKitterick's Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop runs June 16-29, and his "Repeat Offenders" Workshop for alums runs June 30 - July 13. This year's special guest instructor is experimental particle physicist and SF expert Phil Baringer! Spots are still available in both - full info here:

Kij Johnson and Barbara Webb's "Novel Architects" Writing Workshop runs June 30 - July 13, and their "Repeat Offenders" Workshop for alums runs June 16-29. They still have a couple spots open if you act fast! More info:

If you can't make it but know someone who might benefit from a professional SF writing workshop, please help spread the word.

Attendees of these workshops have gone on to publish tons of stories, novels, and nonfiction, plus win awards, start magazines, and much more. The alum network is strong and vital, and has spun off multiple small workshops and writing groups.

The Ad Astra Institute is a registered nonprofit educational organization, and we've been offering writing workshops since 1983.

Limited scholarships are still available.

Ad Astra!

[blumoonfiction-blog]

Safe Kids Stories: Prompts for Writers and Creative Inspiration Safe Kids Stories is a platform that offers a collection of writing prompts and resources aimed at fostering creativity and emotional expression for young writers. The site encourages storytelling as a tool for growth, healing, and community engagement. Recommended Reading and Writing Ages:Ages 8–18: Suitable for kids and teens who…

[clarionwest]

New perk: Consultation with a literary agent!

When you make a donation to the fall fundraising campaign, you help Clarion West's efforts to support the next generation of writers with scholarships and low-cost, accessible, and inclusive programs!

Take a look through the campaign page to find signed books, experiences, and opportunities to talk to published authors.

Today's featured perk is an opportunity to meet 1:1 with Jennie Goloboy from the Donald Maass Literary Agency. Ask her all your burning questions about finding and working with an agent. With a PhD in the History of American Civilization from Harvard and two published books, including her novel, Obviously Aliens, Jennie can offer some great advice on query letters and more! 

Clarion West is committed to providing scholarships covering full and partial tuition for the Six-Week Workshop; discounts to reduce the cost for online classes; and free events and programs for our community. 

[bloseroseone]

Author Podcasts vs Writing Workshops: Which Is Better for You?

Deciding how to improve your writing talents can be like standing at a crossroads. Should you listen to an insightful author podcast or participate in a writing workshop? Each has its own set of perks, but which one is most suited to your needs? Let us break it down.

What Are Author Podcasts?

Author podcasts are audio programs developed by writers for writers and readers to share their perspectives, experiences, and writing and publishing advice. These podcasts frequently include interviews with authors, debates about narrative strategies, and guidance on how to navigate the publishing industry. They are an adaptable, on-the-go resource for learning and inspiration, making them great for busy people. Unlike traditional seminars, author podcasts offer free or low-cost access to useful material while encouraging creativity and boosting writing abilities in a handy manner.

What Are Writing Workshops?

Writing workshops are group gatherings where writers can share, critique, and improve their work. These seminars, sometimes taught by established authors or lecturers, offer a friendly setting for receiving criticism on writing style, structure, and storytelling. They can concentrate on certain genres, techniques, or overall writing abilities. Writers benefit from customized assistance, peer conversations, and expert guidance. Writing seminars, whether in person or online, help authors hone their skill, acquire confidence, and connect with a supportive community....Continue reading

[anubianwarriorre]

Meadowfield Park

A tanker slips up the Firth Seeming not to move but the river drifts by I stand at the slide and watch her go Wonder where and when she has been Not long ago many boats sat out there Cruise ships, containers and tankers Anchored fleet of metal seabirds Still like the world, if not the waves and sky Funny to think of that time No trains, no planes, all the boats stilled And us tuckered…

[conindiundrum]

being a writer is funny because one day you think “is this too similar to everything that’s ever been written before??” And another it’s more like “wow this is completely different and unrelated to anything and entirely unmarketable.” And then you sob. It’s all the same project btw

[adastra-sf]

An update: James Gunn's original Center for the Study of Science Fiction has been subsumed into a school department, and all the resources we posted there are gone.

On the plus side, we've launched the Ad Astra Institute for Science Fiction & the Speculative Imagination to continue (and expand) support for writers, including these:

Speculative fiction writing resources (large and growing collection of materials for writers)

SF writers' references

And several writing workshops for science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative fiction at both the short and novel length

All these resources will keep growing, so stay tuned for more!

