With two novels about 90% of the way through their first draft, and both with some editing and filling in that might qualify for partial second draft, I have been languishing in that tepid world of writers where many more minutes go by than there are characters to count on the page. The creative mind grabs and idea and runs with it. A science fiction idea.
I enjoy reading some science fiction, mostly of the Asimov bent. Can't say that I have ever tried to write science fiction. So, this idea seems good. First, I dredge the web for "how to". End up with a thousand questions a writer should ask when building a fantasy or science fiction world. Good stuff. A lot of fluff. After jotting down notes for a week, I run into the biggest barrier to making a science fiction world: suspension of belief. I wasn't looking for a different solar system. I wanted this one. Time and space can't always be folded like origami, even if it is science fiction. The idea would work if it was science fantasy, but quickly drops off the deep end with science fiction. At this point, not interested in a completely alternate solar system (universe is too big for my mind to grasp).
Historical fiction, my two first drafts, run into similar issues, but at least they are manageable. For example, when you deal with things around the beginning of the twentieth century, it is important to know when matches were invented, what a Lucifer stick is, and exactly when the common match hit the market. The same is true in my first novel as it relates to when a horse large enough to carry a man came out of the Caspian steppes. Historical accuracy should be as close as one can get and a writer should not prey on the lack of knowledge that is misinformed by Hollywood writers.
Well, back to work.
No comments:
Post a Comment