In previous articles, I’ve offered suggestions as to what science fiction writers should do when writing sci-fi stories and novels. Today, we’ll examine the flipside of the coin, with a list of common mistakes to avoid when writing science fiction.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Writing Sci-Fi
This isn’t a writing class and there aren’t any rules. Some of the best sci-fi stories were created by authors who broke the conventional rules for fiction writing. By definition, science fiction starts with what is known and then takes the reader on a journey into the unknown. It grants authors total creative freedom.
Even so, there are some things you should probably avoid when writing a sci-fi story or novel. We’re not talking about stylistic or subject matter choices here. The “avoidance list” that follows mostly includes storytelling and fiction-writing mistakes that could interfere with the reader’s experience.
So without further ado, here are seven things to avoid when writing science fiction stories or novels.
Mistake #1: Making the Science Too Hard to Understand
Science fiction stories and novels explore the potential of new technologies and scientific discoveries. They start with what is known and speculate on what is not known.
Still, sci-fi authors should remember that most of their readers are not scientists. If you make your science too hard to understand, your readers might have a harder time connecting with your story and characters.
By and large, sci-fi readers are smart folks who enjoy an intellectual challenge. That’s one of the qualities that attracts them to science fiction in the first place. They like the sense of wonder that comes from future civilizations, alien races, or highly advanced technologies.
But these are stories we’re talking about, not scientific journals. You’re not writing a textbook.
Your readers will have a wide range of backgrounds. Landscapers, plumbers, doctors, politicians, high school students — all sorts of people read and enjoy science fiction. So you have to keep your science accessible for the average person.
If you spend page after page talking about obscure theories of quantum mechanics at the PhD level, you’re going to lose some readers.
That doesn’t mean you should avoid the topic of quantum mechanics altogether. Just be sure to weave it into the narrative, rather than burying the reader with complex info dumps. (More on info dumps later.)
Here are some ways to incorporate scientific concepts without losing readers:
- Start with the basics. Don’t assume that your readers are experts in the science you’re writing about. Most of them won’t be. Explain the basics in a way that’s easy to understand, and only go into more detail if it’s essential to the story.
- Use analogies and metaphors. Comparisons can make complex concepts more accessible to the reader. For example, you could compare a new type of spaceship to a bird, or a new form of artificial intelligence to a human brain.
- Focus on the human element. Even if your story is full of complex science, you have to remember that it’s still a story about people. Focus on the characters’ motivations, their relationships, and their struggles. This will help to keep readers engaged, even if they’re not following every detail of the science.
Inaccessible science. Something to avoid when writing sci-fi.
Mistake #2: Not Doing Enough Research
I once spent several hours researching the different materials that might one day be used to create the eyes of a synthetic android. Why? Because I was writing a book about murderous androids in a shopping mall, and I wanted it to seem realistic.
I don’t say this to boast. It’s not like I was going “above and beyond.” This level of research represents the bare minimum for science fiction writers.
If you’re going to bring a futuristic, alien, or unfamiliar concept into your story, you have to know what you’re talking about. You have to write from a place of knowledge. And that requires research … sometimes a lot of research.
Research can help you create a more believable sci-fi setting and story, even when it involves unfamiliar technology or science. More importantly, it will help the reader become immersed within your fictional world, almost as if it’s a real place.
Depending on the level of complexity in your story, and how deeply you explore it, you might have to take one or more of the following actions:
- Read scientific literature: Stay updated on the latest research by reading scientific papers, journals, and articles.
- Consult experts: Reach out to scientists or professionals in the relevant fields for insights and answers.
- Attend conferences and lectures: Participate in scientific events to learn from relevant experts and engage in discussions.
- Visit research institutions: Arrange visits to labs and institutions to observe and interact with scientists.
- Engage online: Join science-focused forums and groups for discussions and resource sharing.
- Take online courses: Enroll in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to gain structured knowledge in your chosen area. These courses are free, web-based, and open to anyone.
- Build a network of scientific advisors: Seek guidance from experts who can provide insights for your writing.
