 Drama: October 07, 2009 Issue [#3272] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: Joy  
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With a gesture both delicate and strong Mrs. Whatsit knelt in front of the children, stretching her wings wide and holding them steady, but quivering. "Onto my back, now," the new voice said.
The children took hesitant steps toward the beautiful creature.
Madeleine L'Engle -- From A Wrinkle in Time
“Human beings never think for themselves, they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told – and become upset if they are exposed to any different view. … We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion.”
Michael Crichton -- From The Lost World
“There’s no real objection to escapism, in the right places… We all want to escape occasionally. But science fiction is often very far from escapism, in fact you might say that science fiction is escape into reality… It’s a fiction which does concern itself with real issues: the origin of man; our future. In fact I can’t think of any form of literature which is more concerned with real issues, reality.”
Arthur C Clarke
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. In Writing.com, we have several highly talented science fiction writers, and as old timers would recall, once upon a time, we used to have a science fiction newsletter; therefore, this issue will be about science fiction to honor the science fiction readers and writers among us. 
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Since science fiction is all about change and change constitutes drama, in this newsletter, I'd like to address science fiction writing.
Science fiction has a kinship with fantasy. What binds these two genres is imagination. Fantasy is imagination's taking a turn to the magical and the mythical, whereas science fiction is imagination combined with sciences, even if those sciences are also imagined.
To put it differently, if fantasy genre is the literature of fairy tales, science fiction is the literature of science and reality. Reality in science fiction deals with its believability and its setup echoing the rules of physical, chemical, biological, and technological sciences. A good science fiction writer makes up his rules by imitating real sciences, then stays within the boundaries of those rules. In other words, a science fiction story should at least be plausible if not all that accurate scientifically.
All the components of good story construction apply to science fiction writing. While creating different worlds or imagining life on distant planets or letting cosmic creatures travel through black holes, the writer sets up the stage for conflict, because conflict always creates drama.
"Then Liet gazed back across the sea of dunes toward the approaching tempest. "The wind of the demon in the open desert. Hulasikali Wala."
"Coriolis storm," Kynes corrected, using a scientific term instead of the Fremen one his son had selected. "Winds across the open flatlands are amplified by the planet's revolutionary motion. Gusts can reach speeds up to seven hundred kilometers per hour."
-From dune by Frank Herbert
In Dune by the Hugo Award winner Frank Herbert, we find the Atreides family arriving on the desert planet of Arrakis. Arrakis is where a group of desert nomads called the Fremen (Free Men of Dune) have learned to live in harmony with the planet and have devised ways to preserve one of the most precious substances on the planet, water. The Atreides House, led by Duke Leto, arrive on Arrakis to mine the planet's other valuable commodity, the spice melange, a drug that can extend lifespan, increase awareness and permit interstellar space travel. With this perfect setup, conflict is inevitable among the two factions of inhabitants and the forces of nature going after the same or contradictory goals.
Characters always make the story, but especially so in science fiction. Their different visuals, quirks, and internal traits make them interesting and entertaining. Here is an excerpt from Heinlein's Red Planet. In it, the Martian Willis and the earthman doctor are viewing each other.
The doctor saw a ball covered with thick, close-cropped fur, like sheared sheepskin, and featureless at the moment save for supports and eye stalks. The Mars creature saw an elderly male Earthman almost completely covered with wiry grey-and-white hair. The hair was thin on top, thick on chin and cheeks, moderately thick to sparse on chest and arms and back and legs. The middle portion of this strange unMartian creature was concealed in snow-white shorts. Willis enjoyed looking at him.
A few pointers for constructing a science fiction story:
 Write down every single detail you can think of about the workings of your world, planet, or universe as reference, even if you do not plan to use those details in the story. In this reference sheet or file, include all the backstories, histories, and scientific or pseudoscientific facts you have concocted. This is because the characters you will create will have to cope with all those facts, settings, and backgrounds.
As you write, make sure the images are vivid, the details concrete, and your setting convincing, like the landscapes Tolkien created. Give weight to sensory descriptions.
Keep the plot within the range and limits of the story. For example, if the plot centers on one planet about two alien lovers fighting over some local problem or the intrusion of a third character, have that issue resolve itself on that planet, and don't suddenly let the federation of other worlds interfere.
Either by the middle of the story or in the beginning of it, find the theme for the story. In science fiction, more than in any other genre, theme matters.
Do not crowd the reader's mind with too much scientific information in the middle of an action. Either give all the necessary information in the prologue or the first chapter, or deftly feed the reader with it in small bites.
Show your characters and their attributes through their actions and their dialogue. Do not just describe them.
Before you begin, decide on the character from whose point of view you will tell the story, unless you want to opt for the omniscient point of view. If you plan to use different viewpoints throughout the story, use only one character's point of view in each scene. To say this differently, do not change a point of view in the middle of a scene.
Do not neglect the inner experiences of the characters. As in any good fiction, inner journeys of the characters can uplift the story.
Above all, enjoy the writing and fruits of your imagination.
Until next time.
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Enjoy!
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Which world is real? Which a dream?
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Thank you for reading the Drama newsletter and supplying the editors with feedback. 
This Issue’s Tip: While conjuring up and creating an imagined character, think of a central emotion, feeling, or quality for him/her to symbolize. This will add depth to the character and will help the ink flow.
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StephBee 
Joy, what I enjoy about your newsletters is your ability to keep them fresh and relevant to what's going on. I enjoyed this topic about newstories very much. Great tip about dialogue and how to avoid "he said/she said."
Thank you, Steph.
I'm happy and honored  that you like my newsletters.
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Rogue♥Sherri
Thank you so much for this well thought out and practical newsletter. I have only been writing for six months and still have so much to learn. Your newsletter tips on planning a story gave me an entirely new perspective to work from. My muse and I thank you very much.
Thank you, too, Rogue, for your input. I am glad the newsletter helped your writing.
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Jaye P. Marshall 
Great Newsletter, Joy. I frequently use news stories, usually short filler items from local papers, as inspiration for short stories.
My Short Story Round Robin calls for a new story every month and sometimes the ideas just aren't flowing.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Jaye.
Yes, the news media is a great source for ideas of fictional stories.
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Red Writing Hood <3 
Excellent newsletter, Joy!
Thank you very much, Red.
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