Tips for Writing Speculative Fiction

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-five years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their children, a Maltese Menace, and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. She can be found at:
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Reviewers call Ronie's newest release, EMBERS, "Simply amazing!" 

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For some, the term "speculative" fiction may be new. For others, it's an all-inclusive term indicating stories that are fantasy, science fiction, supernatural/paranormal, etc. I've written twelve novels and nearly a half-dozen novellas in the last five years since my first title debuted, but now I'm also delighted for my speculative novels see the ink of publication. In doing so, I've become more aware than ever that there is always something new to learn. 

So, I invited several friends, who are writing or have written speculative fiction, to share a tip for writing in this unique genre. It's kind of interesting, seeing their answers. None of them knew what the other would write, and it might appear that some contradict each other  But I say--Not so!! For each writer, there is a "perfect" way to write. Hopefully some of these tips will resonate with your style and give you a boost. They sure helped me! 

Speculative Writing Tips

Tosca Lee - New York Times Best-Selling author

Here’s the thing about this genre. It’s so easy to get lost in world-building and research (and don’t let anyone tell you there isn’t research in speculative fiction!). But at some point, it has to stop. Give yourself a time limit and stick to it. Go absolutely crazy crafting your world’s culture, technology, history and language—but stop at the end of the allotted time. Setting the stage is vitally important—but it’s what happens on that stage that counts.

R.J. Anderson - YA Fiction
Author of Rebel

My tip for spec fic writers would be that in all the big sweeping, epic events of your story, don't forget the small, everyday details -- the food your characters eat, the clothes they wear, the way they squabble with other family members or banter with friends, and so on. Because it's those little things that convince readers to suspend their disbelief, and make your characters' lives and experiences feel real. Even in books as tightly written as C.S. Lewis's series, for instance, which are a lot shorter than most modern fantasy, we have descriptions of the miserable tedious hotness of crossing a desert on foot, the squelchy way packets of freshly cut up bear meat feel in one's pockets (Prince Caspian), and a lesson in the importance of cleaning your sword after a battle (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe). Those moments may not seem to advance the story, but they anchor it and ground it for the reader. An ounce of reality is worth a pound of made-up technobabble.

Joseph Bentz - Fantasy 
Author of Dreams of Caladria

Each type of speculative fiction has its own challenges, but when it comes to fantasy, which is the category in which my novel, Dreams of Caladria (Enclave, 2015) fits, the first tip I would give is to not let the world you create get out of control. Rather than telling a story set within a world that already exists, most fantasy writers are creating a new world from the ground up, and the temptation is to want to tell everything about that world and to let the story sprawl. The first draft of my novel was more than 1,200 pages long, not because the story itself needed to be that long, but because I loved this world and wanted to immerse myself and the reader in it in every way possible. I took those 1,200 pages and rewrote the story from scratch, focusing the plot much more carefully. The shorter version made a much better book. The leftover material is not wasted. It’s still there for use—or at least inspiration—for future books.  

J. Wesley Bush - Science Fiction 

Author of Knox's Irregulars

I think one key to writing speculative fiction, particularly fantasy, urban fantasy, or superheroic fiction, is to strike a balance between the classic and the new. If a novel relies too much on standard tropes, it feels stale, but if nothing is familiar, the reader can easily grow disoriented and frustrated. In my latest fantasy novel, I've included a fair number of classic fantasy creatures, and elements of ancient and medieval cultures, but with a strict rule: any genre tropes have to be given a fresh, creative twist. My dwarves are 'dweorgs,' a cursed race devoid of music or joy and covered in rocky exoskeletons. My hero belongs to a nation of horse lords, but they roam a savanna rather than the steppe. It's great to build your world with classic parts, but be sure to give them a fresh polishing first.

Morgan Busse - Fantasy
Author of the Follower of the Word series

Enjoy “imagining” when writing your speculative novel. That is one of things I love best about writing fantasy or steampunk or even science fiction: asking "what if?" and then placing it in my story. What if there was a race of people who could feel the moods of the ocean and their eyes changed color? What if you could visit other people’s dreams? What if you were the last unicorn? It doesn’t have to be the main part of the plot, it can just be a small aspect of your novel. Maybe dogs can talk in your otherwise contemporary romance novella. Whatever the case, don’t be afraid to open yourself to your imagination and dream!

