Anatomy of: A Science Fiction Story

Recently I’ve been concentrating on finishing up a bunch of coursework (I’m graduating soon, thank you so much!) and I haven’t had nearly as much time as I would have liked to spend on my true passion, my original writing.  So with the end of my studies comes the moment I’ve been waiting for-it’s time to open my files and metaphorically dust off the novel I’ve been waiting to finish.  I hope to complete the manuscript and have my novel, entitled Virtual, ready for publication by the end of the year.

I have already put so much into this story-my time and imagination, and my personal feelings and memories, that it has become a part of me, a part I want to share with the world.  How can a science fiction story be a part of me, you might ask?  After all, it’s not as if I could visit the future or travel to an alien world, right?

What I believe truly makes a good story is drawing on one’s own experiences, and those of others around, to add realism and depth to the fiction.  Even the most light-hearted, fanciful prose can contain truth in its lines.  As readers we feel the excitement of The Time Traveler as he embarks on his 800,000 year journey in H.G. Wells’ classic novel, The Time Machine.  We ooh and aah as he explores the world as it has become, and cover our eyes as he encounters the mysterious and horrible Morlocks for the first time.

My story does not involve time travel or previously unknown species; it does contain references to things that I know and have experienced in my everyday life.  The setting is modern day, or the not-too-distant future, and much of it plays out in, as the title suggests, a Virtual Reality world.  There is a small excerpt from the first chapter on my website under Upcoming Works, which I will be amending or replacing soon.  Please stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as I work on my manuscript, and I promise I will include updates as often as I can.

Wish me luck, and I hope you come along for the ride!

Amy