Writing Speculative Fiction

There's a plethora of information out there to help writers, so I won't waste space on generic links. However, there's resources out there specifically for the speculative fiction writer (and reader):

I get a regular subscription to Locus Magazine, which follows speculative fiction. They also offer Locus Online (www.locusmag.com).
If you want to search for specifics on an author or their published work, there's the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (www.isfdb.org).
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (www.sfwa.org). Be sure to also check their 'Writer Beware' section for frauds masquerading as agents and publishers.
Are you ready for the 66th World Science Fiction Convention? It's how, and where, the Hugos get awarded. In 2008, the WorldCon is in Denver, CO (see www.denvention3.org -- note that www.denver2008.com is being taken over for the 2008 Democratic National Convention).
Author Jeffrey A. Carver (Star Rigger's Way, The Infinity Link, to name a few titles of his from my own library) offers a course for science fiction and fantasy writers at www.writesf.com.
Publishers are rather thin for science fiction and fantasy (as opposed to other genres), so getting an agent would be wise if you intend to perservere and be published. I'm not saying that you can't get published without an agent, but the number of SF&F imprints that take unagented submissions can be counted on one hand. Remember that agents are not "hired" -- they agree, after reviewing your work, to represent your work that they deem is publishable (see the Association of Authors' Representatives, or AAR). Agents specialize, so ensure that they're appropriate representatives for your type of work before you mail it off. Blogs by agents that might help: Kristin Nelson, Jennifer Jackson, Rachel Vater, The Rejector (who, technically, is an assistant to an agent), and the now-dark blog of Miss Snark, which is still hysterically funny and full of valuable tips.

Images

I think speculative fiction writers can benefit from visualization tools that help them build their world in methods other than words. What helped me visualize my worlds were tools such as Bryce and Terragen.

Images for Chronicles of the Broken Kaskea:


Temple to Falcona in Chikirmo	Auberei Archipelago

Strait of Tears

Images from the 2007 Pikes Peak Writers Conference:


We wait for the photos to be taken at the 2007 PPWC conference. Hubby is uncharacteristically patient, considering that we're both thinking about dinner.	The 2007 Paul Gillette winners (I'm second from the left in the middle row). These are all the first, second, and third place winners that could make it to the conference.