Musings about writing and editing, including my own writing process
Wired for Story explains storytelling in the context of brain science and human evolution. For me, it clarified some of the truisms of writing, while shedding light on why storytelling matters. … More Review: What science teaches writers about storytelling
I’m thrilled to report what I consider to be one of my best successes on the writing contest circuit. My short story, The Pupfish of Miracle Spring, made the short list of ten finalists in The End of Our World contest, managed by Aftermath Magazine, which is based in The Netherlands. The contest drew more … More One of my stories makes a contest’s short list in a field of 1,400
A new sub-genre of science fiction—climate fiction—has taken hold. Read these 14 lesser-known climate fiction novels and anthologies. … More Read these 14 lesser-known climate fiction novels and anthologies
I was thrilled to work with podcasters Ben Franke and Marie Kammerer-Franke on two episodes of their epic Indie Beginning podcast, which features independent authors, such as myself. They recently published two podcasts related to my work. The first podcast was a reading of chapter one of Carbon Run, the first full-length novel in my … More Download the podcast of Carbon Run, chapter one
My Five Questions series is back after a hiatus, and I’m excited to present the answers of Cai Emmons, author of a fascinating new novel, Weather Woman. Climate change plays a big role in this story of a young broadcast meteorologist who discovers a unique talent: she can not only predict the weather, she can … More Five Questions: Cai Emmons, author of Weather Woman
Use these global warming writing prompts to spark your narrative imagination. … More 10 more writing prompts for stories about climate change
One of my stories is published in the new anthology, After the Orange: Ruin and Recovery. … More One my stories is in a new anthology, After the Orange, about a post-Trump world.
Here’s some writing prompts inspired by the changes to our planet caused by rising temperatures. … More 10 writing prompts to help you write stories about climate change
Is “preachiness” a problem for climate fiction writers? … More Do climate fiction writers suffer from “preachiness” syndrome?
Here’s 10 authors you may not have read, but whom offer amazing and thoughtful stories about a warmed future. … More 10 amazing authors who put climate change into their novels
Interested in reading climate fiction? Check out Tales From A Warming Planet. On sale now! Climate change is the new normal. Frequent torrential rains, extended heat waves, and Category 5 hurricanes affect readers more and more often, and writers need to reflect these experiences in their short stories and novels. How do you incorporate long-term, … More Nine ways to help you start writing climate fiction today
A writer’s settings are like stages for actors. The places and landscapes influence how characters interact and evolve over the course of the story. … More Three reasons why you should put climate change in your next novel
I’ve been thrilled with the response to my novelette, The Mother Earth Insurgency. If you’re curious about the story, here’s the first one thousand words. … More The first one thousand words of The Mother Earth Insurgency
I was hooked by the BBC America television series The Last Kingdom, but the hook is loosening and I may spit it out. … More Grow or die: What happens when a story’s protagonist doesn’t change?
My wife and I drove from Seattle to Powell’s Books in Portland a couple of weeks ago to satisfy an itch. At this point, I’ve written three novels and eight shorts in the world of Carbon Run, but the project has run its course. Is there another way to explore the idea of a post-global … More How would King Arthur’s knights cope with a climate-changed world?
I’ve been writing professionally for thirty years, and I’ve tended to see entering contests and competitions as a chore. I’m not sure why, except that I’ve never liked competing against other people, preferring to compete against myself. I like to push myself on and on, to see if I can beat my last personal best. … More For me, 2017 will be the Year of the Contest
I’m religious about my work habits. I set aside two hours a day for writing only. I decide what I’ll work on and do that thing until it’s done or the two hours are up. I’ll add 15 minutes here, cut 15 minutes there, work on a lower priority item if I finish the high … More I’m between projects and I need your help deciding what to work on next.
You’ve just finished a novel certain to win a Pulitzer Prize, and you’re particularly proud of one character, an individual not of your race, sexual orientation, and gender. You’ve struck a blow for diversity in literature, one of your core values. Blogger and consultant Mikki Kendall has a suggestion: If you think you’ve done a … More Should you hire a sensitivity reader to scrutinize your novel?
If I were to list personal predictions for 2016, they wouldn’t include an email from an agent or publisher with a contract for one of my books. 2015 looked pretty hopeful for Carbon Run, with encouraging words from one agent, who suggested stronger interest if I’d only have a professional editor go over the manuscript. … More What happens when you remodel your social media platform
An unfinished version of this post appeared earlier by mistake. Apologies for my fat fingers. A couple of days after Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened, Washington Post contributor Matthew Bowman pointed out a long fascination by the Mormon community for science fiction and fantasy. Some of the most well-known and best-selling writers in the … More What Catholic sci-fi writers can learn from Mormon writers.
J.G. Follansbee 