The amount of research that’s needed will largely depend on the nature of your story. If you’re writing “hard” sci-fi that requires in-depth and accurate scientific explanations, plan on spending many hours researching relevant topics. A “softer” sci-fi story, on the other hand, will probably require a lot less research.
(By the way, I ended going with “aluminum oxide membranes” for those android eyes. It’s got a nice ring to it, don’t you think?)
Inadequate research. One more thing to avoid when writing science fiction.
Mistake #3: Neglecting Character Development
Lack of character development is another common mistake among first-time sci-fi writers. Aspiring writers sometimes get wrapped up in the “big ideas” built into their stories, to the point that they neglect their characters. The characters end up like one-dimensional tokens, shuffled around as needed just to move the story along.
This is another mistake to avoid when writing a sci-fi story or novel.
Science fiction characters should be complex and relatable, just like characters in any other genre. Just like real people. As readers, we don’t necessarily have to “like” your characters. But we should at least recognize their emotions and understand their choices, even if we would make different ones.
Give your characters believable motivations and goals. Make sure they grow and change over the course of the story, at least in some way.
Here’s a pop quiz for all of you science fiction writers out there. Think about your current work-in-progress. It might be a novel or a short story, or even a play. This quiz applies to all literary forms. Now, answer these three questions about your main character:
- What does he or she want in life, more than anything else?
- What does your character want for the loved ones around her?
- What are your character’s biggest fears and concerns?
Maybe you can answer all of these questions off the top of your head. Maybe you’ve got it all figured out already.
Or maybe not.
If the latter is true — if you don’t really understand your character’s mindset at the beginning, middle and end of the story — you’ve got some work to do. And in that case, it might be time to create a character diary.
The general concept is straightforward. You simply journal in your character’s POV, getting inside their head to reveal their innermost fears, hopes and desires. That’s the gist of it. But don’t be fooled by the simplicity. This method can produce revelations.
Here’s the key to this technique. You have to remember it’s not your diary or journal. It’s your protagonist’s. It’s their own private space for channeling their hopes, dreams and fears. If you can think of it in those terms, you’ll release a flood of emotion and energy you didn’t even know existed. You’ll strike the mother lode.
This is just one way to develop authentic and relatable characters within a science fiction story or novel. There are other methods as well. The point is, you should spend some time inside your characters’ heads to find out what they want and what they fear.
In a story, most of a character’s actions will stem from their fears and desires, their hopes and concerns. As the author, you need to understand what’s going on inside your characters’ heads at any given time during the story.
Flimsy characters. Another mistake to avoid when writing science fiction.
Mistake #4: Not Having a Clear Plot and Structure
Before writing a sci-fi novel, spend some time thinking about the plot and structure of your story. These are two different things, but they are closely intertwined.
- Plot refers to the series of events that make up the story. It’s what happens in the story.
- Structure is the way the plot is organized. It is the how the story is told.
A good science fiction story should have a clear beginning, middle and end.
The beginning introduces the characters and setting, along with the conflict the characters will face. The middle should increase the conflict and drama, while introducing new challenges for the characters. The ending should resolve the conflict in some way and leave the reader feeling satisfied.
You don’t necessarily need a detailed outline for your story, prior to starting it. Some writers prefer to move forward with only a general idea of where the story is heading. This allows for pleasant surprises and “Aha!” moments to occur along the way. I fall into this camp.
But the writing process will flow more smoothly if you have at least a basic plot in mind.
You also want to consider the narrative structure for your novel, before you start writing it. There are many different ways to structure a sci-fi novel…
- Linear: Presents events in chronological order from beginning to end.
- Episodic: Consists of separate, self-contained episodes or chapters that are loosely connected.
- Nonlinear: Jumps back and forth in time, using flashbacks or multiple timelines.
- Framed: A story within a story, where an overarching narrative frame contains smaller embedded narratives.
- Multiple Perspectives: The story is told from the viewpoints of different characters, offering varied perspectives.
- Circular: Begins and ends in the same place or with similar events, creating a sense of closure or repetition.