Serena Chase - Fantasy 
Author of The Sunken Realm

No matter how far “out-there” we go with our settings, characters, and plots, our wild and wily weirdness has to be countered by something relatable to the reader’s concrete reality. This is most easily done relationally, but for a story to satisfy in an emotive and reader-inclusive way, a reader’s known reality also needs to be revisited in moments—in beats and pauses—in which the establishing of daily habits and rituals within the characters’ (or the world’s) reality identify a slightly displaced or mirrored “normal” the reader already knows. Even hardcore high-spec readers who easily adapt to strange spellings and all manner of otherworldliness will abandon a series if they can’t find a familiar door by which they can enter the heart of the world and its main characters. Balancing the far-reaches of imagination with the at-home reality of habit and ritual invites readers into your world.

Shannon Dittemore - YA Fiction
Author of Dark Halo  

When you feel like the least creative soul on the planet, when sitting and writing feel like a waste, give your fingers a chance to prove you wrong. 
We absorb so many moments in our day-to-day living and when filtered through the unique sieve we each carry between our ears, it's often the simple commitment of time that proves we do, in fact, have a little magic stored up inside.

Sharon Hinck - Contemporary Fantasy
Author of The Deliverer

Writers of historical fiction are familiar with the hazards of gathering piles of fascinating research -- so fascinating that they want to include it all in the novel. The best writers are careful to ration the details to those that directly enrich the story without bogging down the pace or showing off the research. Speculative fiction has a similar hazard. We create complex worlds with their own geography, politics, science, and cultures. We draw maps for ourselves, develop richly woven histories. But if we include too much of that detail in the story we can lose the engagement with characters and the emotional impact of the story. It's wonderful for the author to create reams of detailed information--and then NOT include it all in the book. Include only the details that serve the story and the reader.

Ronie Kendig - Speculative Fiction 
Author of Embers

RULES. It might seem counter-intuitive, but make sure you have rules to the unique world you're building. For example, in Embers, my characters can harness and wield heat/fire, but there are rules that guide their wielding, both how and where. I confess when I first starting writing this story, I simply wanted to enjoy the story, so much of the editing process with my amazing editor (waving to Reagan!!) was pushing me to define the rules of the world my characters live in. So, now, I encourage writers to define those as you go and save yourself heartache (and desperate need for chocolate and Starbucks) later! 

Sarah E. Morin
Author of Waking Beauty

Draw maps. I resisted the urge for years, even though many fantasy novels I read began with gorgeous, oldey-timey maps. Why? It felt – pretentious? Maybe I was simply intimidated. But building your world includes geography. My two main kingdoms were at war over an enchanted forest. Well, what stopped the mightier one from simply invading? A mountain range? Lack of seaports? A cold climate could affect what plants and animals thrived there, therefore what they wore, ate, their houses. Midway through writing Waking Beauty, I slapped together a map with purple triangles for mountains and green circles for trees, and slid the shapes around until the plot points meshed. Would my map ever appear in a book? No. But the exercise made me rewrite some key details. You don’t have to be a cartographer to benefit from this exercise. And don’t forget to throw in the occasional, “Here there be dragons.”

John Otte - Science Fiction
Author of The Hive

When you’re writing a speculative fiction story, you’re going to create a fantastical world filled with wonder and awesomeness. If you’ve done your world-building right, you’ll want to share your incredible creation with your readers, every single little corner of it. In a word, don’t. Resist the urge to explain every little facet of your magic system, world history, culture and language. Let the readers explore it on their own and figure out how it works. Brandon Sanderson did this in his Mistborn trilogy. He showed us mistborn and metalminds at work before he gave us any sort of explanation. Do the same thing. Let your readers go on a journey with your characters and discover the world you’ve created with them.

Paul Regnier - Science Fiction 
Author of Space Drifters - The Emerald Enigma

Instructional books on speculative fiction writing can be a valuable step in your writing journey. However, sometimes all the “rules” can leave you a little dizzy. If you’ve ever tried to implement the litany of techniques needed for a perfect baseball or golf swing and ended up with a rigid, mechanical effort, you know the feeling. 

