Science fiction advice

17 Extrapolate

We live in strange, interesting and sometimes scary times right now. What science-fiction so often does best is to take a look at the world around us right now and second-guess what comes next – pick a thread, pick a trend, pick a concept and take a look into your crystal ball to see where it goes next. There’s often fertile ground for stories there – something like Black Mirror serves as a great example.

18 To science or not to science?

Some people feel afraid to try SF because they feel they don’t have any scientific or technological knowledge to back it up. There are writers in the field who do, but there are just as many who don’t – or cultivate that knowledge along the way. Your story can be rigorous ‘hard SF’ or you can choose not to explain the science with a more ‘soft SF’ approach. If you want an incredible piece of tech in your story, you can have it – and you don’t have to decide (or describe) how it works.

19 It’s a broad genre

Over the years science-fiction has grown and grown, with more and more subgenres and branches all the time. Cyberpunk, steampunk, space opera, military SF, alternate history, slipstream… the list continues on and on. If you’re new to the field, it’s worth considering what it is you are doing and where it might fit within the everexpanding pantheon of the field. It is also always worth reading some prime examples before you get stuck in if it is new to you.

20 Be wary not to info-dump

As I mentioned earlier, worldbuilding is pivotal to SF – but your book should not become a textbook or a travel guide for your setting. One of the challenges of writing great science fiction is to get the location and place across without resorting to reams of description, background and history. Think very carefully about how you can break this up, as well as making it intrinsic to the story rather than feeling like a sidenote.

21 Be clear on time and place

For me, this takes two shapes – firstly, if your book is a nearfuture or dystopian piece, it helps a reader to know what year we are in and where in the world the story takes place. There’s also the consideration of how much SF stories can take place across huge swathes of land (and space) and ensuring clarity for the reader. Don’t be shy to use date or location ‘stamps’ at the start of a chapter if it is going to make the book easier to follow.

And good luck to everyone with your writing ambitions for the New Year!