Essays by Isaac Asimov about writing

Copyright © 1995 by Edward Seiler and Richard Hatcher. All rights reserved.

The Mosaic and the Plate Glass

Subject: the merits of writing colorfully versus writing clearly
First Published In: Oct-80, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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What Writers Go Through

Subject: trials and tribulations of being a writer
First Published In: 21-Dec-81, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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The Writer's Plight

Subject: most writers make little money, but hope for success keeps them going
First Published In: 18-Jan-82, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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The Unforgivable Sin

Subject: above all else, writing should be clear
First Published In: 16-Feb-82, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Revisions

Subject: various writers have different methods
First Published In: Jul-82, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Pseudonyms

Subject: reasons that authors use pseudonyms
First Published In: Jan-84, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Satire

Subject: what satire is and some examples of it
First Published In: Mar-84, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Irony

Subject: what irony is and some examples of it
First Published In: Oct-84, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Dialog

Subject: style and realism of character dialog; avoiding expletives
First Published In: Apr-85, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Symbolism

Subject: symbolism in stories requires reading on more than one level
First Published In: Jun-85, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Plagiarism

Subject: avoiding plagiarism is often difficult, even for Asimov
First Published In: Aug-85, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Originality

Subject: the difference between plagiarism and originality, e.g "Nightfall"
First Published In: Apr-86, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Writing For Young People

Subject: there is no significant distinction between writing for adults and juveniles
First Published In: Jul-86, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Truth and Fiction

Subject: plots based on truth are often less credible than completely fictional ones
First Published In: Apr-87, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Taxes

Subject: the 1986 tax bill could be a great burden for the average writer
First Published In: Jun-88, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Ownership?

Subject: "Isaac Asimov Presents" titles; a writer belongs to his craft, not his readers
First Published In: Oct-88, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Frivolity

Subject: the pleasures of light-hearted writing, such as the Azazel stories
First Published In: Nov-88, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Plotting

Subject: building a story around a plot
First Published In: Jun-89, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Distraction

Subject: like Asimov, writers should be undistractable when writing
First Published In: Dec-89, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Metaphor

Subject: the use of metaphor in art and fiction to dramatize a concept
First Published In: Mid-Dec-89, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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English

Subject: the power of English comes from its blend of Teutonic and Latinate vocabulary
First Published In: Jun-90, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Simile

Subject: what simile is and some examples of it
First Published In: Jan-91, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Suspense I

Subject: the use of suspense in the writing of "page-turners"
First Published In: Mar-91, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Suspense II

Subject: maintaining suspense in stories via "incomplete knowledge"
First Published In: Apr-91, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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Writing For Nothing

Subject: writing for free sets a precedent that could hurt struggling authors
First Published In: Aug-91, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
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The Race for Honor

Subject: credit for discovery is given only if one is first to publish to the world
First Published In: Feb-80, SciQuest
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The Moon Hoax

Subject: unusual (sometimes false) stories sell newspapers
First Published In: Mar-81, SciQuest
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The Prolific Writer

Subject: what it takes to be a prolific writer
First Published In: Oct-79, Science Fiction Writers of America Bulletin
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Ancient Wonder Workers

Subject: a review of The Ancient Engineers, by L. Sprague de Camp
First Published In: Aug-82, Science Digest
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Write, Write, Write

Subject: detailed requirements for being a prolific writer
First Published In: May-Jun-83, Communicator's Journal
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The Immortal Word

Original Title: Your Future as a Writer
Subject: words and writing are important for scientific progress
First Published In: May-86, Writer's Digest
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The Science Writer

Subject: the writer's responsibility to further the scientific approaches to problems
First Published In: 1987, Adrian Berry
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Shuttle

Subject: evolution of the word "shuttle" from arrow to spacecraft
First Published In: Oct-87, Space Shuttles
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Guide to Essays
Authors:
Edward Seiler
ejseiler@earthlink.net

Richard Hatcher (hatch888@airmail.net)