Themes that pervade my Sci-Fi novels.

Posted on by Opher

All my writing has purpose. I like to base my work on sound science, social and environmental reality, human psychology and philosophy.

I am intrigued by the concept of infinity, by quantum theory, string theory, black holes and quasars.

As a biologist I studied genetics and have kept up with the developments in genetic engineering. I am intrigued with the idea of how this could impact on human development and that of all other living creatures and plants. We now have the power to change, improve or create both ourselves and the plants and animals we share this planet with. We can create different human beings, different species and a different world.

I studied psychology as part of my degree and found this incredibly useful in education. I also apply it to my writing. It is useful to build characters around psychological traits and personality types.

Living through the twentieth century has provided me with a great perspective on social change. I doubt any other century has seen such a degree of transformation. Science propelled a social revolution that changed the world. That is a useful element to draw into my writing. What changes are going to shape our progress? What will a future world look like?

As a biologist I have been greatly distressed by the impact mankind has been having on the environment. Extinction rates have soared as humans destroy habitat and pollute ecosystems. Our sheer numbers are swamping nature. Once the world was considered infinite and nature something to be exploited without thought. We now realize this is not the case. Even our primitive hunter/gatherer ancestors greatly impacted on the environment. Now we have the capacity to destroy it to a far greater extent. If our numbers and activities are not regulated we may well ruin the very life-support system that sustains us. It is a theme that occurs in most of my work.

What is the purpose of life? It is a question most of us ask at some point and it is one that has a basis in my writing. Whether it be spirituality or creativity, accruing material wealth or power, or seeking truth, wisdom, happiness or fulfilment, it is one of the factors that drives human beings. It is a theme worth developing. It brings people into conflict.

Whether setting the action in the future, in a different dimension or an alien world, these are themes that I tend to enjoy exploring.

The Process of Writing.

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I am certain that this process is different with all writers. We all have our ways of working. It is also clear that it is not always the same with me. Sometimes I have carefully plotted out a novel while at other times, I work with a vague idea and allowed it to unfurl as I progress.

I used the Butch Cassidy principle: there are no rules.

But always, as a novel progresses, as a character develops, a novel takes on a life of its own. It is a coalescence of ideas. I will wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and have to get out of bed to write it down or it is likely to go.

All my novels start with an idea. That might be sparked by a news story, a book I am reading, a programme I am watching or a train of thought. One idea is never enough though. It has to be married to others.

Often the end of the novel is what emerges first. I will often write the end first.

Always there comes that time when you sit at a computer (or a typewriter) and begin. You have a blank page in front of you and a head full of ideas. With me, there is excitement and anticipation.

The ideas have to have a setting and characters. With Sci-Fi, there are infinite possibilities.

I often write a beginning that is later superseded by another beginning. Once I get that first sentence down the rest seems to flow. The characters develop, the scenes change, the ideas flow. I struggle to keep up. It becomes like a line of dominoes. One knocks over another which sets two more falling over. I write quickly, trying to keep up with the ideas, following the characters and inventing settings. I work on the principle that with the first rewrite I can expand and fill everything out. It is as if the first draft is a rough sketch that gives the outline of the book. The rewrite starts to fill in the colour.

It is usual for me to increase the word by a good fifty per cent.

The second rewrite will again add a lot more.

The third rewrite is more of an editing process – changing words, altering sentence structure, correcting grammar.

The most important part for me in writing a novel is to get that first sentence down. After that, it is like an egg-timer. The sand grains are the ideas, characters and settings; I just allow them to trickle through until my head is empty.

A Day In The Life of a Writer

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My life revolves around writing. That’s what I do. It’s what gives me pleasure and fulfilment. We all need some reason to get up in the morning. Mine’s writing.

My first task is to check my emails and social media; to answer messages and check out anything that has come through.

I then check my book sales and look for new reviews (I know – sad). New reviews give me a boost. You have to learn to ride the occasional bad one. You can’t please everybody. Sometimes a bad review can stimulate me to return to a book and check. I’ve rewritten one book on the basis of one bad review.

Having cleared the decks I set about writing.

I don’t distinguish between types of writing. I might write a piece for my blog or develop an idea in a novel.

If I am writing a novel I usually get immersed. It takes over. I wake up in the night with ideas. My mind is constantly churning through characters, plot and action. I begrudge any minute not spent writing it down. The ideas flow and take over my life. I’ve learnt to control myself or I wouldn’t have a marriage. I have to moderate.

