If you’ve poked around my blog a bit, you probably know I’m a huge fan of the sci-fi horror genre. I read it. I write it. I love it. There’s just something about the science fiction and horror crossover I find thrilling.
Today, I’ll offer a few tips for writing a sci-fi horror story or novel of your own.
This isn’t a writing class and there aren’t any rules. So feel free to deviate from the five suggestions below. My goal here is just to give you some points to ponder and stars to steer by. So let’s get to it.
Tips for Writing a Sci-Fi Horror Novel or Story
The sci-fi horror subgenre combines the “big ideas” of science fiction with the pulse-pounding terror of the horror genre. The movie Aliens is a great example of sci-fi horror within the film world. On the print side, novels like The Fireman (Joe Hill) and The Girl With All the Gifts (M.R. Carey) fit into this category.
I don’t consider myself a master of this subgenre. But I’m no slouch either. I’ve written a couple of novels that could be labeled as sci-fi horror and have read dozens more.
Point being: I might have a tiny bit of wisdom to share with you, and you might find it helpful.
So without further ado, here are five tips for writing sci-fi horror stories and novels.
1. Do something that hasn’t been done before.
Science fiction gives writers a blank slate to work with. The genre has delivered a lot of interesting stories over the years, but many more remain, just waiting to be told.
The same goes for the horror genre. Plenty of uncharted territory there, as well.
This gives you a chance to innovate and create something new. Take advantage of that. When writing sci-fi horror, let your imagination roam far and wide. Nothing is out of bounds, when it comes to story creation. Nothing is off limits.
Try to tell a story that hasn’t been told before, something fresh and original.
Need some ideas? Check out my sci-fi horror crossover table.
2. Create a character we can care about and root for.
Tip #2 applies to all fiction writing, not just sci-fi horror. But it’s relevant here as well.
If you want readers to become engrossed in your story, you have to develop characters they can care about. Not all of your characters have to be likable. In fact, it’s probably better if they’re not. But the protagonist, or main character, has to have some kind of redeeming qualities.
We might not agree with everything the protagonist does. But we should at least understand her motivations. We can’t really relate to a protagonist until we know what’s driving him. So tell us. Reveal your character’s inner thoughts, fears and desires. Only then can we root for them.
It also helps to make your characters authentic and realistic. This helps the reader suspend disbelief and “live” within your story world. Here’s a guide to creating believable characters in fiction.
3. Take us to an interesting time and place.
The science fiction aspect of your story is like raw clay. You can shape it however you want. You can create your own world, from the ground up. You can take us to places we’ve never been, show us sights we’ve never seen.
Seize this opportunity.
Writing a sci-fi horror story or novel can be a lot of fun, and for this very reason. You get to let your imagination soar. You get to explore your thoughts, dreams and nightmares, putting them on the page for others to experience.
Strive for originality when writing sci-fi horror. This is what readers want, particularly when it comes to speculative fiction. We want to explore fresh ideas, as they unfold onto the page. We want to “go places and see stuff.”
It’s your job to make that happen.
4. Start with the sci fi, and introduce the horror later.
Most sci-fi horror stories start by introducing the science fiction components first, before unveiling the horror element. You don’t have to do it this way. It’s your story. But it makes sense to follow this model.
Among other things, it allows the reader to become familiar with the time and place of your story. Science fiction stories tend to introduce big ideas and concepts that have to be “absorbed,” and this can take time.
From a pacing and structural standpoint, it usually makes sense to start with the sci-fi world building and introduce the horror component later on.
In the classic 1979 Alien movie, we’re introduced to the crew of the Nostromo, a commercial spaceship returning to Earth. We meet the crew. We learn about their mission. And we start to learn our way around the ship. Only then does the horror begin.
Many sci-fi horror novels follow this same formula. They introduce the characters, the setting, and the science fiction components first. Then, once the reader is firmly rooted in this new world, the real horror begins.
5. Increase tension gradually, and wow us with the climax.
In fiction writing, “narrative pacing” refers to how fast or slow a story moves for readers. This is something you want to consider before you even write the first chapter.
Pacing goes hand-in-hand with structure. The pace can rise and fall throughout the story. But, in general, it should start slow and work up to a kind of crescendo. This crescendo is known as the climax.
Think about it this way. If you start your sci-fi horror novel or story with a huge action sequence, you’ll have a hard time going “up” from there. Your climax might become more of an anticlimax.
When writing sci-fi horror fiction, it’s usually best to follow the classic five-stage plot structure: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. This model has been around for centuries, because it works.
You don’t have to be a slave to this model. You can shake things up, if you feel it improves your story. But if you stray too far from the classic (and familiar) novel structure, you might lose some readers along the way.
But again, these aren’t rules — just guidelines and suggestions. Ultimately, you’ll have to chart your own course. You have to decide for yourself how to write a good sci-fi horror story or novel. I hope this article points you in the right direction.
Good luck and happy writing!
