So, your story focuses on things that haven't been invented. You find your beta readers aren't able to submerse themselves in your story. Well, it could be your characters or your plot but it could also be the premise of the sci-fi elements themselves.
Science fiction doesn't have to be based on already-existing technologies but it helps to relate them to things people are familiar with. Your new super virus could function like a mix of Ebola and Cholera. The "death ray" your villain is going to use to wipe out planets may possibly be based on the "Star Wars" project the government had, although expanded.
Comparing things fleshes out the picture in readers' minds and also gives them what they're looking for. Most people who read sci-fi want to read about POSSIBILITIES. It doesn't have to be something extremely probable but, if you do your research and show how things COULD end up a certain way, it will add legitimacy and give people something to ponder or get lost in.
It also saves you time. If you have to describe every new piece of technology, it could get confusing and bogged down with detail, depending on how many new things there are in your world. No one wants a boring story, especially with a high-risk sci-fi novel!
I am not saying to gloss over everything but try relating (at least for your personal notes) how some of your creations can be described using known technology, biology, etc. It will help you, and maybe your readers, stay within your impossible possibilities.
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*Photo by: Susan Sharpless Smith
Question: Do any of you know how to get a pure audio file onto a blog post?
ReplyDeleteI am trying to do readings of my poems for my blog but don't have video to go with them, they're just Windows Media files.
Jennifer, if you have windows 7, you can set up an account on youtube. Then use pics if you don't want to record yourself in windows media.
ReplyDeletehttp://dmyatesbelieveinyourself.blogspot.com/2011/12/treat-for-you.html
I was hoping to keep Youtube out of it but I don't know if I can avoid it or not.
DeleteI think one of the things to remember with SciFi/Fantasy is to try and keep it fairly simple. Keep most things relateable to the audience and then sprinkle those things that are new.
ReplyDeleteAnd always, always give them a possibility of something marvelous!
DeleteGood advice! Writing science fictiony stuff makes me nervous because it reads different depending on every person's perspective. I'm not sure about the audio file thing, other than to load it as a video. :/
DeleteGreat advice, Jennifer! You make a valid point. And after keeping things relatable, make them fall in love with your main characters and have an exciting plot. Then it should be a great novel! Take care, Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, which is why I read Pop Sci magazine... cuz it just fuels the brain with possibilities.
ReplyDelete