Young Writers Society

Hello there, I'm not one to often ask for help when it comes to writing, but I'm in need of some advice from other writers, not just the useless muttering of my brother. So, without further a due, here are two questions I have.

1. I know this sounds like an unprofessional mix-up of genres, but do you think a science fiction post-apocalyptic plot could work. And if so, do you even think adding magical elements, whether by genetic modification or real magic, would work. I know that fantasy and science-fiction don't fit together all too well, despite there being good examples of this combination, so I want your opinions.

2. What would the protagonists' goals be in a post-apocalyptic story. Like, they're constantly surviving against the hordes of monsters and whatnot, but what is their endgame goal? What could it be? Honestly, I'm having a hard time thinking up why this story need be written because if I'm just going to be describing the arduous task of surviving against these abnormal creatures all the time, there really is no plot.

Thank you all in advance!

I personally feel that if you can think it up, it'll work fine- or at least, it's worth trying! I'm pretty sure I've seen fantasy - sci fi blends before. I mean, space dragons seem pretty cool- and being able to fix a ship from inside the ship, with some sort of magic perhaps... mhm.

I think that would have to be based on what the MC's history is. If I remember correctly, the MC in The Mist (the movie) wanted to go home to see his pregnant wife, and make sure she was okay (it's very possible I'm making this up). Or perhaps your character is actually killing the monsters as a job- as in, she/he/them was hired (along with other other people probably) to put an end to these terrible times. Maybe they're doing it because they're not able-bodied people- maybe they're already dying. Maybe the MC wants to get into Rippy's Believe it or not for killing the most zombies with a shoe horn?

In a zombie book I'm currently listening to, zombies aren't a new thing; they've been around for something like twenty years. And the stories all about these bloggers and a political campaign that they're following, because in this version of the world people have come to trust bloggers for the truth over news reporters, because bloggers were the ones that actually reported what was happening, and were honest about it. So my point by bringing this up is that the apocalypse can just be the setting, the rest can be something completely different.

Anyway, I hope this has been slightly helpful at least.

Holysocks wrote:I personally feel that if you can think it up, it'll work fine- or at least, it's worth trying! I'm pretty sure I've seen fantasy - sci fi blends before. I mean, space dragons seem pretty cool- and being able to fix a ship from inside the ship, with some sort of magic perhaps... mhm.

I think that would have to be based on what the MC's history is. If I remember correctly, the MC in The Mist (the movie) wanted to go home to see his pregnant wife, and make sure she was okay (it's very possible I'm making this up). Or perhaps your character is actually killing the monsters as a job- as in, she/he/them was hired (along with other other people probably) to put an end to these terrible times. Maybe they're doing it because they're not able-bodied people- maybe they're already dying. Maybe the MC wants to get into Rippy's Believe it or not for killing the most zombies with a shoe horn?

In a zombie book I'm currently listening to, zombies aren't a new thing; they've been around for something like twenty years. And the stories all about these bloggers and a political campaign that they're following, because in this version of the world people have come to trust bloggers for the truth over news reporters, because bloggers were the ones that actually reported what was happening, and were honest about it. So my point by bringing this up is that the apocalypse can just be the setting, the rest can be something completely different.

Anyway, I hope this has been slightly helpful at least.

Yeah, very helpful in fact. I guess that rules out my genre mix-up question, though I'm still not entirely sure how I'd write it all in and have a logical system that isn't stolen from other works, haha.

With the endgame of a post-apocalyptic story, your response is helpful, but I really want this survival-style plot rather than what you're describing. And it is post apocalyptic, so that means everything has already passed and they're kind of in the aftermath state of this mutant outbreak. I need a reason to have these characters surviving other than just to stay alive, which is a logical motive regardless.

I guess if I weren't writing this story, I do have these other two ideas that are actually pretty exciting, to me at least, but I'm just not sure about certain things.

My first plot is, simply put, set in the Science Fiction genre and involves a form of robotic detective. Of course, there's much more than just that, but that is it at its core. I'm just not sure how to write everything concerning the law system, y'know. This guy is a private investigator hired by law-enforcement agencies to help them out, but it's so difficult.

And then there's my second plot which is basically like--again Science Fiction--a new version of the Roman Colosseum where all types of tech-savvies and magic-wielders fight together. Whether by choice or by force, I'm still not sure. I just don't know what the endgame could really be other than a prize, and I'm not sure what else to write that exists out of this colosseum. Like, if I'm just going to be writing about this one place then it will be super, super bland.

So I'd like to hear what people think about those two plots, too, and if I can get some help. Egh, long post.

When it comes to tackling large research projects for speculative fiction, I tend to have this process for breaking down real world concepts:

1- Start learning only what I need to learn for the plot. If you're making a private investigator, you do not need to immediately know how a PI interacts with the whole justice system; you just need to know what a PI does. Don't overwhelm yourself taking what you don't need.

2- See if the job needs modifying. If, say, there's magic that makes it people can't be put on surveillance, then you'll have to focus on the "surveillance" aspect of a PI, why they use it, and if you can replace the aspect with anything to get the same results (countermagic, following a warm trail instead of watching them directly, etc)

3- Look at the rules and regulations. This is where you start looking at interactions between system and job, but only in relation to the job. No need to know all of it, still.

4- Figure out if that needs modifying.

And you're done.

I tend to start with wikipedia, then I hit the library for true stories and history books about the topic. You can start online, too, but I just like books.

As for how to figure out conflict: look towards your setting. How do the setting and characters interact? Since everything's starting to rebuild, what stage of rebuild is it? Are there leaders, or are they trying to find one? Do they want to recreate any system of old, or do they want to make a new system for themselves? Are resources coming back, or are they still hard to find?

If you want to make something that really feels like it belongs in a post apocalyptic setting, then ask yourself what this setting looks like in detail. You'll generate conflict organically from what's available and come up with something much stronger than if we came up with it.