Can't tell your beserker from your Dyson sphere? These websites are devoted to the peculiar, fascinating -- and delicious -- argot of Science Fiction fandom and literature, many words of which have filtered into our mainstream language...

Fanspeak Glossary

Prototype Worlds

Fannish Reference Works

Turkey City Lexicon

The protagonist in Laurel Dewey's novel Protector has some, well, issues. But this character also exudes a deep sense of humanity, a feeling that has truly moved so many of the book's readers. So how did Laurel pull give her "damaged" character texture, dimension -- and soul? We asked the author for her insights, the latest of our series of conversations with Laurel about the novel-writing craft. Read on:  Continue reading...

The benefits of working from home are obvious. If you're a regular employee: you skip the commute and there are no office distractions for the day. If you're an entrepreneur: reduced overheads, no commuting and a congenial working environment.  Continue reading...

"That is so totally cool!" There was no one in the room but I was hearing a voice. Not deep but definitely a man's voice. With something. A timbre of breathlessness? Joy maybe? That's what it was. Joy. It's not that I commonly hear things. Well, maybe I do. I'm a writer after all. But this voice was persistent. I didn't know who he was yet or where he came from. I only knew one thing. He was probably going to be a character in my next book.  Continue reading...

Looking to brush up on your writing? Check out these how-to guides to help you write stronger, write more descriptively, even write juicier science fiction:

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card

Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert Mckee

How do you deal with writer's block? Author Michael Bracken takes an, um, absolutist view: "This probably isn't the answer you're looking for: There's no such thing as writer's block. You either write or you don't write. It's that simple." Do you agree with Michael? Read how he supports his argument here.