- In medias res: Starts in the middle of the action, then fills in backstory and context through flashbacks or exposition.
- Collage: Combines diverse narrative fragments, such as letters, newspaper articles, or diary entries, to form a cohesive story.
- Experimental: Breaks conventional storytelling rules, employing unconventional structures, styles, or techniques.
The goal here is not to overanalyze the story before you even start writing it. The goal is to have at least a basic plot and structure in mind, from the outset.
This will accomplish two things. It facilitates the writing process and helps you reach the finish line sooner, while making your story more accessible to readers.
A lack of structure. Another science fiction writing mistake to avoid.
Mistake #5: Burying the Reader With Info Dumps
An info dump is a large block of exposition used to explain the setting, characters, or plot of a story. Info dumps can be useful in certain cases, but they can also bore readers and disrupt the flow of the story. So tread carefully, or avoid them altogether.
Science fiction often deals with complex concepts and technologies. So it can be tempting for authors to dump a lot of information on the reader all at once. The logic goes: “My readers need to know all of this information, in order to understand the story.”
But here’s the truth. If your readers need pages and pages of textbook-style information just to follow the story, you have bigger issues that need to be addressed. In this scenario, you might be better off reexamining the pace and structure of the story, rather than resorting to dumps.
In addition to boring readers, sci-fi info dumps can break the overall flow of a story. When the reader is suddenly bombarded with a lot of information at once, they might have a hard time re-immersing themselves. This in turn could make the story feel choppy and disjointed.
As an author, you have several ways to avoid info dumps:
- Try to break up the information into smaller chunks. This will make it easier for the reader to digest the information and follow the story.
- Try to present the information in a more interesting way. This could involve using dialogue, action, or description to illustrate the information.
- Make sure that the information is relevant to the story. If the information is not relevant, it will only serve to distract the reader.
Strive for a balanced approach, weaving necessary information into the narrative a little bit at a time. Use dialogue, action, and character interactions to reveal important details. This allows readers to discover the world and its intricacies in a more organic way.
Mistake #6: Not Maintaining Internal Consistency
Internal consistency is the degree to which the elements of a story fit together and make sense, within the fictional world the author has created. In a sci-fi story or novel, the laws of physics, the technology, the characters’ abilities, and the setting should be consistent with each other.
If a science fiction novel introduces a technology that allows for teleportation, the rules and limitations of this technology should remain consistent throughout the story. If the story takes place on a planet with a different gravity than Earth, the characters’ movements and actions must be consistent with that gravity.
When something works differently from one chapter to the next (with no explanation), readers will be left scratching their heads. In severe cases, they might even put the book aside.
A lack of consistency. One more thing to avoid when writing science fiction.
Mistake #7: Not Joining the Science Fiction Academy!
If you really want to improve your writing, subscribe to the Science Fiction Academy newsletter. I publish articles like this throughout the week. But the newsletter goes out weekly, to avoid inbox clutter. By subscribing, you’ll always know when new content becomes available.
Science Fiction Academy delivers a steady stream of writing tips, story ideas, writerly motivation, and book alerts featuring notable science fiction novels and story collections. And it’s totally free to join!
Conclusion and Where to Learn More
This list is by no means exhaustive. An entire book could be written on science fiction writing mistakes and blunders. My goal with this article was to address some of the most common and serious “offenses” you should avoid when writing a sci-fi story or novel.
Another way to learn this is by reading good science fiction. The more the better! This gives you a foundation of knowledge to draw from, when writing your own stories.
Whenever you encounter a story or novel you really enjoy, I encourage you to read it twice.
The first time through, just enjoy the experience. Don’t worry about analyzing the writer’s technique or methods. Just lose yourself in the story. Let is sweep you away.
On the second reading, try to determine how the writer did all of those wonderful things you enjoyed the first time around. Pay attention to their use of dialogue, character development, story pacing, and description.
Consider how they avoided making the mistakes mentioned above — or committed them. Apply this new level of understanding to your own work.