If I am writing a more factually-based book I might do that in chunks. I will research one aspect and write that up. Not so all-consuming.

I’m very goal orientated. I like to complete a project.

When I am writing the hours flick past. I forget meals and can work deep into the night. It becomes like a meditation. The words are like links in a chain; they pull other words up behind them. Ideas do the same; one leads to a bunch of others. I am a one finger typist but I work at pace. I can type faster than I can write long-hand.

I am usually working on a bunch of projects – novels and books. I always have a poetry book on the go. I have a book called ‘The Death Diaries’ that I add pieces to every now and again. If I an editing I do that in sections then have a break to write something else. I need to do that to keep my mind fresh and focussed. Editing/rewriting is hard. Being objective does not come easy.

Every now and then I break for chores, cooking meals, cleaning, tidying, washing up, shopping. We share a division of labour in my house. It works.

In the evening I try to find time for my wife Liz. We usually watch TV dramas together. Then I might get back to work writing. I find that my energy levels and focus aren’t as good as they were. I can’t work late into the night like I used to do.

I take breaks to listen to some music, to take a walk. I was taking a daily two hour hike but that has lapsed into an hour. I fit my reading into short spells. I always have two or three books on the go.

I suffer with time pressure. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Not every day’s the same. We do fit in gigs, theatre and friends – though not as often as used to be the case.

That’s it.

The life of a writer is very solitary – but it’s not lonely! Too much going on in my head to be lonesome.

The way the writing process works with me.

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I am an obsessive writer. I find writing compulsive.

The first thing that happens is an idea or inspiration will trigger a process in my brain. That might result in a compulsion to write something down immediately in order to capture that idea.

Once the seed is planted the idea may lie dormant in my head for a while. It will require other ideas. It will have created problems that need solving. It will need a setting. It will require characters. It has to have a plot.

On occasion, this all happens at once. I start writing the original idea and the other ideas, characters and plot pile in and I find myself desperately writing to keep up. I am a one-finger typist.

Some of my ideas have lain dormant for years, waiting. I find myself mulling them over; searching for a way in. It’s similar to looking for a crossword puzzle answer.

Some of my novels are closely plotted. Each chapter laid out complete with pen pictures of characters and settings. Other books flow organically. The characters appear fully formed; I have a picture in my head of the story and the ending; I merely allow it to flow.

Writing like this is the easy part. I find it joyful and fulfilling. The novel consumes me. Nothing else is of importance. I wake up in the night with my head buzzing with ideas, developments and solutions. I cannot wait to get writing. Often minor characters grow into major ones. Characters change and develop. Plots change. A novel takes on a life of its own.

Left completely to my own devices (which is rare) I will write from morning into the night until exhausted with just short breaks for coffee or a snatched snack.

A day’s work would result in between thirty and fifty pages.

I do not reread or edit as I write. I allow the novel to flow out of my mind on to the paper.

I find the process very satisfying.

The day starts with a blank screen. By the end of the day, I have created the start of a world. By the end of a few weeks, I have created a whole world.

But that is the beginning, that is the pleasure. It is what happens next where the real work begins.

Writing a Book takes a Team!!

Posted on by Opher

What is quite apparent is that writing a book requires a team of people. Rarely does one person have a complete skill set to handle the task.

Writing a book entails:

Having the imagination to envisage the novel.

Having the ability to create a plot.

Having the writing ability to create interest in a reader.

Being able to invent characters.

Being perceptive to see flaws in the plot.

Having the knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling to be able to correct mistakes.

Possessing the ability to make the language flow and create pace.

Being able to describe the novel in such a way as to create interest without introducing spoilers.

To possess the artistic skills to design a cover.

To build up the social media connections and other media connections to market the book.

Creative people rarely have the objectivity or skills to redraft, edit or see the flaws in their writing. They require a methodical editor to point out necessary improvements and corrections.

A person skilled at writing may not be at all skilled at design or even able to create an enticing and succinct back cover blurb.

Building up social networks, writing press releases, doing book signings and developing contacts, takes time. Most writers would rather be writing and might well be hopeless at communicating in other ways.

A team can hone and present a book to optimise its potential.

Writing a good book and selling it requires a good team. That’s why writers form relationships with publishers and Literary Agents.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Ron+Forsythe&ref=nb_sb_noss_2