Do you write scifi or fantasy and why? - RPG Crossing
RPG Crossing Home Forums Create An Account! Site Rules & Help

RPG Crossing
Go Back   RPG Crossing > Discussions > The Library > Library Archives
twitter facebook mastodon bluesky

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old Jan 20th, 2007, 07:17 PM
Meatball's Avatar
Meatball Meatball is offline
Very Young Dragon
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: Sep 11th, 2007
RPXP: 0
Meatball
Posts: 13
Do you write Sci-Fi or Fantasy and why?

Just thought I'd throw this topic out there and see what people's preferences are. Do you generally write sci-fi based or fantasy based material? What makes you choose that?

For me, I started mostly writing fantasy. My original writings were based around actual in game experiences I had in Fantasy RPG's and that gave me good background material to work off of.

But I'm finding lately that writing sci-fi is easier for me. I think people are so used to technology taking leaps and bounds nowadays, that you can easily create advanced technology using a bit of current technology and some extrapolation of where it could end up.

Fantasy on the other hand, you either need to just force the reader to accept the fact that magic or monsters are just the way it is in your world or you need to go into great detail explaining the mechanics of why things are the way they are.

Last edited by Meatball; Jan 20th, 2007 at 07:17 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old Jan 20th, 2007, 07:32 PM
Treslo Kresha's Avatar
Treslo Kresha Treslo Kresha is offline
☼Words Paint☼
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: Sep 18th, 2021
RPXP: 70
Treslo Kresha
Posts: 972
I personally enjoy writing sci-fi more than fantasy. Yet each one has its place in my love of writing.
As you say in Sci-fi you are able to draw off of the current state of things and look ahead. Although you also have the ability to work an entirely new world and make people accept your explanations as their own, just as with any fantasy work. Sci-fi is easily identified with depending on what you want it to be, or it can be the most complex and confusing thing imaginable as some of the singularity books are.

Fantasy I think is very very saturated right now, and sadly I am finding less and less fantasy that I can call truly novel or inspiring. Yet - there is a whole lot of talent pouring into it daily and I see many things that I like. I think that fantasy and all its tie-ins are experiencing some growing pains, as people see the possibility for a lot of benefit after Potter, Eragon, and LoTR have gotten so big with movies recently. Many people just rework what has already been there - but I think it is going to give rise to a whole new wave of fantasy that will show us whole new ways of thinking about the style.

I think the biggest thing with either is that you have to be willing to push yourself and push what is 'safe' sometimes the most extreme ideas are the more interesting ones to read - sometimes not. Its a balancing act, always.
__________________
Easy, Quality Maps for All
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old Jan 21st, 2007, 02:31 AM
Medesha's Avatar
Medesha Medesha is offline
She's a genius.
Event Judge  

Former Staff
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: Jul 7th, 2018
RPXP: 6023
Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha Medesha
Posts: 6,351
I love reading sci-fi but I've never been very good at writing it. Probably because I'm not very "scientific." I tried to write a story once where I did the writing and my husband supplied the science; it was fun but I haven't finished it. I started it three years ago. :blush:
__________________
RPGX Podcast with Amber E. Scott
RPG freelance writer: follow me at Amber E. Scott for updates about writing and the RPG industry
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old Jan 21st, 2007, 03:23 AM
orcbane's Avatar
orcbane orcbane is offline
Pronouns: he/him/precious
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: Mar 26th, 2024
RPXP: 12504
orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane orcbane
Posts: 8,719
I write Fantasy and Horror (stylized after Poe and Lovecraft. I'm not a fan of modern horror). I've dabbled in Sci-fi, but anytime I try to write anything besides Star Wars Fanfic, it comes out as Space Fantasy.

I usually go for an unrefined style. My fantasy tends to be reminiscent of fairy tales with a focus of mysterious, unexplained phenomina. I'm not a big fan of everything being explainable. In my stories, the world doesn't have to adhere to any rules. My theory is that if my story can be converted to D20, I've made it too mainstream.
__________________
Play-by-Post Safety Tools
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old Jan 21st, 2007, 05:16 AM
Esratihs's Avatar
Esratihs Esratihs is offline
Adult Dragon
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: May 7th, 2008
RPXP: 0
Esratihs
Posts: 116
I tend to go more fantasy/horror or modern/horror (or comedic). Whenever I write sci-fi it tends to end up as a Red Dwarf or Paranoia style setting, then again I was writing it in Freefall writing. You gotta love freefall.
__________________
My Current Games: Tomb Raiders (DM), Paranoia XP (Player).
'Are you all right? You should have two of everything down the sides and one of everything down the middle.' – Ken Dodd
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old Jan 21st, 2007, 05:46 PM
SlurpeeMoney SlurpeeMoney is offline
Very Young Dragon
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: Jan 25th, 2007
RPXP: 0
SlurpeeMoney
Posts: 6
I don't write either. At least, not yet.

Looking at this from a career standpoint, I don't want to be pigeonholed as a genre writer from the beginning. It's a strange misconception in the industry that genre fiction is automatically bad. While I'll always write the story I want to write, most of the time I'll try and frame it in a contemporary box. If and when I gain any sort of reputation as a contemporary author, I'll see about a forray or two into genre, particularly fantasy. I want to write a sprawling fantasy epic in one book, no sequels. ^_^
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old Feb 7th, 2007, 09:10 PM
Treslo Kresha's Avatar
Treslo Kresha Treslo Kresha is offline
☼Words Paint☼
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: Sep 18th, 2021
RPXP: 70
Treslo Kresha
Posts: 972
Speaking of Sci-Fi / Fantasy I am having a problem: For some reason when I am writing recently I cannot get out of the 'story' method, I am telling a tale. Yet for the things I am writing I would prefer the 'article' style as I am trying to detail specifics and simply get the point across.

Any suggestions other than simply dealing with the garble that comes out through the odd mix and then going back later to trim it down to a relevant article style?
__________________
Easy, Quality Maps for All
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old Feb 9th, 2007, 08:52 PM
Meatball's Avatar
Meatball Meatball is offline
Very Young Dragon
 
Tools
User Statistics
Last Visit: Sep 11th, 2007
RPXP: 0
Meatball
Posts: 13
Hmm, maybe instead of sitting down and trying to write a "story" straight from the beginning, start off with just putting together an outline of the points/topics you want to hit. Then flesh that out a bit.

Maybe you can then build off of that, which I would think would come off less like a story and more like an article.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:42 AM.
Skin by Birched, making use of original art by paiute.(© 2009-2012)


RPG Crossing, Copyright ©2003 - 2024, RPG Crossing Inc; powered by vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. Template-Modifications by TMB