Hi, everyone. I'm fairly new here so let me give you a little background. I'm also fairly new to publishing, though not to writing. Years ago, I had a friend who wrote LDS Romantic Suspense (very clean romance, basically) who read my rough draft. She loved it but said, "You should just take out all of the space travel stuff and write it as a romance." I couldn't do it, so I tried my hand at writing straight romance. I still have the half-finished draft on my computer. Writing it was too painful. I couldn't keep myself from wanting to add space battles, aliens, strange cities, new planets, all of the things that make science fiction exciting for me.
And yet, when I write science fiction, I keep coming back to the people, the relationships. It's the romance and the people that make the stories great, not necessarily the space travel. I also love the freedom to make up whatever I need, as long as it fits.
What about you? Why do you write science fiction as opposed to contemporary or historical romance?
Thanks for listening.
Jaleta Clegg
I'm with you, Jaleta! I love the romance AND the wild ride into SF. It bumps up the fun factor. :-)
ReplyDelete'Cause, it's fun! If I want contemporary reality, all I have to do is look around. Where's the fun in that?
ReplyDeleteI write to get away, how much further away can you get than another world?
ReplyDeleteI get enough everyday reality without reading about the contemporary world. I love the excitement of the new--the worlds, the aliens, the wonder of creating things no one else has imagined.
ReplyDeleteI'm from the far end of the spectrum. I don't write romance. I write science fiction, and somehow I meandered down to this end of sci-fi and found explosions and kisses make a good combination.
ReplyDeleteFor me, sci-fi is a beautiful and hopeful place. It's a genre that looks to the future. The past can seem like an alien planet at times, but it's done. Those people are dead. Those events are over. There's a sentimentality or nostalgia attached, but that's it.
Sci-fi is hopeful, enthusiastic, and above all else forward looking. Sci-fi builds a possible future.
Plus, there's no end of trouble I can get into when I have a few universe to play with :o)
What Anna said! :)
ReplyDeleteHoly crap. If I can't blow something up, what's the point?? ;) I write SFR because I don't care what IS. I care about the what ifs. It's possible this qualifies me for psychoactive medication, but there it is. Playing around with the stuff is what makes my little neurons fire.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I've found people who think like I do. I was beginning to feel like the weird one in my neighborhood. Wait, I *am* the weird one, just ask my neighbors.
ReplyDeleteAnd every good chick flick/book should include at least three big explosions, a chase scene, and some kick-butt fight scenes. A kiss or two doesn't hurt, either.
Way to listen to your gut!
ReplyDeleteLike Liana I'm a science fiction writer first and foremost. I do this for many reasons. I'm not sure where to begin. Mostly it's a way of achieving hope. I believe that we can and must be in control of technology if we are to achieve social justice and individul freedom.
ReplyDeleteSetting a story on another world frees readers and writers from fear and so allows them to explore unusual solutions and ideas. Often readers are scared off by an idea when it's presented as realistic fiction but set it on another world and the idea becomes interesting rather than frightening.
As for romance. Of all the decissions, we make ones regarding sex, reproduction, and marriage have the furthest reaching consequences both for individuals and society. Biology has two major forces, death and love/sex. Romance is of utmost importance from a biological perspective.