Sometimes writers have that same rigid feeling with their stories. The desire to follow all the recommended techniques is daunting and leaves the stories sounding a bit too assembled. 

When that kind of “writer’s stiffness” sets in, I recommend returning to that state of mind you had when you first started writing. The pure joy of diving into a story before you knew all the rules.

I’m not suggesting discarding the guidelines for proper and powerful fiction. Just don’t forget to stick close to the reason you started writing in the first place.

Jill Williamson - Fantasy 
Author of Darkness Reigns (free e-book)

The point of writing fiction is to entertain. Readers won’t care much for your amazing storyworld if you don’t have interesting characters and an engaging plot. So build storyworld elements around plot and characters, and write your story as if your reader already knows your world. This should keep you from info-dumping storyworld elements. You might have to add some details here and there during the rewrite stage, but starting with less should keep you from overdoing it. 

When you rewrite, make a list of elements that still need to be added in, then brainstorm ways that each might tie in with characters, the overall plot, or subplots, then work in those that feel natural. But keep in mind that some elements might not find a place. And that’s okay. Use what fits naturally and doesn’t feel forced. Leave the rest out.

Are you a speculative author and have a tip? Please share in the comments!

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The Uber Imaginative Tosca Lee

by Yvonne Lehman

Tosca Lee is the multi award-winning, New York Times bestselling novelist of Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, and The Books of Mortals series (Forbidden, Mortal, Sovereign) with New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker. She is best known for her exploration of maligned characters, lyrical prose and meticulous research. Tosca received her B.A. in English and International Relations from Smith College and has also studied at Oxford University. A former first runner-up to Mrs. United States and lifelong world adventure/traveler, Tosca makes her home in the Midwest. For more on Tosca, please visit her website.  

Ismeni

2015 ECPA book of the year finalist and 2014 Library Journal top pick The Legend of Sheba releases in paperback May 19. Ismeni, the FREE eBook prequel to The Legend of Sheba is available anywhere eBooks are sold. Tosca’s previous novel, Iscariot, the first-hand story of the infamous betrayer of Christ, won 2014 ECPA book of the year.

The Legend of Sheba

960 BC. The king of Sheba is dead and Bilqis, his exiled daughter, has gained the crown after a desperate overland march and battle for the capital. Solomon, the brash king of Israel famous for his wealth and wisdom, will not be denied the tribute of the world—or the riches of Sheba. With the future of her nation at stake, the one woman who can match wits with Solomon undertakes the journey of a lifetime in a daring bid save her kingdom.

An explosive retelling of the legendary king and queen, and the nations that shaped history. 

Fun facts about Tosca

• This former first runner-up Mrs. United States hates washing her hair and regularly posts candid working shots on her Facebook Writer-Cam. Yes, she is usually wearing the same outfit two days in a row.
• Tosca’s mother is Caucasian and her father is Korean. They were denied a marriage license on the basis of race in 1968. Growing up as a bi-racial child in the 70s, Tosca experienced racism first-hand.
• Tosca is the stepmother to four kids ages 11 (twins) to 19.
• As a classically trained ballerina, she danced semi-professionally at the age of 14 until injuries took their toll and sidelined career aspirations. The idea of writing novels came later, in college.
• Her first writing job was on the staff of Smart Computing magazine in the early 90s. Yup, she’s a nerd.
• She is a boxing fan and loves to shoot stuff—most notably, exploding targets. She also loves to fish. Cleaning fish, not so much. 

Yvonne Lehman is an award-winning, best-selling author of more than 3,000,000 books in print, who founded and directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for 25 years, is now director of the Blue Ridge “Autumn in the Mountains” Novelist Retreat. She mentors for the Christian Writers Guild. She earned a Master’s Degree in English from Western Carolina University and has taught English and Creative Writing on the college level. Her latest releases include eight ebooks for Barbour’s Truly Yours line and a Harlequin/Heartsong series set in Savannah GA: The Caretaker’s Son, Lessons in Love, Seeking Mr. Perfect, (released in March, August, & November 2013). Her 50^th novel is Hearts that Survive – A Novel of the TITANIC

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FEAR!!!