Resources For Writing Science Fiction

Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress || Request

Space

Space Engine

Artificial gravity calculator

Natural gravity calculator

EarthSky

WhyFiles

9 misconceptions about space travel

Space flight in science fiction

The weapons of Star Wars

Fiction writing versus physical laws

Cryopreservation in science fiction

Realistic astronomy in science fiction

Faster-than-light travel in sci-fi

Imaging over long distances

Relativity: Did Einstein kill steampunk?

Practical spaceship design

Exoplanets and habitability

Radio waves for sci-fi authors

Distance and legal systems in sci-fi

Near-future scenarios for us & our planet

Habitable atmospheres for authors

Gravity basics for SFF authors

The future of energy

Waste management in SF

Enclosed ecosystems and life support

Futuristic Technology & Medicine

Dimensions

8 things authors should know about viruses

Plagues in science fiction and fantasy

Rogue viruses in science fiction

Genetics myths in fiction writing

Mutation myths in fiction

Dispeling archaeology myths

Editing life in science fiction

A whirwind tour of the human genome

Chemical fallacies in fiction 

Explosions in science fiction

Nuclear radiation for writers

Climate change and cli-fi

Holograms in sci-fi

Writing believable nanotechnology

7 things to know about cybernetics

Computer and internet myths

Medical misconceptions in fiction

How to write about biomedical researchers

Writing realistic research labs

The science of poisons

Proper lab technique for SFF writers

The 4 Do’s and Don'ts of Time Travel 

The Science in Your Science Fiction: Time Travel

An Idiot’s Guide to Teleportation

How To Explain Superpowers

List of Supernatural Powers and Abilities

Terraforming and Genetic Manipulation Both

Terraforming planets

Guide To Terraforming

Aliens, Creatures, and Robots

What Will Real Aliens Look Like?

Wildlife Biology In Fiction

Writing Outside The Human Box

Insects in fiction: what bugs me

Space bugs: microbes in outer space

The science of animal communication

Writing realistic spiders

A writer’s guide to cyborgs

Creating Aliens In 3 Stages

Believable Aliens

Guide To Creating Aliens

Aliens: Relatives of Ours?

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Robots and AI

Alien Name Generator

Alien Species Generator

Science News

bionet.anounce

sci.chem

sci.math

sci.misc

sci.physics

sci.enviornment

sci.space.news

sci.geo.geology

sci.bio.ecology

Scout Report

Netsurfer Science

Science Daily

EurekAlert

UnSci

Science, Space & Robots

Physics Today

Space News Online

Worldbuilding

SciFi World Generator

Terragen

Planet Designer

Solar Bodies

Climatology

Planetary Geography

Water Geography

Creating Religions & Belief Systems

Tornado Project

Volcano World

ArchNet (Archaeology)

BioMedNet (Biology, Medical

HealthFinder (Medical)

OnHealth (Health)

Phys(Health)

The Weather Channel 

Space.com (Space)

Launchspace.com (Space)

Aquatic Network (Oceanography)

The Chemist’s Helper (Chemistery)

Physlink.com(Physics)

Earth Science Virtual Library

Constructed Languages & Miscellaneous

Creating a Language

The Language Construction Kit

The International Phonetic Alphabet – Audio Illustrations

Xenolinguistics 

Realistic translation in fiction

The linguistics in Arrival

Science Fiction & Death

Science Fiction Cliches

Gunn Center For The Study of Science Fiction 

Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Futuristic Name Generator

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[institutewriters]

Each children’s book writing contest culminates in a Winners Workshop where we announce the winners and critique the winning entries to help all entrants improve their skills. Plus, each contest has cash prizes for the top five entries. Check out our children’s book writing contests below.

Sign up now - https://www.instituteforwriters.com/writing-contests/

[cartersvilleareawriters]

CAW Marketing Workshop for Writers with Jessica Bowers, Tuesday, August 29, 6-7 pm, Georgia Highlands Cartersville Campus, for paid members of CAW. Not a member yet? Join now for $20 and get half off the yearly dues and the workshop! Visit cartersvilleareawritersgroup.com or find us on Facebook.