Fiction Writing, World Building, Etc.

So I started writing the first few pages of a science fiction story, using as my starting point the questions I asked awhile back. The first cut was four pages, around 2,500 words, just to introduce my character and get myself used to writing fiction again (I'm a technical writer for my day job, and that uses the brain cells in a similar way). I have a story path laid out, but I keep going back to those first four pages. My second cut at them was to tighten up the writing and add or subtract useful/useless bits of prose.

However, I'm still not happy with it. If this is to be my introductory text, I need it to do a few things:

• I need to establish my character. In this case, the scene begins with my protagonist, Mike, doing something atypical for him. A California sun-lover, he is not particularly fond of the cold, so I have him snowboarding. Why is he doing this? In the future I'm writing, people grow up in peer groups of ten ("tens," in fact), where the group will is more important than the individual. Mike does not like being in the cold, but he doesn't want to be disagreeable, either. The social sanctions against noncompliance are too strong. This gives Mike color and attitude because snowboarding rubs him wrong a couple of ways--he's independent-minded and doesn't like complying with his peer group and he doesn't like the cold. As a final layer of character development, Mike is a klutz. He has been genetically designed for intelligence, sociability, and health, but athletic ability appears not to been in his particular mix. So snowboarding presents him with a level of uncertainty and danger. It might sound sadistic, all this stuff I'm doing to poor Mike, but if he began the story happily and well-adjusted, how boring would that be? Science fiction writer Orson Scott Card, in How to Write Fantasy and Science Fiction, challenges new writers to ask, "Who hurts the most in your world?" As a rule, I'm anti-drama in my personal life, but I've learned that my fictional worlds need conflict or the reader gets bored.
• I need to establish my style. I've read some absolute balderdash over the years, much of it because I was drawn into a narrative by the language of an author's opening paragraph. I've also struggled with or not bothered to buy books that failed to win me over in the first page, paragraph, or even sentence. Effortless or graceful writing takes work, as I've noted from reading the works and the writing habits of one of my favorite contemporary writers, Mary Doria Russell. She'll put a story through 50 drafts or so. Yikes! But the results are truly astounding. Her prose slips over my mind like water, and her stories are a pleasure to read. So the stylistic edit involves what Michelangelo might have called chipping away the unnecessary stone until the figure he saw within the marble appears.
• I need to establish my world. This is where I need to go next. I've established my character in my mind and how he communicates--I've decided to go with a first-person narrative this time--but now I need to help the reader and myself better "see" the world of 2117. Snowboarding is a contemporary activity, somewhat familiar to a 21st century reader, so what would be different in the future? Several things can change: the board, the rider, or the environment in which the individual rides the board. I've already touched on why Mike is on this mountain, doing something he doesn't want to do. Do I need to do other things to show that social pressure? He's wearing a sapphire implant in place of one eye, and in that eye lives an artificially intelligent adviser that talks to him and provides a head-up display (HUD) to give him guidance and information on everything from the ambient temperature to the state of his health, as for example when he slips and falls while attempting to avoid a rock outcropping. If it's the future, would the board have safeguards to prevent that type of accident? That would reduce the danger and thus the tension. Is the implant really necessary, or has technology advanced to the point where some other mechanism can provide the HUD? Is the climate different? Maybe the future world climate is colder and he's snowboarding in June or July. How "different" do I make my world or character? Science fiction readers are used to being immersed in unusual environments, slang, and technology, with the expectation that the author will explain them at some point. Make things too different or indecipherable, however, and the reader might give up out of sheer frustration. 

The bottom line is, I don't think my scene is quite "there" yet. I need to put my character and through them my reader into the future I have in mind. I'll try to keep these entries going as a way to keep myself honest and help the interested reader or writer understand my personal creative process. If you have specific questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

World Building

Lots of information in my brain these days, either from my job or activities related to my job, so I'm starting to get the urge to write science fiction (SF) again. Problem is, I write differently now than I did in my 20s, when I was kicking out a story a month. I want to understand the "universe" (or "world") I'm creating better before I just jump in and write. I ask a lot more questions and try to understand the rules of some future society. Here are some of the questions that are coming to mind as I lay the groundwork for whatever might come next:

• What is the weather/climate like (on Earth)?
• What do dwellings/homes look like?
• What's the world population?
• How do most people get around?
• What's the fastest means of transport?
• What does a ticket to the Moon cost?
• How many people live in space?
• What is the family structure?
• How do people spend their time?
• Is there any violence?
• Why do people leave Earth?
• What do people wear?
• What are the norms for beauty?
• What are the norms for romantic relationships?
• What are the major taboos? Jokes?
• How do people relax?
• Is there any privacy?
• What's considered a luxury?
• How is political power determined?
• Who are the popular people?
• How do people treat their parents?
• Who's at the bottom of the totem pole?
• How do people curse?
• How is depression treated?
• Who cares for the children?
• What is school like?
• What is the primary form of entertainment?
• What (or who) do most people aspire to be?
• What are the most important gadgets?
• Who are the worst villains?
• What do people eat?
• What are the arts like?
• How do people evaluate virtue? Vice?
• What's considered impossible?
• What do they take for granted that we would find a miracle?
• What do we take for granted that they would find horrible or primitive?
• What do they worship and how?

