$129.99 Website July 25, 2026 - FOUR all-new, one-hour webinar presentations provided by science fiction authors - Live Q&A with the speakers - Network with fellow writers - Unlimited OnDemand viewing - Bonus OnDemand Webinars and an issue of Writer's Digest Magazine Experience the education, camaraderie, and opportunities provided by a live writing conference without ever having to leave your home! Writer’s Digest University is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind online event for science fiction writers! On July 25, 2026, our WDU Science Fiction Writing Virtual Conference will provide expert insights from best-selling Sci-Fi authors. Spend Saturday learning techniques for honing your craft from seven published Sci-Fi authors.

Any hot takes on Ender's Game? Best military science fiction book ever, or over rated?

Hey everyone! Just joined the community and wanted to drop a quick note to say hello. The focus here on narrative architecture and worldbuilding is right up my alley, and I’m really looking forward to learning from the editors and authors in this space. Writing can be a wild solo journey, so I love finding communities like this where we can lift each other up. To kick things off, I’d love to know what everyone is working on right now! What is the core concept or sub-genre of your current sci-fi project? Are you currently drafting/worldbuilding, or do you already have books live on Amazon? Drop a comment below, I'd love to hear about the universes you're creating! 👇

What’s your most controversial sci-fi opinion? (Yes, this is a dangerous thread. Proceed anyway.)

Snapshot - Type: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing Contest - Sponsor: L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future - Entry Fee: None - Payment: Cash prizes for finalists and winners - Publication: Winning entries are published in the annual Writers of the Future anthology - Rights: Limited publication rights; authors retain significant rights to their work - Eligibility: New and amateur writers only - Previously Published Requirement: Must not be a professionally published author under contest eligibility rules - Submission Window: Quarterly - Length: Up to 17,000 words - Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction - Response Time: Results announced after each quarterly deadline What It Is Writers of the Future is one of the most prestigious contests for emerging science fiction and fantasy writers. Founded in 1983, the contest was created to identify and launch new voices in speculative fiction. Many winners and finalists have gone on to become bestselling authors, award winners, editors, and major figures within the science fiction and fantasy community. Unlike most short fiction markets, Writers of the Future is specifically designed for unpublished and emerging writers. What They Tend to Reward The contest consistently favors stories that: - Tell a complete story - Feature proactive protagonists - Deliver a strong emotional payoff - Include a clear speculative element - Demonstrate professional-level craft - Balance originality with readability Winning stories are often: - Character-driven - Plot-focused - High-concept - Emotionally satisfying - Accessible to a broad audience Many winners feel more like commercially publishable stories than experimental literary fiction. What They Tend Not to Favor Historically, the contest appears less interested in: - Literary slice-of-life stories - Stories with minimal plot movement - Pure mood pieces - Heavy exposition - Experimental structures that sacrifice clarity - Stories where the speculative element feels incidental