4th Annual Sci-Fi and Fantasy Virtual Conference Series

In August 2018 Writer's Digest hosted a one-of-a-kind event exclusively for science fiction and fantasy authors! When you buy this series you'll receive all of the sessions presented in the virtual conference. You'll get expert insights from SEVEN award-winning and bestselling authors on the finer points of how to write within the science fiction and fantasy genres. Hone your craft and take your science fiction or fantasy novel to the next level! See what's included:

Speak the Speech, I Pray You: Writing Effective Dialogue
Web Seminar Download

So you have your book done, and then as you are reading through it in edits you are suddenly noticing the dialogue. Who talks like this?! To avoid speech shock, pick up a few tips from Tee Morris who approaches his short stories and novels not as short stories and novels but as scripts. With his background in theatre, Tee brings what he knows of the stage to his stories.

Building a Character With Agency
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Decision making and plot are interconnected and make for compelling stories, no matter if there are dragons of space ships involved. Learn how to create characters that are well-rounded and motivated that your readership can connect with. Frame your characters goals and objectives and discover how they can follow those to drive story.

Naming People & Places: The Hardest 90% of Worldbuilding
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Naming characters and places is a challenge unique to the science fiction and fantasy genres, which often can't rely on any connection to the real world at all. In this presentation, author Philip Athans gets into some specific, actionable advice to help your invented words sound real and your ordinary words take on strange new meaning. Learn when to set your own grammar and usage rules and when not to, and when to invent a new word for something that has never, and likely will never exist in real life.

World Building Using the Microcosm Technique
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Whether writing science fiction or fantasy, world building is one of the most important elements of writing compelling fiction. In this presentation, author Brian Andrews reveals an effective way to build a believable world using the microcosm technique.

Kick Your Scene Into Action!
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As writers, we often visualize our action scenes as if they were on the big screen. But how do we translate the heart pounding, edge-of-the-seat, adrenaline rush that we get from watching a scene to the pages of our books? In this presentation, author Tabitha Lord explores the basics of scene-building from launch to close, and works on writing mechanics from building tension to crafting dialogue. Whether you're creating a fight scene or a spaceship battle, these tips will keep readers turning the pages.

Dystopia Now! Unpacking the Enduring Power of Misery
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Learn why dystopias work so well in science fiction and how to make your dystopia grimly believable without straying into cartoonish overkill. Broken into three parts with time for Q&A, author Jeff Somers first examines why dystopias work so well in science fiction. Then, he jumps into two weird dystopian world-building tricks: shock value and self-policing. And finally, Jeff covers how to avoid overselling your dystopia (aka, the curse of "1984"). All in all, writers find that doom and gloom is fun and that not everything has to be broken for a dystopian fiction to work.

Science and Fiction: Crafting Realistic Stories With Expert Input
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In this presentation, geneticist and author Dan Koboldt discusses how to research and write stories with scientific, medical, or technical elements with accuracy, even if you're not an expert. He uses examples from popular books and movies to illustrate common science misconceptions, and how to balance realism with good storytelling. Writers learn where to find reliable information, how to approach experts, and why accurate representation of science and technology yields more convincing and compelling stories.