In my last post on worldbuilding, I only talked about the basics. In this post, I’ll go into more detail on a few aspects of worldbuilding, mainly government and social structure.
The most important part of creating realistic societies in a fantasy world is, in my opinion, research. You can … Read more
Alpha is pleased to announce that Catherynne M. Valente will teach for two days at the 2012 workshop.
Catherynne M. Valente is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen works of fiction and poetry, including … Read more
Alpha is pleased to announce that John Joseph Adams will teach for two days at the 2012 workshop.
John Joseph Adams—called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble.com—is the bestselling editor of … Read more
There are so many reasons we love Alpha. It’s not just that it makes successful writers out of talented teenagers, although we all learn a lot about stories, plots, character arcs, dedication, even about where to send our work. It isn’t even just the ten days at the workshop, though those are full of learning … Read more
All stories happen somewhere. Whether your story is highly advanced sci-fi, sword and sorcery fantasy, urban fantasy, or any of the other many subgenres of speculative fiction, chances are you’ll have to do at least a bit of worldbuilding. How much worldbuilding you do depends on the story, how long it is, and where the … Read more
Okay, this will be our last post of the year. Congratulations to Alpha graduate Seth Dickinson (2006 & 2007), whose short story “The Traitor Baru Cormorant, Her Field-General, and Their Wounds” can be found in the current issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies!
A list of other Alphan publications can be found on our … Read more
(Editor’s note: For our last post of 2011, Alpha graduate and soon-to-be debut author Rachel Grinti is here to talk about what it’s like to co-author [and publish!] a novel. Happy holidays, and we’ll see you in 2012!)
My husband Mike and I sold our debut novel this year. It’s a middle grade … Read more
3. ????
4. PROFIT!
First and foremost, applications are now open for the 2012 Alpha workshop. The deadline is March 1, so start working on your application stories!
This post, however, is mostly about the Dell Awards. Or, more precisely, the Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and … Read more
One of the tough parts about writing short stories, especially if you’re used to reading novels or series instead, is that short stories stop. How does one accomplish this feat? You need an ending. More than that, you need a good ending.
The ending, like every other part of a story, does several things … Read more
Editor’s note: So far this November, we’ve talked about National Novel Writing Month‘s good points and bad points, strategies for making it to 50,000 words, and why NaNo
