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Writing Science Fiction

Musings of a First-Time Science Fiction Writer

By Emily HeanPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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I am by no means an expert at writing science fiction; I have only just started writing my first science fiction novel, but I have done a lot of research and practice to get me to this point. Science fiction is a genre that I steered away from for most of my life because I didn't think I would like it - I thought it was too science-y, and didn't have relatable characters or plots that I would find interesting.

However, this year I started reading more science fiction and researching how to write it, since it falls pretty close to my favourite genre, fantasy. In fact, both of them are actually sub-genres of speculative fiction, which can have supernatural or futuristic elements (or even both, if you're feeling adventurous!)

I decided to write this article to help others who, like myself a few months ago, know nothing about the science fiction genre. These are just a few tips I have about starting off writing in the genre.

1. World-Building

World-building is probably the most important element of any speculative fiction piece. I have a notebook for each major project I am working on and in the notebook I ask myself basic world-building questions. Some of the things I like to explore are landscape, religion, ethnic diversity, government, shelters (what kind of houses do my characters live in?), and any other social systems (schools, hospitals, etc.) This is also a good time to go into the sort of wildlife and what your characters may be eating.

Which brings me to my next point...

2. Characters

Do your characters even need to eat? While character exploration is usually when I look at personalities, character traits, and relationships, this is also the place to look at the different races of your characters. By race, I not only mean ethnic races, but also fantasy races. Is your character a fairy, a mermaid, a werewolf, or just a plain old human? That is the sort of thing to figure out here. And if your character is a fantasy creature, there are more rules you'll need to explore.

3. Laws of Magic/Science

This is probably the trickiest thing for me personally when I am writing speculative fiction. Figuring out the laws behind my characters' powers (my current novel focuses on a group of superheroes in space) is difficult because it isn't something I have ever encountered in my own personal life. How do I know what my characters are and are not capable of? How much power can one person possess? Why do some people have lame powers while others have show-stoppers? These are all difficult questions that need answering - and fast, or your audience will lose interest. If you don't understand your world and its rules, how can you expect anyone else to?

4. Learn about space.

This is probably the biggest thing I've been doing in preparation of my novel. Since the setting of my science-fiction piece is space, I've been trying to learn all I can about space (without boring myself). I've found some free online learning sites and have been learning about constellations and moons, and I've also been paying more attention to the night sky, just trying to notice new things.

In general, I think it is important as a writer to learn new things, and this is doubly true for settings, whether they're real or made up. As I talked about above, there are still rules and limitations, and these apply just as much to the setting as to the characters. For me, learning about space, moons, planets, and the galaxy is a huge aid because I can start figuring out how things will work in my own made-up galaxy.

5. Read more science fiction.

A few days ago, I was asked by a friend, "How do you write a book?" We talked for a while about what kind of book he wanted to write, and we got on the topic of my current project. He was interested in the genre, and asked me how he would go about writing a science fiction novel.

My biggest piece of advice for him was simply to start reading more science fiction. I never could have written a science fiction book before this year, merely because I hadn't read enough of the genre. Since then, I've started reading a lot more science fiction and I feel much more comfortable with the genre because I understand the way it works and how other authors have written it.

This of course isn't a fully-inclusive list of all the ways to write good science fiction, but they've helped me get started. And now, it's time for me to go back to my draft and keep working!

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About the Creator

Emily Hean

Emily Hean is a 22-year-old law student. She currently holds a BAH in English Literature and French Studies.

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