Aphorisms for Writing Science Fiction

Build the story around a theme. Literature explores themes -- a proposition to be argued or some aspect of human experience to examine, such as emotions, places, times, crises, or events. Know your theme and stage only those events which advance or illustrate it.

Breaking into the Science Fiction Marketplace

SF literature has nothing to do with what you see on TV and in the movies. For one thing, printed SF is a largely character-driven genre, devoid of the simplistic heroes and villains of Star Wars. For another, SF is a literature of ideas. Although there is a place for mindless action-adventure, good SF is usually about something (and often something very profound, such as whether or not God exists).

A Science Fiction Writing Activity

A short story needs a main character to provide the point of view and others to provide conflict and/or support. If you are writing a story as an individual, I recommend you choose to be an Astronaut on the space station, an alien visitor, or the Flight Director in Mission Control. (You do not need to have a Soyuz crew visiting.) Remember that the character will only gather information by using/testing equipment or communicating with others. He or she will not know everything that you the author know!