Late one night while I was writing my second novel, Havah, I dragged myself home from from a business trip—tired, bloated, grouchy, stinky…  and on deadline. I had two solid days at home before my next work trip, and 5,000 words to write.

Why then, the next day, did I want to do nothing but pick my cuticles, read my mail and watch the SyFy channel?

Fatigue is probably among the top three reasons not to write on any writer’s procrastination list (along with sudden onset of gout, spontaneous junk drawer cleaning and inspection of the hair follicles on one’s knees).

Fatigue, I am used to. I confronted it in my days of technical writing, during Demon’s early drafts (which took place during my divorce, in the midst of a move, and against the backdrop of a full-time on-the-road consulting job). I was published, wise to the ways of writerly misconduct and on to myself.

So how, then, did I find it especially convenient to contemplate the merits of dying my hair purple again? Why the sudden fascination with the more obscure features of the DVR menu and, when duty kicked in and I sat down at my desk, the sense that I was digging my heels in like a mangy shar pei on his way to the groomers?

Because I was afraid.

I could not admit that it was fear that had crept up the back of my calves and twined about my waist and latched on with tiny suckers to the back of my skull. But that’s what it was, whispering that I was a poser, questioning my word choice, my sanity, and whether I was dying of a rare skin-eating disease and just didn’t know it.

I know of only two ways to remedy fear. The first is to pray. Prayer, I find, requires a certain amount of honesty—or as much as we have at the moment.

Secondly, write. That’s what we do.

Also, stop thinking about your readers. I’m sure there’s something patently wrong with this advice, but it’s the only thing that got me through Havah. Because somehow, thinking about what my editor, my mom, pastor, English teachers, and neighbors would think really wasn’t helping.

Write with all the uncensored honesty you have. Pour out the beauty, the ugliness, the questions, and bleed the fear. Time enough for censoring later (there was plenty of that with Havah, too). I meant it in the dedication when I said I wrote that book for you, but while I was working, you were not with me. I was alone in the beginning of the world with the adam, and with God.

Perfectionism… I’m not sure it’s all bad, personally. My friends will argue that I’m this side of mentally ill, but I’d like to think there’s genius in and time for perfectionism. Nitpicking has its place. But it isn’t while you’re writing. Honesty is messy. Let it out.

In the end, we are the only ones who jointly own this thing we have done in conjunction with the creative hand of God. In the end, you are the one sitting alone, naked with The One. Like a prayer prayed out loud for the benefit of others, we are the ones who suffer the loss of that intimacy if we worry about sounding right to those around us.

So go ahead. Pray, be honest, and keep writing.

TOSCA LEE left her position working with Fortune 500 Companies as a Senior Consultant for the Gallup Organization to pursue her first love: writing. She is the critically-acclaimed author of Demon and Havah and is best known for her humanizing portraits of maligned characters. She makes her home in the Midwest.

TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels with a total of more than 5 million books in print. He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil.

FORBIDDEN
By Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

Many years have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace... and fear. But a terrible secret has been closely guarded for centuries: Every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.

Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a piece of cryptic writing. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life. When decoded, the message will lead him on a perilous journey that will require him to abandon everything he has ever known and awaken humanity to the transforming power of true life and love.

But the blood will also resurrect hatred, ambition, and greed.

Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare to take the ride.

"...mammoth twists and head-pounding turns that will have readers and book clubs debating the roles of emotion and logic that drive human existence." (Publishers Weekly )

"FORBIDDEN: The Books of Mortals rocks with the same level of intensity and brilliance as Dekker's Circle Series. Riveting, resounding, and a magnificent blend of Dekker's and Lee's styles. I devoured FORBIDDEN." (James L. Rubart, bestselling author )

The characters are so well developed, the pacing breathtaking, and the storyline so utterly satisfying that I am in tears that its sequel, Mortal, is not yet available. I just have one thing to say after reading Forbidden—it’s good to be ALIVE!" -- Ronie Kendig, author of Digitalisand Wolfsbane

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