All Questions
Tagged with science-fiction fiction
52 questions
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4
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322
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How do I determine if the premise of my story is believable?
This post is part advice and part discussion.
How do you determine if a story's premise is believable?
Is the believability of a story's premise more of a demographic thing? Do people determine how ...
- 160
1
vote
1
answer
89
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How do I make a situation that looks like a planet will be destroyed, but without actually destroying it? [closed]
Here are some details for context:
There are two civilisations, A and B. B is significantly smaller, around a few hundred people.
B is visiting A's home world via a magic item that can teleport a ...
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1
vote
5
answers
330
views
How do I write a superintelligent character?
A very similar question has been asked here.
Writing a Super Intelligent AI
I ask this question for multiple reasons. I was writing a sci-fi work and I decided it'd make sense that the characters have ...
- 19
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votes
1
answer
148
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What would happen if all humans disappeared from the world today? [closed]
I would like to write a science fiction novel where, as of today (30 April 2023) all humans disappeared from the universe. All other animals, plants & fishes exist, just not humans.
What would be ...
- 127
1
vote
1
answer
201
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How propose a story / write / publish for an established universe or franchise? [duplicate]
I would like to know the process of proposing a story or manuscript for an established universe or franchise. Some examples of universes include Star Wars, Star Trek, Horizon, etc. My question is ...
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2
answers
126
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How seriously can the wild wild west nature of pro wrestling be taken in a story or fictional world that takes place in a modern setting?
I wanted to take a realistic approach to pro wrestling when it came to world-building. If you are not a fan of pro wrestling, I would tell you that pro wrestling is an insane concept when taken ...
- 125
2
votes
3
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188
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When it comes to superhero stories, does the law of cool play a role in hitmen, assassins, and serial killer characters usually not having powers?
In a lot of superhero stories, characters that usually have killer-based gimmicks, the assassin/hitmen or serial killer type of characters, are often portrayed as not having superpowers.
The majority ...
- 125
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3
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151
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In a superhuman society, would certain threats be underestimated by society?
Batman has an extremely dangerous supervillain gallery. One of those dangerous villains is Victor Zsasz. He is a very dangerous serial killer. Put him in the real world, and Victor Zsasz would be the ...
- 125
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12
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4k
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Is it an odd concept for a superhero with superhuman powers to use technology/gadgets and also rely on tech?
In fiction, it's usually human superheroes without powers like Batman or Green Arrow, that use tech or depend on tech to make up for their lack of superpowers.
Not all metahumans are bulletproof, but ...
- 125
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3
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140
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What are some things to consider when it comes to superpowers and criminal organizations coexisting in the same superhero world?
Fictional works about criminal organizations, like Scarface, God Father, and Sons of Anarchy are where I get my notes from. I would like to see how superpowers would look in the criminal underworld. I ...
- 119
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1
answer
147
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Is it odd to overestimate the danger of peak human characters or characters without powers?
What does peak human mean in my world?
There are two types of peak humans in my world: physical types and mental types. Physical types are the top tier in skills that involve hand-to-hand combat or ...
- 119
1
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0
answers
50
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How to find out more about how certain government operations work?
I am writing a Michael Crichton-style sci-fi novel, and at one point, a government operation is convened to fix a problem - consider a national emergency (let say a virus/bioweapon got loose from a ...
3
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5
answers
239
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When is there too much of a plot misdirection?
I'm sure that somebody is going to point me to this question, but my case is different.
So I and my best friend are currently writing a science fiction novel that has many plot twists and "...
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votes
1
answer
169
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How to write a novel which is taking place entirely in a foreign country, with foreign culture and foreign characters? [closed]
How to write a novel which is taking place entirely in a foreign country, with a foreign culture and foreign characters?
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4
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3
answers
572
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How can a portal be hidden for 5 years but found by children? [closed]
I am writing a story in which two children, ages 12-14 years old, discover a portal to another dimension. The portal is roughly the size of an average door and has existed for five years prior to ...
- 141
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4
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237
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Would you advise against having a fictional continent as the setting for a Science Fiction story?
Let me elaborate. In things such as Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings (so, high fantasy), fictional continents are quite often the setting. I don't recall ever seeing this in Science Fiction. My ...
