Diane Turnshek (Picture and Bio) on WBBS

Diane Turnshek Advice for New Writers

Diane Turnshek stacks careers. First an astronomer (currently teaching at St. Vincent College and the University of Pittsburgh), then a mom four times over, now a science fiction writer. Her writing career began in 1998, when Arlan Andrews awarded her the Arlan's Choice Award for her novelette "Dancing in the Light." She's an adjunct faculty member at Seton Hill University's Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction Program. She taught a program module on "Astronomy and Science Fiction".

Members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America elected Diane to the position of Eastern Regional Director. Besides making decisions on the active SFWA Board of Directors, her duties include working with executive secretary Jane Jewell to set up the SFWA suite at WorldCons and larger East Coast cons, and organizing the NY Publishers Reception in November. Diane ran the Nebula Awards Weekend in Manhattan May 11, 12, 13, 2007, held at the New York Marriott Financial Center.

Diane founded Alpha, the SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers, which is in its sixth year. Alpha is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writing workshop for teens between fourteen and nineteen years old. The next workshop will be held July 18 - 27, 2007, and will host authors Catherine Asaro, Charles Coleman Finlay, Tamora Pierce and Wen Spencer. Guests for the 2006 workshop included Dora Goss and Timothy Zahn. The 2005 Alpha workshop featured Tobias Buckell and Tor editor James Frenkel. Alpha runs into the Confluence weekend. Other past Alpha workshop speakers include William Tenn, Timons Esaias, Kevin Hayes, Joseph Benedetto, Lawrence C. Connolly, Mike Arnzen, Bruce Holland Rogers, Leslie What, David Barr Kirtley, Paul Pence, Harry Turtledove, Thomas Seay, Michael Kandel, Carl Frederick, Robert L. Nansel, Alan Irvine, Eric Davin and others.

Diane's romantic Analog stories lead to a scifi.com chat. Her Analog stories and "The Queen of Self-Help" were Sapphire Award finalists. The science fiction romance (SFR) awards are given to the best stories and novels to cross the SF and romance genres each year. Her story "Tryst" took an honorable mention in the online magazine Inscriptions SFR contest.

Diane began the critique group Write or Die, in Monroeville, PA. She started the publishing company PARSEC Ink by editing the first of the yearly anthologies Triangulation 2003: A Confluence of Speculative Fiction, which contains stories by twenty-four authors with ties to Southwestern Pennsylvania. Published within are four stories from the PARSEC Short Story Contest themed, "The Alien Wore Fish-net Stockings." Cover art by Mike 9. Consider the 2006 Triangulation anthology submission guidelines. in 2006, PARSEC Ink also put out a fantasy calendar. Diane's scary likeness can be found contained within January's artwork designed by Karen Yun-Lutz.

Diane has joined a national bureau at AboutSF.com.

Diane has been a program participant at Confluence, Philcon, Millennium Philcon, where she was in charge of Teen Activities, Torcon3 where she ran a teen writing workshop, Noreascon4, Interaction in Scotland and Context in Ohio.

Cohost of the Writers-bbs.com Young Writers: Speculative Fiction Forum from 9/9/99 to 10/19/03.

Appearances

Throughout 2006: Hosting a series of free, monthly, astronomy lectures at Allegheny Observatory. The Public Lecture Series are held the third Friday of every month, 7 to 10 PM.

Capclave October 20 - 22, 2006
Washington, DC

Philcon November 17 - 19, 2006
Philadelphia, PA

SFWA New York Publishers Reception November 20, 2006
(private function)
Society of Illustrators
New York, NY

SMOFcon December 1 - 3, 2006
Kansas City, MO

Seton Hill University January Residency
Writing Popular Fiction Program
Greensburg, PA

Nebula Awards Weekend May 11 - 13, 2007
New York, NY

Seton Hill University June Residency
Writing Popular Fiction Program
Greensburg, PA

Alpha, the SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers July 18 - 27, 2007
University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg Campus

Confluence July 27 -29, 2007
Pittsburgh, PA

Past Appearances

Recent fiction publications

Found Pictures

Philcon (2000): Analog Authors.
PARSEC picnic (2000): By Capt'n John Cope.
Milphil (2001): By Edward McArdle.
Confluence (2001): By Kevin Riley.
Alpha (2002): By Kitana, Ade.
Torcon3 (2003): By Debbie Ridpath Ohi.
NaNoWriMo blowout (2003): by ZombieHamster One Two Three
Confluence (2004): by Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Ade
SFWA Nebula Awards Weekend (2005): A record eleven photos by Keith Stokes
Alpha (2005): Starlady's Gallery
Seton Hill University January Residency (2006) Starlady's Gallery
SFWA Nebula Awards Weekend (2006): Photos by Keith Stokes
Seton Hill University June Residency (2006) Starlady's Gallery

Promotional Photos (2006)

Email address: turnshek@yahoo.com
Last page update: January 2, 2008.