Beginners' Tips For Writing Science Fiction

[Emily D]

Hi there writers

So, I was wondering: do any of you have any tips for writing Sci-Fi? I’m really attracted to the idea of writing the genre, but I’m worried that I haven’t read enough of it. I’ve been told that if you want to write a genre you must read it. I know that this makes sense, but really the idea of only reading science fiction (historical fiction lover here!) is a bit daunting. How does just having a go, then writing more and more sci-fi compare to reading it. In other words:

Is it worth reading a MOUNTAIN of science fiction or are there other ways?

Thanks.

I tell my story. Not so that I get glory, but so that others may know Hope.

[Daeus]

@emily-d You don’t have to read a mountain of books. The more you can read the better, but 5-10 could get you by. Reading sci-fi to learn about it is different than writing yourself into it. You’ll never know the full potentials of your genre or be able to avoid the way overused cliches unless you read the genre.

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[Snapper]

@emily-d 😀 I’m asking myself the same question.

☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀

[Mark Kamibaya]

Yo @emily-d! I’m currently writing an article on this very topic that will hopefully be published by KingdomPen. The topic of the month of June is Science Fiction so that’s when my article will (fingers crossed) be published.

Right now, all I can say is quality over quantity. Research the genre, analyze books, break down movies, talk to people . . . do quality stuff. Not just reading books. And if you do read twenty science fiction books, don’t think that will make you a master. It’s the quality of your reading/analyzing. Not the quantity.

I guess I’ll tag @dragon-snapper too

I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com

[Rolena Hatfield]

@brandon-miller writes sci-fi. Perhaps he has some tips. (yes, I’m putting you on the spot :p)

@Emily-D as Mark said, in June here at KP our monthly topic is Sci-Fi! So watch for articles next month that will be a good resource!

https://rolenahatfield.com/

[Brandon Miller]

So… I have been tagged.
I would love to share a bunch of great “how to write sci fi” info with you… but I have two issues:
1. I really don’t know much. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the genre until a couple of years ago and I’m still playing catch up. Yes, I write it… but not terribly well. Not yet.
2. What little I do know I just put into my next writing team article which will be published here in June (as in, not in May) so my hands are kind of tied.

But yes! June is going to be our Sci-Fi month, so maybe you’ll find that super helpful. Also, the second One Year Adventure Novel curriculum (Other Worlds) is FANTASTIC… but you kind of have to do OYAN first (but it’s fantastic too so do that as well.)

ANYWAY, before this turns into a big OYAN add, It’s really late and I don’t have any great, super helpful sci-fi lecture to have, but if you want to dialogue about it… it is my favorite genre (depending on the phase of the moon) so that’s cool with me.

Oh, and yes. The best way to get in touch with a genre is to read all of the stuff written it it. if you want some clean Christian Sci-Fi recommendations, just ask. 😀

[Emily D]

@Dragon-Snapper, great minds think alike 😏!

Okey dokey y’all, thanks for all your AMAZING and HELPFUL (and may I add much-needed) tips!!! Yes, @Brandon-Miller, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE some nice and clean sci-fi recommendations…and I am looking forward to your article 😀😀😀.

Speaking or sci-fi/dystopian books, has anyone read Anomaly by Krista McGee?

And YAY! Hurray for the upcoming sci-fi month!!!

Thanks again @Daeus, @Dragon-Snapper, @Mark-Kamibaya, @Rolena-Hatfied, @Brandon-Miller.

Happy sci-fi writing!!!!

I tell my story. Not so that I get glory, but so that others may know Hope.

[Anonymous]

Okay, so I realize I’m not @Brandon-Miller, but I had to put this out there.

Five Sci-Fi / Dystopian Books You Should Read (Not Numbered In Order Of Significance):
1. Blink, by Ted Dekker
2. Wars of the Realm, by Chuck Black
3. Integrate, by Adele Jones
4. The Methuselah Project, by Rick Barry
5. The Choosing, by Rachelle Dekker

And, of course, Anomaly, which I already told you to read. (And read Unblemished, even though it isn’t Sci-Fi or Dystopian. It will teach how to write … Um … Good plot twists?)

Yeah. So, that’s my five nice, clean books that I would use to introduce myself to Sci-Fi / Dystopian

[Snapper]

@brandon-miller There’s a sci-fi month!!! AAAIII!!! I can’t wait!

☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀

[JaynieCatgirl08]

@emily d
just think of now and the past. will there be tree’s in the future? will there be humans?? time travel? robots? flying cars??? the list goes on!!!!!

[Mark Kamibaya]

KP is gonna kill me . . .

Yo, @emily-d (and @dragon-snapper for that matter). Here’s the thing. I said I was writing an article for the Sci-Fi month at KP, but I never actually submitted it. So instead of wasting all the research I put into it, I’ll just post my findings on this thread.

And, yeah, I do have a blog, but I don’t have dedicated sci-fi readers on there (most write drama, I think). So I won’t waste my time posting something that has no audience which will be on my blog forever. I’ll just dump it here where my rambling thoughts will (hopefully) be forgotten within a year.

But what’s the fun of doing one long post? Since June is Sci-Fi month, I’ll be sporadically posting my sci-fi research on this thread throughout the month of June.

To stay true to the title of this thread, I’ll be posting beginner’s tips. No advanced stuff. Though, honestly, I don’t believe there’s anything too advanced for the KP community.

I’m hoping for two things to happen. Hopefully, it will ignite some good discussion and you will learn something new about sci-fi.

I’ll start posting once June starts so stay tuned.

Now didn’t @Daeus make a list of people so we could shamelessly advertise?

I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com

[Daeus]

Yep. @Kina-Lamb

@Arella-Noreen

@DelightInLife

@GracieGirl

@Rachelle

@R-J-Wordsmith

@GabrielleMassman

@Dragon-Snapper
@Asyia-Serene

@Abigail-Blomberg

@Northerner

@Emma-L

@Leumeister

@PerfectFifths

@I-J-Anderson

@NatalieMarie

@Rebelutoinary

@Ethryndal

@Writefury

@Sierra-R

@SleepwalkingMK

@Brandon-Miller

@R-E-P

@The-Bean

@Anne-of-Lothlorien

@ZCPeterson

@Charisetter

@Julia-R

@Gideon-Sowdon

@Anne-Swiftblade

@TheLiteraryCrusader

@Corissa-Maiden-of-Praise

@Jess

@Graciekry

@ClaireC
@C-C-Lane

@Meg02

@Timothy-Young

@Emma-Flournoy

@Hannah-Olsen

@His-instrument
@Winter-Rose

@Vanna

@Christi-Eaton

@David

@Gretald

@R-J-Wordsmith

@Overcomer
@Zoe-Wingfeather

@Ingridrd

@Adry_Grace

@Faithdk

@Cahndida-Serkhaman

@Lightningmouse

@Anna-Brie

@Hannah-Krynicki

@Ivy-Rose

@JoyDH

@Alia

@Liddyanne

@MarkMcGuire

@DBHGodReigns

@H-M-Wilson
@Natalee-Jensen

@The-Happy-Bookaholic
@Tatiana

@Hannah-C

@Jenali

@WaterAndPen

@WordFitlySpoken

@Mark-Kamibaya
@Jadamae

@Rolena-Hatfield

@Watersnail

@Sarah-H

@ReaganRamm

@Aratrea

@Michael-Stanton

@that_writer_girl_99

@cloudy

@audrey-caylin

@graciegirl

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[Leumeister]

Hi. I was tagged. 😛

Please ask me for specific tips. 🙂 I’d be more than willing to help out where I can.
Also, some of Vsauce’s videos on YouTube (viewer discretion advised) can provide some interesting facts about the real world that could help you. For instance, if you accelerate to the speed of light, or do FTL travel, or whatever (barring slipspace/hyperspace/space-bending, maybe), your field of view will increase (everything in the distance will appear to recede) and the cosmic background radiation will blueshift (come closer, or shift into visible spectra), and become a bright white light (according to some things), or the whole spectrum will become visible (according to the simulation below), from the doppler effect..
Here’s a video of said simulation…

Now, both that and the starry streaks effect are pretty cool. As a matter of fact, I’m torn between the two… I want my sci-fi to be realistic (in a looser sense), but I really like the streaks effect… It’s up to you, really. ^_^

[Emily D]

@mark-kamibaya Wow! Thank you sooo much! You and @leumeister were extremely helpful. I can’t wait to see what discussions will arise!!! :p

I tell my story. Not so that I get glory, but so that others may know Hope.

[Leumeister]

@emily-d

You’re welcome. 🙂 I’d love to give you more tips if you need them. What did you think about that speed of light acceleration thing? Pretty foreign to what we see in the media, huh?

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