- 265
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1
answer
429
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How would mushroom call mycellium home? [closed]
I'm wondering for some time.. How would mushrooms fruiting body call it own mycelium? Imagine you're that fruiting body and after releasing your spores you are about to die.
12
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9
answers
2k
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How do you show, through your narration, a hard and uncaring world?
As I've already mentioned, I'm working on a sci-fi novel.
One of the main feelings that I wanted to represent when I started is the sense of a vast, empty, artificial world, mostly cold and uncaring ...
- 15.9k
5
votes
4
answers
1k
views
When an imagined world resembles or has similarities with a famous world
Arguably this might belong in worldbuilding.stackexchange.com, but the question has to do with a fiction story and its relation to other fiction in the real world.
I have a plot which involves an ...
- 151
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2
answers
194
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Handling Earth-based religions on a foreign planet
For some context to my question:
The story I'm currently writing takes place on another planet. It is never mentioned whether Earth exists (or had existed), but the characters are all human, have ...
- 163
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4
answers
3k
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Is time travel science fiction or fantasy?
The line between science fiction and fantasy is often blurred. And that's okay. Genre is often more about marketing than anything else. As a general rule though: SciFi has science and technology ...
- 32.4k
23
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12
answers
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When writing science fiction, how important is it to provide scientific details for the (fictitious) things you are presenting in the story?
I know there is a difference between 'hard' and 'soft' science fiction. But even then, it can be hard to know what sort of categorization in which to place and treat your story, and it is not really ...
- 2,174
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8
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2k
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Why do most literature magazines take so long (several weeks or months) to respond to submissions despite having only a few hundred subs per month?
I have heard that the the editor of F&SF (Finlay) is the only one who reads all the submissions. Yet he always responds within a week! (With detailed comments on each story.) Clarkesworld is ...
- 2,174
27
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10
answers
7k
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Does everything have to be accurate?
Do I have to make everything apply to logic, physics, science, etc?
The Harry Potter series has been a major hit, and it is nowhere near to being scientifically possible. But I've noticed that I can'...
- 587
21
votes
5
answers
2k
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How to add depth to writing - turn a story into a book [duplicate]
I've had a few 'great ideas' for books. I'm a big sci-fi fan, especially Michael Crichton. I'm not sure if that's relevant but there it is.
I want to write a full length book, not a short story, a ...
- 313
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9
answers
4k
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Referencing modern pop culture in science fiction
A geek today is quite likely to reference the pop culture of 30 years ago: "Do or do not, there is no try", "Beam me up, Scotty" and "Ground control to Major Tom" are easily and commonly recognisable. ...
3
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1
answer
217
views
How to balance between dialogue & character building and action scenes?
I'm writing a novel which takes place in a carefully built (science-)fictional world. The protagonist is also a fictional creature.
Obviously, the reader does not know about the world or the creature'...
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20
answers
16k
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Writing a Super Intelligent AI
Something I have been thinking about recently is how to write a character who is an artificial intelligence and not have him feel human. Specifically an AI who is designed to think faster and better ...
- 2,232
2
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2
answers
533
views
Describing a psychological concept like Stockholm Syndrome in a non-Earth setting?
I actually posted this originally over in the Psychology and Neurology SE in hopes of getting specific, helpful, psych-related responses from people who were actually knowledgeable in the field, but ...
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13
votes
9
answers
2k
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How to expand my vocabulary? [duplicate]
I wanted to write something for a long time. But what I think is, in writing the choice of words plays a very significant role. From where I can learn this thing?
I think I don't have enough words in ...
- 295
3
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2
answers
204
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Are there any problems using the real-life address of a building if the building is still standing?
I'm writing a story that takes place in the future, sometime around the 2200s, give or take a few decades. The main characters live in San Francisco, in a repair shop that's been built right on top of ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
618
views
Using "Earth words" in a futuristic, fictional setting
As a writer of primarily science fiction, I've often struggled with finding a happy medium between making the prose/dialogue relatable for readers and avoiding using too many "Earth words" as I've ...
- 177
5
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5
answers
365
views
Is trying to write an entire novel in one month possible?
Lately I've been thinking about trying to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where the idea (at least I think it is) to write an entire novel in one month. Is this even possible?
