Blog Archives

An Interview with Author Zachry Wheeler, Part 2

Posted on February 14, 2017 by KL Wagoner — 1 Comment

Science fiction novelist Zachry Wheeler is a web applications developer and self-professed nerd who also writes nonfiction articles for BrewChief.com and HerringtonPost.com. You’ll find him on his website ZachryWheeler.com and at SFF conferences throughout the Southwestern United States (see his…

Highlights from WorldCon 2015

Posted on September 25, 2015 by KL Wagoner — 2 Comments

Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon. ~ Brad Foster (from a pen and ink drawing, 2012) My first Worldcon [sigh]. For years I dreamed of attending the largest convention gathering of speculative fiction…

Tagged with: Brad Foster, footprints on the moon, Hugo Awards, Hugo Awards 2015, John Scalzi, Sasquan, Speculative Fiction, Standard Responses to Online Stupidity, Worldcon, Worldcon 2015
Posted in The Writing Life

Speculative Fiction: Culture Lab

Posted on August 14, 2015 by KL Wagoner — Leave a comment

Speculative Fiction: Culture Lab by Betsy James Speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, and slipstream) gives voice to those who explore societal and technological change along with deeper considerations of underlying archetypes of human experience. ~ from the…

Tagged with: Betsy James, power of words, Speculative Fiction, speculative fiction writers, words change the world
Posted in Writing Advice

14 SFWA Short Story Qualifying Markets for Speculative Fiction

Posted on January 31, 2015 by KL Wagoner — Leave a comment

Since first posting this article in January 2015, the list of markets has changed considerably. For the current list, please click HERE to read “SFWA Short Story Qualifying Markets for Speculative Fiction: 2016.” For the most up-to-date listing, go to…

Tagged with: AE, Analog, Apex Magazine, Asimov's, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Buzzy Mag, Clarkesworld Magazine, Crossed Genres Magazine, Escape Pod, IGMS, Intergalactic Medicine Show, Nightmare Magazine, science fiction, SFWA Qualifying Markets, Speculative Fiction, Strange Horizons, Terraform, Tor.com, Writer Beware
Posted in Call for Submissions

Speculative Fiction Calls for Submissions: Summer 2014

Posted on June 13, 2014 by KL Wagoner — 2 Comments

If you’ve been working hard to polish your speculative fiction short stories, this summer might be a good time to let them go and find a home in a paying publication. Here are a few markets calling for submissions of…

Tagged with: 2014 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide, Call for Submissions, Clarkesworld Magazine, Crossed Genres Magazine, Dreaming Robot Press, horror writers, Luna Station Quarterly, Penumbra, science fiction writers, SFWA Qualifying Markets, short story contests, Speculative Fiction, speculative fiction writers, speculative fiction writing contest
Posted in Call for Submissions

Speculative Fiction Writing Contests: 2nd Quarter

Posted on May 17, 2014 by KL Wagoner — 3 Comments

Do a Google search for writing contests and you’ll find over 44 million results. That huge pool of general fiction contests is one reason I don’t submit my work to them anymore — the thought of my speculative fiction entry getting…

Tagged with: Aeon Award, Albedo One, Baen Books, Baen Fantasy Adventure Award, British Fantasy Society, British Fantasy Society Short Story Competition, Contests, courage to write, fantasy, judging a writer's progress, motivation to write, science fiction, Speculative Fiction, speculative fiction writers, speculative fiction writing contest, Writers of the Future Contest, writing contests
Posted in Writing Contests

4 Speculative Fiction Writing Contests

Posted on March 14, 2014 by KL Wagoner — Leave a comment

Entering writing competitions is a good way to motivate a writer to finish and polish projects, as well as to build up the courage necessary to keep hitting the “Send” button. Contests can also be a way to judge a writer’s progress. But…

Tagged with: Contests, courage to write, fantasy, judging a writer's progress, motivation to write, PARSEC Short Story Contest, science fiction, SouthWest Writers Writing Contest, Speculative Fiction, speculative fiction writers, Stringybark Future Times Contest, Writers of the Future Contest, writing contests
Posted in Writing Contests

Anatomy of a Monster

Posted on March 7, 2014 by KL Wagoner — 2 Comments

Here’s a spreadsheet with points to consider when creating a monster character. Do you have suggestions for changes? If you let me know, I’ll update the spreadsheet and keep it on my resources page.

Tagged with: creating characters, creating monsters, Speculative Fiction, speculative fiction writers, writing advice
Posted in Writing Advice, Writing Fiction

Call for Submissions: Speculative Fiction

Posted on February 7, 2014 by KL Wagoner — Leave a comment

For you speculative fiction writers, here are a few online magazines accepting short story submissions of science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror. LIGHTSPEED, a Hugo-nominated digital science fiction and fantasy magazine, has put out a call to women writers of science fiction…

Tagged with: Call for Submissions, Clarkesworld Magazine, fantasy writers, Kickstarter, Lightspeed Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, science fiction, science fiction writers, Speculative Fiction, speculative fiction writers
Posted in Call for Submissions

Welcome, Fellow Wanderer!

Posted on February 7, 2014 by KL Wagoner — Leave a comment

I’m glad you found your way here. I’ve considered starting a new blog for several years now. Funny how “thinking about” can’t make anything happen without some kind of actual forward movement toward the doing part. But here I am, finally,…

Tagged with: J.R.R. Tolkien, live with purpose, Speculative Fiction, Wanderer, wandering
Posted in Uncategorized