Stellar Tips for Writing a Great Science Fiction Book as a Beginner Stellar Tips for Writing a Great Science Fiction Book as a Beginner

Flynn Hannan
Writers Republic
Published in
3 min readMar 31, 2023

When it comes to choosing a genre to write as a beginner, you could seldom go wrong with writing a science fiction book. It is fun to write, and there are many opportunities for you to gain a following. If you are just starting out, you may find it challenging. You should have a set strategy before you start. Here are some stellar tips for writing a great science fiction book as a beginner.

1. Read examples of great science fiction

If you want to create truly great science fiction, you should get inspiration from the very best. Remember that there are already countless science fiction books published. If you want your own science fiction to stand out from the competition, you should come up with something original.

By reading examples of great science fiction you will at least get an idea of what comprises great science fiction, while also spotting which tropes have been used too much.

2. Choose a fitting main concept

After doing your research on the many kinds of science fiction, it is important that you choose a fitting main concept for your work of science fiction. When you choose your main concept, you should ensure that it is as unique as possible.

Countless works of science fiction are already in print, so your work needs to be as unique as possible. Take your time and try to brainstorm a main concept that you could build your entire story on.

3. Choose a sub-genre

While you are writing for the science fiction genre, you should also understand that there are various sub-genres that comprise the umbrella term science fiction. These sub-genres include space operas, soft science, hard science, steampunk, and dystopian, to name but a few.

When you choose the sub-genre, you should take your time and do your research. This is very important because your choice of sub-genre will also affect your target market.

4. Give word building a try

A great thing about writing science fiction is that you are given the opportunity to build entire worlds, just with the power of your imagination and writing skills.

When you do world building, you should remember that it takes time. You won’t really be able to finish the world building process in just a day. You will need to invest a great deal of time and effort to create a world that your storyline will take place in, and your characters will inhabit.

5. Details are key

When it comes to writing great science fiction, the details are very important. This is because you will be writing about a myriad of science fiction concepts.

For example, you are writing about a space battle. While you could write about a fleet of spaceships blasting at one another in outer space, your readers will definitely want more details.

You should write down what type of spaceships are doing battle. Your description should include their features, history, and combat capabilities. You should also show the factions that are taking part in the outer space battle.

6. Ease your readers into the story

You should make it a point to ease your readers into the story. Don’t just dump them into a storyline. Provide as much exposition as possible. This includes the backstories of certain important characters, the current situation of the main characters, and the conflict that the characters are likely to face.

7. Take time to craft great characters

Your characters are also a very important aspect of writing a science fiction book. Remember that you will not only be creating worlds, you will also be creating great characters to inhabit them. Please remember that your readers will see your story through your character’s eyes.

As a rule, your characters should be as interesting as possible. However, you should not make your characters too perfect. Remember that readers prefer characters that are relatable. This makes the characters easier to root for and like.

Conclusion

If you are just starting out, writing a science fiction book could be daunting. This is understandable because there are many aspects of writing a science fiction book that you will have to take into account. With these tips, you’ll have a chance of writing a great science fiction book of your own.

--

--

Flynn Hannan
Writers Republic

Bibliophile , Senior Indie Editor at Writers Republic