Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (Self-Counsel Writing) [Paperback]

Crawford Kilian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998 | Series: Self-Counsel Writing

Are you struggling to get started on your first science fiction or fantasy novel? Stuck at chapter two and need a fresh approach? Find new direction with this unique guide to creating original and convincing stories. Crawford Kilian offers a clear and straightforward approach to tackling the pitfalls of writing science fiction and fantasy. Coverage includes the origins of science fiction and fantasy, how to use basic science correctly, developing plausible fantasy worlds, and the effective use of symbolism and imagery.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...takes readers from understanding the genre to reaching the published stage...section on "craft of writing" is particularly detailed. -- Capital Parent, March 2001

From the Back Cover

Whether you’re writing science fiction or fantasy, your basic theme is power and how to use it. Your plot is always a political one: who should have the power and on what terms? Maybe your heroes pay a high price for their power; maybe they abandon their power for the sake of love.

If power is your basic theme, your story -- whether a 500-word short-short story or an epic trilogy -- is anecdotal evidence for your particular mythic vision of the world. As a writer of science fiction or fantasy, you tell the reader how your imaginary world works in human terms, what kinds of values best inspire good behavior, what kinds of hazards and personal flaws can subvert such behavior. Your story may take place in a gaudy world of demons and elves or on the satellite of a giant planet 50,000 light-years from here — but it is still a comment about here and now.

Written by the successful author of more than ten science fiction and fantasy novels, Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy takes an in-depth look at these two best-selling genres. Discussing the elements of a successful story, Kilian delves into the conventions of science fiction and fantasy; the hero’s quest; and subgenres, including nanotechnology and sword and sorcery. He also offers expert advice on how to prepare your manuscript for publishers and market it to editors. With this book as a guide, both novice and experienced writers can learn how to get the science and magic right to make their work both a literary and financial success.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Self-Counsel Press (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551801892
• ISBN-13: 978-1551801896
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,865,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the two best references on the subject., July 11, 2005

By 

M. E. Volmar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (Self-Counsel Writing) (Paperback)

After having read almost every available book on writing science fiction and fantasy specifically, I think that the combination of this volume and Orson Scott Card's "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" constitutes the most complete, practical and useful source of advice and information for any writer interested in stepping into or perfecting the craft of writing in either genre, in any form, any length or any language.
This concise, well-organized, excellent reference is written in a warm, enthusiastic and conversational style that's as pleasing to the mind as the voice of a dear friend is to the ears, and you will be drawn to read it cover to cover in just one sitting. But with its highly detailed table of contents and easy-to-use format, it's also perfect if you only want to do a quick check-up or consultation on a specific topic or idea.
The author begins by offering a detailed description of what the genres and subgenres of science fiction and fantasy are, and a general summary of the elements considered to be essential to each - ideas that although seemingly obvious as a starting point for this type of book are surprisingly either just barely touched or completely overlooked on most other titles. He expands on this topic by carefully detailing the relevance and influence that diverse areas of knowledge like mythology, history, sociology, philosophy, science, have on both genres.
Then, he examines a wide variety of subjects on each genre in particular as well as on the craft of writing in general, from idea generation to organization to researching, from character development to point of view to voice, style and tone, from structure to editing to English grammar and punctuation, from word processors and manuscript formatting to work habits. He masterfully uses many excellent examples to illustrate each point being made, and while most are taken from well-known classic and contemporary titles, some are from the author's own works, allowing us a glimpse at the quality of his storytelling abilities.
The section on marketing and publishing is especially helpful to beginners and unpublished writers as it discusses topics like choosing the right market, editor, publisher, and agent, and understanding contracts and copyrights. In the appendix, the lists of related readings and websites are truly an added bonus for those seeking a deeper treatment of any area discussed by the author, and the multiple exercises present throughout the book are a stimulating way to introduce us to some new creative methods for generating story ideas.
While you can't really learn how to write by reading any one reference or any one guide - only lots and lots of writing practice and lots and lots of reading from the genre you want to write in will make you an effective writer - there are a few books that can actually help you polish your craft and fine-tune your ideas, and this is one of those. From reading this book you can expect three basic things: a) to get a clear picture of the craft, business and life of writers; b) to acquire a thorough understanding of the essential elements of the genres and subgenres in both fantasy and science fiction; and c) to discover invaluable, time-tested advice, tips and techniques from a published author on how to improve your craft and avoid some common pitfalls that could hinder your development as a writer.
If you are serious about creating science fiction and fantasy stories fit to print, then get this nifty resource and follow its advice, and you'll stay on the right track, guaranteed.
Also recommended: "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Well-Rounded Resource, July 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (Self-Counsel Writing) (Paperback)

This book includes not only strategies for generating your own worlds, characters, plots, etc. but has practical advice on grammar, manuscript mechanics and how to approach publishers with the finished product. It also includes a cold splash-in-the-face look at one scenario you might go through on the road to publication.

Given that every writing style is a process subjectively arrived at, he still does a great job of making some helpful, objective observations of what good story writing entails. There is the further advantage of being able to track down his fiction to see his approach in action, since he is a published author in the genre.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, entertaining and delightful to read!, April 13, 1999

By 

Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (Self-Counsel Writing) (Paperback)

This book is laced with humor and wisdom. Kilian is experienced in fantasy, hard science fiction, education and children's literature. He explores the mythological basis of fantasy novels, explaining the importance of Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, Egyptian--world mythology, as well as acquiring a strong knowledge of history and philosophies of the world. Equally important to success is a fascination with the genre in which you write. Gaining the information may seem to be an intimidating task; it is necessary.

Kilian includes exercises to help generate writing. I followed these exercises, and wrote with the excitement I had greatly missed. He also explains each step of the creative process from the ideas to the finished product with a brief grammar refresher that is easy to read. The examples are humorous. The importance of proper grammar cannot be overstated if you want your book published.

Kilian expresses a sense of anger, but when tempered by the humor throughout the book, this becomes righteous indignation directed toward those who try to write in the genre without the seriousness to make it believable. Ultimately his anger