Writing SFF From The Margins

Welcome to Part 9 of my WorldCon, CoNZealand panel write ups. The panelists for the titular panel were: E.J. Beaton (as … More

Constructed Languages

When we read a book or watch a show with a created language, it’s easy to wonder — did they invent a word or the whole language?

And when I write, do I need to create a whole language?

Here are the layers of a language, and the levels of language construction you can choose. Plus, a few more tips and tricks for getting your conlang just right.

Spirits Abroad and At Home

At Spirits Abroad and At Home, we got to hear 3 writers from non-european descent talk about the different ways spirits are seen in their cultures. Comparing and contrasting between their cultures and the Western storytelling norms.

World-Building: Economics

Economics is usually seen as a dry topic, full of game theory and calculated systems.

But economic systems do not exist in a vacuum. Here are:

5 Things To Consider When Designing Future (or Fantastical) Economic Systems

Accessible Magic

So often, Fantasy (and sf) use magic (or tech) to ‘cure’ disabilities, and create worlds populated without any. Let’s talk about the ways that different abilities might be a boon to magic casting and ways that magic could add accessibility, without negating the existence of differently-abled people.

Cultures and Their Myths

How right were Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell? Are there underlying stories behind myths around the world? Or does the culture influence the myths.

Creative Couples – Working Together

Some people work with partners. And some people like to work with their romantic partner. But whether you’re romantically involved or not, there’s techniques that could work for you.

At WorldCon2019, Heidi Goody led the working couples of Peter Morwood and Diane Duane, plus Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner in discussing how to maintain working and romantic relationships — with the same person.

Romantic Subplots

Most books out there, even the ones that aren’t romances, have a romantic subplot.

Here are tropes to use — and tropes to avoid.

Plus more!

Getting — and Staying Published

There are things writers can do to make things easier on themselves — or harder, once they find themselves ready to publish.

Which route do you want to take?