So those questions will form one piece of the puzzle. Other factors include economics and technology. That, and I got the SF bug from attending the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop, so I'm trying to think about the people who would willingly join an interstellar expedition if they live in a world of peace, plenty, and progress. It might be as easy as Jean-Luc Picard saying, "The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our society. We seek to better ourselves and the rest of humanity." However, I find that statement a bit elitist and condescending. Is there another way to say that? Might there be other motivations for seeking out strange, new worlds?

A last piece of my current puzzle? Those actual strange, new worlds that telescopes like Kepler are discovering on an almost-daily basis. They are seriously different from Earth, and not in ways that result in just a slightly greener girl for Captain Kirk to flirt with--I'm talking seriously different: much higher gravities, atmospheres, axial tilts, temperatures, landscapes, resources, chemical bases of life. Are human beings really ready to cope with intelligent aliens that speak in sonar (dolphins) or reproduce by mitosis or that have no concept of the individual ego?

The future will be different--how different? How can a writer living very much in this world conjure up what life will be like for future star travelers who have never known hunger? And what sorts of adventures will those people have trillions of miles away from home? Plenty to think about, which is why I read and write SF in the first place.

Potpourri CXLIX

The odds of my getting through the blog file backlog aren't good this evening, but I'll do what I can. The format of this blog has been evolving over the past four years or so, and it will continue to do so. To wit: I’m going to try not to bombard my readers (all 20, God bless you!) with scads of links. Instead, I’ll try to focus on just a few—the ones that really catch my eye—and provide a little more commentary. Maybe it’ll work, maybe it won’t. If you want a lot of links, I’ll just refer you to the pages at the right, where I find most of this craziness anyway. However, since I still have an inbox to clean out, the limited-link rule isn't going into effect quite yet.

Science, Technology, and Space

Might as well start with some good news from the space biz for a change: my friend Rick Tumlinson gave a really great, level-headed, forward-looking speech at the NewSpace conference this past week. It's worth a listen on both sides of the government/industry "debate" (I put the words in quotes because it's been more like a screaming match).

From another libertarian space friend, Tom Olson: a couple of ideas here and here on how to get carbon out of the atmosphere--"carrots instead of sticks," as he puts it--that would not require an economy-destroying idea like "Cap and Trade."

From the University of Central Florida: a simulation that is supposed to help teach pre-teenage girls to resist social pressure to engage in sex and other behaviors. Hm. I guess "Just say no" doesn't sell anymore?

What if the Earth really did stand still?

New Airbus concept aircraft. Cool!



The inventor of the “black box” has died.


SpaceShipTwo could do glide tests this autumn.

The flight over the three-hour “tarmac rule” continues. The consultants are right on this one: airlines are canceling more flights. And since many of these three-hour waits are due to weather, the airlines manage to avoid both the FAA fine and having to reimburse passengers for hotels or other expenses because weather-related delays are considered beyond their control. Something that is under control, as Mike Boyd keeps pointing out, is upgrading the government-controlled Air Traffic Control system to 21st century technology. Don’t hold your breath waiting on that to happen quickly.

Need an upgrade to your yacht? Have you considered a Maltese Falcon-class ship?

Culture

From Father Dan:

• Three of Time Magazine's Top 50 American Roadside Attractions are located in Alabama. "Y'all come," as we might say around here.
• Want to know where the speed traps are in your area? Check this out. Disclaimer: I am not encouraging speeding here. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

From Cousin Katherine: a new cultural dictionary, which is definitely more polite and less profane than the Urban Dictionary. This one is interesting because it doesn't just define terms but explains what cultural trend they are reflecting.

Interested in being a science writer? Check out this link.



I won a t-shirt today from Science for Citizens (W00t!). If you're interested in DIY science experiments, give that site a look. And speaking of t-shirts, I thought Darlene the Science Cheerleader might like this new t-shirt.

Ever heard of a Turboencabulator? Some technobabble humor, courtesy of Karen and Doc.

Hard to top this: The Best Image of Chewbacca Riding a Giant Squirrel and Fighting Nazis That You Will See Today. No foolin'. And along the same lines: Cow choreography.

Is there a relationship between Social Darwinism and classical liberalism?

From Lin: A new authorized biography of SF giant Robert A. Heinlein is due out soon. This should be fun.

From Anthony: how to open a bottle of wine with just a shoe. Not sure I'd want to admit to this one, though...

Famous authors reading works aloud.

Oh, the Old Spice towel guy isn't done quite yet. He can leave your voice mail, if you're so inclined.

Robert Silverberg, one of my favorite SF writers, has written an essay suggesting that the days of the full-time science fiction novelist might be numbered.

U.S. Politics


From Lin: Okay, so remember all the brouhaha about American banks not being "transparent" in their dealings with the public about this or that financial instrument? You know--that whole cause of the now-two-year-old-recession? Anyhow, it's a bit odd that the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC), the government agency responsible for overseeing these suitably bailed-out or publicly chastened banks, is exempt from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Wonder who will complain first?

This essay has been on my reading list for awhile, and it was worth the wait. It is an American Spectator discussion on America's "ruling class," which is a different thing from the "political class."

How d'ya like that? I managed to clear the inbox and still have time to shut down and slow down the brain before sleep. Will wonders never cease? Anyhow, I hope you've enjoyed these quick-hit excursions through the internet. In the future, seriously, I'll try to restrict my "Oh, look at this!" list to a choice few. After all, if you just wanted links, you could probably go to one of the sites I'm already surfing. The point here is to cough up some thoughts of my own, right? Or so the theory goes.

Peace and happy thoughts, all.