Friday 4 March 2011

WHY SCI-FI? PART ONE

I learned to write. I made mistakes, corrected them, made some more, but generally felt as if I was starting to get the hang of it. Then I decided to write a science-fiction novel for children. I'm not sure why. Normally I write women's romance. It's a bit of a mental leap from one to the other and I do try not to get them confused.

Romance has its own rules. Science fiction has even more rules - on top of the usual writing rules - and they're completely different. It's daunting. Science fiction readers read more, are better educated and more critical than the average reader. They can choose from a vast array of hyper-intelligent, cleverly plotted novels. Even trying to explain what happens in these novels can turn a person's brain inside out.

Sometimes I wonder what possessed me. I don't read science fiction for fun. I only started reading it once I started writing. Basically, what happened was this: the idea for a seven-book series dropped into my brain almost fully formed and it was science fiction. I liked the idea and didn't think too much about the fact I was in no way qualified to write it. For why I tend to think this way, see When Confidence Tips into Madness.

More on Writing Sci-Fi...

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