Tips from the Slush Pile - Sci Fi

Rules are made to be broken, but you can’t break them unless you know them first! Every Tuesday I’ll give you a few tips that might help you push your manuscript to the top of the slush pile.

I’ve been getting a lot of sci fi YA lately. If it’s got time warps, parallel universes, space ships, or aliens then I’ve probably seen it come across my desk (oh all right, my section of the intern table) This is awesome because I LOVE sci fi. However, I’m seeing a lot of people run into the same few mistakes.

1. If you don’t understand the science behind it don’t try to explain it. Like magic, some things just ARE. There’s a sweet spot in science fiction right between hand waving and facts. Too much information and you could get tangled up in your own explanations, (or worse, sound like a lecture). Too little and your audience will be frustrated. So, if you’re going to be writing something about time travel, tell us just enough about tachyons to pique our interest and then leave it alone. The same goes for cryogenics, advanced weaponry, alien breathing mechanisms and anything else vaguely scientific that you can think of. Unless it’s integral to the plot I don’t want a lecture on the particular evolutionary biology of the Martian’s webbed toe. What I DO want to know is why human’s haven’t discovered Martian’s until now, and why our plucky young heroin is finding herself strangely attracted to her new webbed footed friend.

2. The end of the world is not necessarily a motivation. It is a motivation, but there usually has to be something more. Something internal and personal to the main character that forces them into action. Why are they the only person brave enough to try to do something? What do they want? Whether for love of a family member or the looming anxiety of unfinished business, most engaging heroes are saving the planet for some reason other than simple altruism. And that’s what makes them interesting. That’s what makes them unique.

3. Understand your world. What’s the atmosphere like? What colour is the sky? Who are the people? What language do they speak? What are society’s dogmas, beliefs, and prejudices in this strange new world/dystopia/future? Creating a science fiction can be a lot like creating a fantasy. You don’t have to give your reader all the answers to these questions, but you have to know them yourself. Suffice to say, if the planet’s main gas is hydrogen sulfide I’d better be hearing about how cumbersome your character’s oxygen masks are.