A while back (longer than I care to admit) I came across the term "causal loop" while researching some cool ideas for a science fiction short story. Against my better judgement I decided to write a story where the main twist revolves around a causal loop. That story is... still in the works, but I … Continue reading What Is A Causal Loop in Science Fiction?
Category: writing
First Writing Update of the Year!
In the spirit of an earlier post, here's my first writing update of the year, the January edition! So for context I started working on a math fiction/fantasy/science fiction book a while back, and while I finished the first draft a few years back, I only started on the edits while in my undergraduate. I've … Continue reading First Writing Update of the Year!
Soft Science Fiction: What You Need to Know
A little while ago I wrote a post about hard science fiction and its characteristics, and I wanted to do the same with soft science fiction. Because the two couldn't be more different, fundamentally. To recap, hard science fiction is science fiction where the science and tech could theoretically happen in the real world. So … Continue reading Soft Science Fiction: What You Need to Know
Submissions: Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary Journals
As the holidays approach, I realized just how busy it's going to be in the next couple weeks for everyone. I may or may not be able to post next Saturday, so in the meantime, I thought I would take the time to create a little list of some science fiction and fantasy literary journals … Continue reading Submissions: Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary Journals
Basics of Worldbuilding (ft. Natasha Pulley)
I probably should have posted this last week but anyway. While I was back at Cambridge, one of the lectures I attended was focused on worldbuilding and how to build fictional worlds in any genre. The guest lecturer, Natasha Pulley, introduced a ton of great concepts that I want to share with you now that … Continue reading Basics of Worldbuilding (ft. Natasha Pulley)
Hard Science Fiction: What You Need to Know
The Science Behind Writing If you're new to the science fiction world, whether you want to write science fiction or you're interested in reading major works in the genre, know that there's a key distinction within the genre. I'm talking hard science fiction versus soft science fiction. I'll just stick with hard science fiction today. … Continue reading Hard Science Fiction: What You Need to Know
The Secret Sauce to Being a Good Writer – Michael Mohr
Hello everyone! I'm back from Cambridge, so be on the lookout for more information and fun stuff based on fiction, worldbuilding, and more, including guest lecturers and authors! In the meantime, jetlag and decorating for Christmas have hijacking my schedule, so I thought I would share another awesome article from the Jane Friedman blog I … Continue reading The Secret Sauce to Being a Good Writer – Michael Mohr
Why Mathematics Belongs in Fiction – Part 2
Math and Magic? Let's talk some more about math and fiction. First off, you can find my website here, which includes my latest chapbook at Yavanika Press! And check out where you can buy that chapbook with this link. I recently did a deep dive into the history of mathematics for book writing purposes, and I … Continue reading Why Mathematics Belongs in Fiction – Part 2
Here’s What Happens when You Overcomplicate Sci-fi and Fantasy
Writing Complex Stories vs. Confusing Stories Fantasy and science fiction as writing genres hold so many possibilities when it comes to creating a vibrant story (not that other genres don't). I'm just saying that because both genres produce works that focus on worldbuilding and rich descriptions, writers' minds go crazy with creating their own universes. … Continue reading Here’s What Happens when You Overcomplicate Sci-fi and Fantasy
The Mathematics of a Strong Plot
Let's do something scary and think of a plot as a math problem. Don't run! I promise I'm just trying to make this easier to understand. Putting things into a different perspective, if you will. Because when you boil down a plot into its simplest components, it becomes almost like a simple one plus one … Continue reading The Mathematics of a Strong Plot