Monday, May 23, 2011

33,000 Words In...

...I'm finding that writing sci-fi is tricky -- and fun!

First, I research history, economics, biology, technology. Anthropology, too. Sometimes it's super scary stuff. What I'm trying to do is to push out trends another 90 years into the future. How is the world different? What has caused it to change? What is the action/reaction to that change? How has the world stayed the same?

I take a tiny bit of research and fit it into my story. Sci-fi has to be original, exciting, unpredictable, but it also needs to be believeable.

And every page I move forward in my MS, I go back to the beginning and flush out that. So the story is hopefully deeper, richer, more cohesive. So it has more tension, more conflict. So the ethical, moral, and philosophical questions have answers.

With sci-fi, there is serious world-building, serious setting. And, I'm writing in 2 different limited omniscient voices.

Here's the first line:

It came down to cauliflower, Anja Knew.

I'll tell you one thing: this MS will need serious revision. Honest, I can't wait to tackle that. (Wiggles fingers.)

3 comments:

Shannon O'Donnell said...

That is an AWESOME first line, Jennie! :-)

Theresa Milstein said...

I like that first line too! I've had an idea for a dystopian in my head, but it will require a different kind of writing. I don't know if I'm up to the task. I see that you are! Congratulations for making it this far.

Christy Raedeke said...

Hawaii is where revision can happen - just keep the words flowing and don't stop!