Sci-Fi Writing For Dummies
Posted by Kushan | Posted in | Posted on 10:12 AM
Ever wondered what it is like to create something out of nothing? No, I m not talking about Rajnikanth or magicians. Creating something out of thin air is what very few creative people can do. To mention a few - Putting life on an empty canvas, creating a melody out of an instrument, making sensible permutations out of the innumerable words of the English alphabet. Each one of the above three is a task in itself. The latter would by far be the most difficult to achieve. More so when the task requires pushing your imagination to its limits.
Jules Verne, Arthur C Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ayn Rand and their magna opera have inspired a genre of writing - Science Fiction dealing with the effects of imagined innovations in a futuristic setting. This genre has also been popularized by movies like Back to The Future Trilogy, The epic Star Wars series and the more recent ones like Inception and Wall E. If you ever had an idea and wondered how to pen it down, but not how continue reading –
Step 1: Get an idea. No matter where you get it from – be it a random conversation, something on TV, a word in a magazine or a newspaper. The best option would be to invent the idea. Slightly difficult but far more appealing.
Step 2: Develop a plot around the idea. Make up a world of your own, add characters and develop their profiles. Think of an appropriate start to the story. Create a problem, submerge your characters in it and the solution to this problem will determine the central theme of your story.
Step 3: The ending is the most crucial part. The most appealing end would be the one which keeps on lingering in the reader’s mind even after the story has been read. A moral drawn out of the story would also be preferable.
Step 4: Once finished, evaluate your story in terms of interestingness and appeal. Introduce changes wherever required.
Obviously writing SF isn’t as simple as 1,2,3…But you know what ? it isn’t too difficult, either. The best part - SF extends from - ∞ to + ∞. Every small idea counts. So what are you waiting for? Dig up a hole, put on your thinking cap and don’t come out until you have created your own magnum opus!
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