Writing Speculative Fiction

By Mary Rosenblum

 

 

            Harry Potter reawakened a love of fantasy in readers all over the world.  Suddenly, Speculative Fiction, on the decline in recent years, is popular again.  What is Speculative Fiction exactly?  It is a broad label that includes fantasy, science fiction, and even some horror, and blurs into mainstream fiction.  As with all genres, it is strictly a marketing term, meant to tell the bookstore owner where to shelve your book. 

 

Fresh and New

            So what makes good speculative fiction?  In the fantasy end of the speculative universe, the biggest mistake made by new writers is to simply use a familiar universe.  Every editor sees dozens of Harry Potter and Tolkien clones every year.  Remember that while readers love the familiar, they love the familiar written by the familiar authors.  You want to be the next Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings phenomenon, not a copy of the last one.  Create a rich new universe of your own and you will impress editors and readers alike.  Forget the orcs and hobbits, come up with your own monsters and interesting new characters.   Make sure your magic follows some sort of logic.   You can make up your own rules, but your magic does need rules. 

 

Avoid Hollywood and Star Trek

            Star Trek, Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire and all the other movie and  TV series universes are wholly owned and copyrighted and you cannot use these characters unless you write for the series, under contract.  In general, do not use Hollywood as an example of good SF.  It is not.  Science fiction is a genre that is very difficult to write well unless you read it.  Novice writers who attempt writing SF without having read within the genre will make beginner mistakes that will certainly reduce their chances of selling.  If you decide you want to give SF a try, read at least ten books in the genre first.  Find work that is similar to what you want to write, since SF covers a wide spectrum of types, from hard, tech-oriented SF to space opera, and near future work that is very nearly mainstream. 

 

Short Versus Long Markets

            It used to be a given that speculative fiction writers began by selling short stories and moved on to write novels.  With the decline of the fiction magazines, this is no longer the case, and it can be just as difficult to break into the short fiction market as to sell your first novel.   The top science fiction short markets include Asimov’s, Analog, Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, SciFiction (an online Ezine), and Talebones.   Black Gate and Realms of Fantasy are the top two markets for classical fantasy, although Asimov’s, Talebones, and Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction do purchase some fantasy as well. 

 

Selling Long

            Various book publishers focus on various ‘sub-genres’ of the speculative fiction market.  Once you have written your book and are ready to look for a market, browse the bookstores.  Find books that are similar to yours and check to see who published them.  If you are serious about writing speculative fiction as a career, you should subscribe to Locus Magazine, the ‘trade journal’ for the speculative fiction world.  There you will find convention schedules, news from the publishing world, reviews of current releases, and market listings that may not be included in the once-a-year market lists.  Science Fiction Writers of America publishes The Bulletin, a publishing and market news magazine that is available by subscription to non-members. 

 

            The speculative fiction universe is very nearly the only segment of publishing that permits unagented submissions.  That means you can wait until you get a ‘yes’ from an editor before querying agents…and that makes it much easier to acquire the agent you want.  However, the response time on those unsolicited, ‘over the transom’ submissions is very long…often a full year.  But there are ways to reduce that response time and increase your chances of selling that first SF or fantasy novel. 

 

            Attend Science Fiction conventions.  You will find them listed in Locus Magazine, as well as online at various writers websites.  These conventions are very welcoming to the new writer, offering panels on writing and publishing, writers workshops with professionals, and get togethers where pros mingle with fans to chat.  You have a golden opportunity to chat with  editors and ask them what they are looking for.  Don’t pitch your new book to them at the convention.  They don’t have time to listen there and it’s considered rude.  But if an editor tells you she is looking for something similar to that novel you have just finished, by all means mention it.  She may well ask you to send it to her directly at the publisher.  These conventions do cost money and the price varies with the size of the convention.  But if you are serious about a career in speculative fiction, you need to attend if you can. 

 

Make It Up WELL

            Speculative fiction covers a huge landscape of story.  Relax and enjoy yourself as you create your universe and spin out your plot.  Remember that every story is a tripod of plot, character, and setting and in speculative fiction, more than any other genre, setting matters.  Make it seem real and we’ll believe every word you tell us.  Do your homework.  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to make your space ship feel real to the readers, and if your elves are riding horses, make sure your horse details are correct.

 

            Today’s SF tends to keep one foot in the real sciences, even though some future technology, such as faster than light travel, is accepted without explanation.   A few details make all the difference between a future universe or fantasy world that makes us chuckle and roll our eyes and one that leaves us breathless with belief.  Take the time to bring your world to life.  It is an important character in your story, not a painted backdrop. 

 

            No other genre offers as much freedom to the writer as does speculative fiction.  If you love to let your imagination soar, this genre is a winged horse you can ride clear up to the stars.