0
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1
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251
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Fantasy and Science Fiction - should I choose a separate publisher?
I recall reading somewhere (I believe it was Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy) that you should either stick with one genre or the other. The reason he gave is that if you're ...
2
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4
answers
545
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Is a fictional story set in another world harder to get into?
I am writing a fictional story (could be considered science-fiction) about slightly primitive people. It is set in cold environment where a day cycle takes a whole year. Inspired by Antarctica, with ...
user14025
2
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3
answers
378
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Does this urge you to read further or stop? [closed]
I was wondering if this opening of my book enticed readers to read further. The book is a dystopian novel. This is NOT a complete chapter, it is only a part of it. Please leave comments on how I can ...
- 269
21
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7
answers
1k
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How to deal with common Earth references in a non-Earth setting?
Until now, I have mostly written in settings similar enough to Earth, mostly with human beings. For the first time, I am writing a short story set on a different planet, where the protagonists are not ...
- 390
12
votes
1
answer
959
views
How to show that something is different than in real life?
I'm writing fiction set in the near future (~15-20 years). The world is still mostly the same and thus familiar to the reader, but an important part of the story is that a few things are radically ...
- 2,003
9
votes
6
answers
9k
views
How to introduce a world that's alien to the reader
I'm writing sort of a space-opera and I was wondering what would the best way to explain everything about the world to my readers. The story is kind of a political intrigue, and it would be very easy ...
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1
answer
359
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Hypothetical interview with Jesus Christ. Has to be deep? [closed]
I'm thinking on writing a short story of a non-religious person asking questions to an alternate version of Jesus. Do His answers must be of a deep meaning or could I just write anything as his word (...
- 1
7
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5
answers
1k
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What are the pros and cons of building the setting before the characters and story
I have a science-fiction setting I have been kicking around for sometime, but I am not sure how to go about fleshing out events or characters that would make for stories within this setting. What are ...
- 507
3
votes
3
answers
183
views
How much can I talk about other people's works?
Let's say I'm writing a novel set in the future, clearly on Earth, with all the history that has happened through today. Obviously in the real world, there are numerous works of fiction that are ...
- 133
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6
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345
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A cross-[What] kind of romance?
In the scientific taxonomy of Living Things, you have:
Life
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
etc. down to Species, and maybe thence to Breed.
If I were talking about my neighbor's dog who is half ...
2
votes
1
answer
763
views
How well would this beginning sell the book to readers? Not necessarily for money [closed]
Disclaimer: English isn't my native language.
A while back, I posted this and this. I got... well, reviews. While not outright helpful (ie. indirect, which is the whole point of critiques, I guess) ...
- 743
9
votes
4
answers
995
views
Will science fiction as a genre ever go the way of the western?
It is a fairly undisputed fact that the genre of western fiction has had a declining audience for decades. The Western Writers Association still exists, but if I had never worked in a Border ...
- 6,695
2
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3
answers
202
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How do you connect a non sequitur hook to a novel?
A pineapple is walking down a street, but here’s the kicker: he’s completely naked.
That was a non sequitur hook I thought of. I figured that it would raise a bunch of really interesting questions, ...
- 297
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6
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4k
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I suck at plots. Is there a way to sort of train oneself to think of creative plots, specifically in scifi?
I'm pretty good in the writing department as far as prose, it's just that I'll sit down and have no idea what to write. Perhaps it's a creative problem, I just don't know. I cannot figure out any ...
- 297
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1
answer
234
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Is it okay to attempt to write in the style of another person, and how is that done well?
I want to write like Neal Stephenson- I read Snow Crash and absolutely fell in love with the style. I'm trying to write a cyberpunk style book myself, and I have a good plot (I think), but I want to ...
- 297
1
vote
2
answers
908
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Do these starting paragraphs make you want to keep reading? [closed]
OK, first, I'm not a native. So, what you do by instinct and a bit of research, I do by extensive research, including accents and dialog style.
I’m dead.
‘But you have a chance,’ I was told, ‘Then ...
- 743
3
votes
3
answers
655
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Does this beginning hook the reader? [closed]
Guide lines Q no. 4:
This is supposed to be the opening part, but certainly not the whole of the first chapter or page for that matter... I'm not exactly sure anyone would take 30 seconds to read that,...