Student Questions, Part 3

What kind of research goes into worldbuilding for your science fiction stories such as It’s Over or It’s Eden?

I always start new science fiction projects with a month of research to bolster everything
in the novel from how a society might function under certain constraints or how to colonize new planets. Of course, no one’s colonized a new planet that we know of, so there’s rarely cut and dry answers. Instead, I stay fluid with my research with a variety of
articles, books, and documentaries and take threads from each to weave my story.

Do you keep up with technological news, research, etc for inspiration?

It’s an interest area of mine, but outside of official research questions, I consume new
updates in a passive way. Rarely will I see a new story that sparks a short story idea.
Instead, simple moments passing through ordinary life are the prompts behind much of my work—I had the idea for It’s Over or It’s Eden while standing in the shower, thinking about where Hollywood alien invasion movies go wrong.

When you incorporate aspects like AI, is there anxiety that you’re able to vent through your writing?

There’s a thematic undercurrent of AI in Landsome Roads actually. You might not expect that in a fantasy romance, but my main character is an accountant worrying her job’s going to be replaced by AI. It’s one of the real world issues that’s driving her to books.

I explore a lot of themes that worry me—climate change, gender inequality, poverty.
Writing brings me closer, not to an answer perhaps, but to closer stating the question at
least in a way I can see it more clearly.

What types of connections have you made as a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association? Are those connections mentors, readers, editors, etc?

Oh, so many and I’ve only been a member for a short time. The Nebula Conference hosted by SFWA was particularly helpful in meeting like-minded writers, but SFWA also has a formal mentor program and many resources via committee or individual offerings. I’ve been able to participate on some panels, offer a few gratis coaching sessions, and look forward to plugging in more.

What are your thoughts on the spike in romantasy and science fiction sales in the
past few years? Does this inform your creative and business decisions at all?

Romantasy is a huge driver of sales, however science fiction, while it remains popular,
isn’t seeing the same spike. I’m hearing from a variety of industry professionals that
science fiction feels flat right now while fantasy is having a moment.

The surge in romantic fantasy certainly influenced me, but that’s not because I’m chasing a trend for book sales, but because I’m a reader of the genre.

It takes a long time to write a book and a similarly long time to produce, market, and
publish a book, so if a writer is trying to hop on a trend they see is hot now, they’ll probably be two years too late. I think it’s better to hone and follow your own instincts regarding content. Leave your awareness of sales trends for the shorter term decisions.

When writing SFF novels, what kind of editorial feedback do you usually receive? Do you often find yourself torn between telling the story you love and crafting one that’s more in line with mainstream interests?

I’ve been on both sides of the page as a writer and an editor, and believe that the best
editorial conversations come when both are working towards the same vision. It’s not that an editor will try to change a project from something they don’t like to something they do, but that the editor is trying to help the writer tell the best version of their story. Help them stay most true to what the author is trying to achieve.

It’s true that to get to that stage, especially in traditional publishing, a lot of ideas get cut
early on, while others get shuffled to the front. An agent will lend support to an idea they think is timely, an editor at a publishing house will decide not to purchase a manuscript they think isn’t.

In independent publishing, an author makes that decision and sometimes writers are blinded by the need to get their work out into the world and can’t publish impartially. That’s why a team is important even in self-publishing, and how necessary it is for writers to have strong creative instincts.

Which takes us to our next question.

How do you write books that you know will impress the readers?

1. Going about my daily life, I get a flash of a character. Sometimes that’s it. The idea is used up. But, if I feel curious about how that character navigates a problem, then,

2. I live with the idea for months, thinking about how that certain character might
resolve issues in front of them, visualize some of the scenes of the book, and generally let it muddle around. Then,

3. When I’m next looking at my work calendar or nearing completion on a project
and think, “What’s next?”, I already have a supply of ideas to choose from. I usually know which one to work on next, we’ll say by instinct. The reality is, that instinct is mostly what I feel excited to write about. I’m a reader too, so I bet that there are other readers who will like to read what I like to read. Still,

4. When I start the process, I think a lot about who I’m writing for. Me, but also
different versions of me. The Rebecca that wants to read something short and spooky? Or the one that wants something long and cerebral? Or romantic? Then I think about what readers might also want to read that thing and build a summary of that ideal reader to help guide to project.

As you can guess, the next steps are to write the actual thing, and when it comes to
writing something a stranger (who doesn’t love you for you or even know you) will pay good money to read…well. That’s about three months of drafting, six more of editing, support from various paid editorial professionals, and a lot of creative purpose.

Are there themes or topics within SFF becoming underrepresented or overused?

It’s hard for a trope to be overused. The important thing is to always make it new. After Anne Rice, who thought the world would be ready for even more vampires? But we were—sparkly vampires.

What is your opinion on the balance between originality and following tropes in your writing? When do you feel you’ve struck that balance?

I’ll answer this question as an editor rather than writer because we know writers are
fallible and editors never are.

If I’m editing a manuscript and can guess what the character is going to do (huge sea creature comes out of the ocean and rampages the seaside village), the writer’s missed their mark. But, if they’ve surprised me (schools of unknown sea creatures rise up from the ocean and begin writing warnings of annihilation in the clouds), they’ve done their job.

It’s important to be extremely well-read in your chosen genre and be okay with discarding ideas bogged down by too many outside influences.

Are science fiction and fantasy usually grouped together in the publishing world? Does that affect how hard it is to stand out in either genre?

You will often see science fiction and fantasy placed next to each other at bookstores. My public library doesn’t even differentiate between the two, they’re all in the same category section. Yet, they’re different. Many fantasy readers won’t touch science fiction and vice versa. 

Still, the unifying attribute is they’re “speculative”.

There’s a lot of momentum in the fantasy world right now so while it’s not easy to stand out in either, there’s more to stand on in fantasy.

Are there any genres that self-publishing seems to really suit, or others you really wouldn’t recommend trying to self-publish?

Yes, what we call genre fiction, that is romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and
horror do well as indie books. I think that’s due to those genres being more easily marketed (if I pick up a horror book, I generally know what I’m in for and for that reason might be more willing to try a new or unknown author).

I see a lot of authors also self-publishing children’s books, business, memoir, poetry, and much more. I think any genre can be successful in self-publishing, but one of the keys is building a backlist—you’ve got to give readers a variety of outlets through which they can stumble upon your work—and some genres (like memoir) don’t lend themselves easily to multiple books. That’s like making one painting and believing the art world is going to sit up and take notice. Writing is a craft and career and must be practiced continuously.

What are some ways to make your novel stand out? I’m interested in both the story itself and aspects like visual design and marketing strategy.

There’s a lot to discuss here, but at the root of it there’s a few standards I’ve found worth following:

1. An easily-communicated yet interesting story premise (AKA a good hook)

2. An excellent cover

3. An excellent first chapter

4. A writer who’s equally comfortable talking about her work in person and as online

5. A writer with a driving vision for growth (Something didn’t work? Good. Try again)

What would you say to a writer who is just starting to dive into fantasy?

Read, write, submit. Don’t give up.

Find more tips about the writing process on ConquerBooks.com, Rebecca’s book coaching firm.