Ask HN: I want to write a Sci-fi book. Where do I start? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: I want to write a Sci-fi book. Where do I start?

#11

Post by BryantD » Fri, Oct 11, 2013, 11:42 PM UTC

NSFW, even the URL so I ran it through a shortener you're welcome: http://bit.ly/Zfi1J7 (Chuck Wendig)

Very simple one year plan: write 350 words each weekday. Take the weekend off. Done. Chuck Wendig provides more obscenities, but that's the meat of it.

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Novel-Print-Lawrence-Block/dp/... is a really good book on how to write a publishable novel. Block has written an awful lot of them, some of which are great, some of which were cranked out to pay the rent.

Do not hold yourself to impossible standards. Everyone's first million words are not so great. (Some of them still get published, which is OK.)

Write, keep writing, revise, find discipline.

Re: Ask HN: I want to write a Sci-fi book. Where do I start?

#12

Post by mdc » Sat, Oct 12, 2013, 2:57 AM UTC

Stephen King wrote a book called On Writing that is part memoir and part guide to writing. It's not intended to be a full writing course, but it's a great intro to the important bits presented in a really entertaining way.

I also really like the Self-Publishing Podcast. If you're interested in being an indie author rather than pursuing traditional publishing, it's a fantastic look at three guys finding their way in that industry. The Writing Excuses podcast (recommended earlier by joanofarf) is a better podcast for the craft of writing, but I find the Self-Publishing guys both entertaining and inspirational.

Re: Ask HN: I want to write a Sci-fi book. Where do I start?

#13

Post by xauronx » Sat, Oct 12, 2013, 3:57 AM UTC

EliRivers wrote: post #8

Do you want to write a sci-fi book, or do you want to have written a sci-fi book? Serious question, big difference. If it's the former, just start writing. Just start. Pen and paper, laptop, typewriter, sketchpad with outlines on, anything and everything. Write because that's what you want to do. Cross bits out and throw them away and redo them and change things and add things and cut them out again, because what you…

Your first question hit me right where it hurts. I'm not a writer, I'm not even social and I suck at telling stories. However, I've always wanted to "write a book". I have a story in mind, I feel like there's no way I couldn't do it. A while back I sat down and started writing... and I wrote a bit and stopped. Then I tried again. And I realized, I don't want to WRITE, I want to have a book.

Re: Ask HN: I want to write a Sci-fi book. Where do I start?

#14

Post by fractallyte » Sat, Oct 12, 2013, 8:32 AM UTC

Heinlein's advice for aspiring writers, retold by Robert Sawyer:

http://www.sfwriter.com/ow05.htm

Re: Ask HN: I want to write a Sci-fi book. Where do I start?

#15

Post by dorfuss » Sun, Oct 13, 2013, 8:00 AM UTC

And then, if you want to publish it, you should read some of the articles from this website: http://www.fonerbooks.com/pod.htm

Re: Ask HN: I want to write a Sci-fi book. Where do I start?

#16

Post by lsiebert » Sun, Oct 13, 2013, 10:59 PM UTC

The practice of writing is, in fact, about practice. It is a craft, and you need to work at it. Writers have peer review workshops (like Clarion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarion_Workshop which is for aspiring scifi/fantasy writers) they have editors who know how to make a good idea better, clearer, etc.

Don't worry that your writing isn't great. Get the ideas out, hammer out a story, don't prematurely optimize. Refactoring is something you'll do later. But definitely write every day, or at least sit at a desk. You won't know what to start with... If you are idea based, you will probably lack for characters, plot, scenery. Don't worry, you can work on that as you go.

But fundamentally, write, then write, then write some more.