Welcome to the Science Fiction Writers' Week Hub

Distant planets, strange stella phenomena, and the peoples and cultures that arise on them - this is the stuff of time-defying science fiction epics, whether you're talking Belters, Klingons or Wookies.

In this seminar, expert worldbuilding consultants and published authors Janet Forbes and Dimitris Havlidis take you through the nitty gritty of science fiction worldbuilding, with practical information you can use immediately, and new perspectives and possibilities for rethinking (the storytelling) space of this Final Frontier.

In this seminar, you'll learn the possibilities for creating earth-like and non-earthlike worlds and stella phenomena, simple methods for developing interesting peoples (both alien and human) molded by exotic environments, and how cultures can be used to highlight both biological and ideological differences, creating great storytelling opportunities.

Special offer - New users can use the code SCIFIWRITERPWA to get the first 12 months of their annual subscription at 50% off all tiers: https://www.worldanvil.com

Lauren Beukes is the award-winning and internationally best-selling South African author of The Shining Girls, Zoo City and Afterland, among other works. Her novels have been published in 24 countries and are being adapted for film and TV. She’s also a comics writer, screenwriter, journalist and documentary maker. Her novel, The Shining Girls, about a time-travelling serial killer and the survivor who turns the hunt around is now a major Apple TV+ series with Elisabeth Moss. Her latest novel, Bridge, about a young woman’s search for her mother across realities is out in September, 2023.

Learn more about Lauren Beukes: https://laurenbeukes.com/

World-building is one of the aspects of writing sci-fi/fantasy writers tend to enjoy the most. There are books and workshops that will help you create realistic worlds. But setting can be more than where your story takes place. This workshop explores how you can use setting as a way of illustrating character change over the course of the story. The intersection between the world and your characters including how they move in and impact that world, is where writers have an opportunity to take their story to the next level.

Using practical examples and prompts, author and writing instructor Eileen Cook, will assist writers in expanding their concept of setting and what it can do. In this 60 minute workshop participants will explore the different levels of setting that exist in a manuscript, learn how to use setting to enhance conflict, understand what spaces/environments make their character feel at home (or on edge) and why, and use practical tools to better understand their characters motivation, how they will respond in different environments and how this changes over the course of the story.

Learn more about Eileen Cook: https://eileencook.com/

Scenes are the building blocks of story. And if you can learn to write a scene that works, you’ll be well on your way to writing a story that works. In this presentation, Savannah will walk you through how to write well-structured and engaging scenes using scenes from popular science fiction novels as examples.

Special offer - get your free guide to writing better scenes: https://www.savannahgilbo.com/pwa

During this networking session, you will have the opportunity to meet other people in the Science Fiction writing community. We will be sending you into breakout rooms in groups of 4 or 5.

Prepare to take your novel out of this world with an exclusive event designed just for you. Join Shane Millar from Fictionary as he shares tips and tricks for How to Edit a Science Fiction Novel. This session will delve into the art of story editing, complete with a live demo using Fictionary software.

Join the Fictionary community: https://fictionary.co/community

Special offer - use code PWA20 to get 20% off a Fictionary Software subscription for your first year: https://fictionary.co/pwasci-fi

How can writers apply science to their fiction even if they aren't scientists? Catherine Asaro will talk about how to do research if you don't have a science degree, how to find information online, how to approach scientists for help, and what are the pros and cons of using machine learning programs like ChatGPT.

Learn more about Catherine Asaro: https://catherineasaro.net/

Subscribe to her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CatherineAsaro

Follow her on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherineasaro1/

During this session, Janet Forbes and Dimitris Havlidis will give a walkthrough of the World Anvil software.

Special offer - New users can use the code SCIFIWRITERPWA to get the first 12 months of their annual subscription at 50% off all tiers: https://www.worldanvil.com

Mystery or thriller elements in sci-fi can add suspense, ensure good pacing and character agency, and as such, increase reader engagement. But how do you set up a mystery that doesn't fall flat when it's revealed? How do you add in layers of mystery so that each feeds into the next? How do you add twists and reveals that are satisfying to readers, but aren't easy to spot ahead of time? What if you have an idea for a mystery element in your story, but you're stuck writing or planning the climactic scene because the logic has fallen apart? This hour-long webinar will cover the answers to all these questions, with a focus on the solution: the wants, needs, motivation, and actions of the antagonist, or the villain. An often overlooked and underdeveloped character, understanding your villain is the key to writing twisty mysteries and thrillers.

Special offer - to download a free copy of her twist brainstorming resource, 17 Thriller Twist Ideas, and learn more about Sam’s 1:1 and group coaching options, visit her at https://www.samanthaskal.com/17-thriller-twist-ideas.

Have a story to tell, or millions of them, but just don’t know where to start? In an industry where there’s a lot to learn, and it can feel overwhelming. If you're looking for a step-by-step plan to show you each step from drafting your novel to successfully launching your fiction work of art—this is a training you're not going to want to miss. In 60 minutes, Ramy Vance, Head Fiction Coach with selfpublishing(dot)com will breakdown the process of writing your first (or next) fiction novel while setting yourself up to support a full time fiction career.  Through his agile approach, you'll create a roadmap to completion, create and execute. This is where your book will really come to life.

Special offer: http://selfpublishing.com/scifi

Head of Education Hayley Milliman walks you through how ProWritingAid supports the editing process.

Chris Panatier, Dan Hanks, and Julie E. Czerneda come from different countries yet have something in common. They love and write genre fiction, from science fiction to horror to fantasy. Join them for a discussion how genre fiction unites writers and readers wherever they live, how the writing and publishing process differs (and doesn’t), and, above all—how on this planet did they find one another in time for this panel?

Learn more about Dan Hanks: https://www.danhanks.com/books

Learn more about Chris Panatier: https://chrispanatier.com

Learn more about Julie E. Czerneda: https://czerneda.com/

When writing science fiction, taking a methodical approach to building your story is crucial to make your story come alive on the page for readers.

But how do you build a world that draws readers in? That’s exactly what consummate story geek, sci-fi/fantasy author, and book coach Julie Artz will teach you in this 60-minute webinar. She’ll lead you through the concepts, research, exercises, and tools she uses to teach her practical approach to world-building to her clients.

Learn to avoid common pitfalls and stereotypes; explore ways to take a universal story theme and express it in a fresh way that will make agents, editors, and readers keep turning pages; build rich worlds big enough to support a series; learn techniques to avoid the dreaded info dump. This 60-minute webinar provides an iterative approach to world-building for your novel so that you can avoid tired tropes, create a world that enhances plot, theme, and character, all while maintaining enough flexibility to explore and further refine the world while drafting and revising.

Special offer - download Julie’s free world-building workbook: https://pages.julieartz.com/sci-fi-week-2023

Check out her weekly newsletter, Wyrd Words Weekly, and subscribe today: pages.julieartz.com.

Jordan Ifueko is the NYT Bestselling Author of the Raybearer series & the Disney-Marvel comics MOON GIRL & DEVIL DINOSAUR. She’s a Nebula Award, Ignyte Award, Audie Award, and Hugo Lodestar finalist, and she's been featured in People Magazine, NPR Best Books, NPR Pop Culture Hour, & ALA Top Ten. She writes about magic Black girls who aren’t magic all the time, because honestly, they deserve a vacation. Ifueko lives in Atlanta with her husband & their tripawd dog.

Learn more about Jordan Ifueko: https://www.jordanifueko.com/

During this networking session, you will have the opportunity to work in small groups with other people in the Science Fiction writing community to create a Science Fiction world. We will be sending you into breakout rooms in groups of 4 or 5.