1. samueg

    samueg New Member

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    Writing a SF book about geneticaly altered people...

    Discussion in 'Science Fiction' started by samueg, Jun 28, 2009.

    I have a plot but I still need some ideas. Do you have any tips when writing this sort of book?:confused:
     
  2. Unit7

    Unit7 Contributor Contributor

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    Personaly I love a Super Soldier story. The whole concept fascinates me.

    But I would delve into some of the failures. Why they were failures and some of the more gruesome results. Throw in a shady conspiracy. Ok maybe not, thats just another thing I love. I mean come on? Who doesn't love a conspiracy :p

    Also you might want to look into some of the positive effects on this, while also showing some of the negative.

    Not sure if this was much help.
     
  3. arron89

    arron89 Banned

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    SF with genetic engineering is a pretty huge topic...unless you're willing to give away a few more specifics, I don't think you'll get much help that you couldn't get from any of the other threads on the site.
     
  4. samueg

    samueg New Member

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    Info....

    By this genetically altered I mean by the government, meant to be soldiers, they are super strong and super fast but not 'superhero' strong and fast but within human capibilities. You get what I mean? I was going to make it about these twin girls (18yrs old) who are superhumans and they have escaped the lab that they were held at and its about them trying to run away from the government. Its set 12 or so years in the future but it is not THAT futuristic. The technology is pretty much the same as now maybe just a little bit better. Hope that helps!
     
  5. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    Sameug,

    You might consider setting the date of events more than 12 years in the future. The reason I suggest this is simply that by the time the novel is written, revised and polished, an agent is sought and found, the novel is submitted and accepted, the novel is edited and placed on the publishing schedule and reviewed, and the book reaches the shelves, 12 years from today may not be all that far in the future, and then the premise of the novel may not sit as well, and it's shelf life may be somewhat dated (unless of course some govenment does go in to genetic manipulation of its soldiers by then).

    Just a thought.

    Terry
     
  6. fantasy girl

    fantasy girl New Member

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    get the plot down in as much detail as possible.

    when you read the plot out loud, when you think there should be a new chapter starting, make a note of it.

    write the plot of each chapter in as much detail as possible. (Each chapter is like its own little story)

    Do charecter references. when you go to buy something from brighthouse you need 3 character refrences, imagen you are writing one of them for each of your characters, get to know them.


    Hope this helps, this is the plan I am using for my current project.
    sorry if i have got the wrong end of the stick
     
  7. arron89

    arron89 Banned

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    Well, GE is a topic with a very broad spectrum of concerns....ethical, moral, religious, financial, environmental...I don't think you could hope to tackle all of them fairly in a single novel, so decide first which aspects of it are most relevant to the story you want to tell and then decide what kind of questions you are going to pose to your readers about GE. You don't necessarily have to get all philosophical over it, but if GE has been allowed to advance to the stage you are talking about, some of those problems must hav been addressed and resolved, so it would make your story more convincing if you contextualise the story by addressing the reader's present concerns.

    Beyond that, research. Science fiction demands explanations for any advanced technology, so you need to be able to provide them. Genetics is a topic that most people nowadays are at least vaguely familiar with (I think the majority of people would know that it involves experimenting with DNA at least) so don't be afraid to get technical.

    But besides those two things, just follow all the other general writing advice and you should be fine!
     
  8. Kirvee

    Kirvee New Member

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    GE is an interesting subject (and one I personally enjoy). Like said, it's a very broad topic so all the details are up to you.

    But, if you need ideas, I recommend reading the manga "DOGS: Bullets & Carnage". That has genetic engineering in it (along with lots of other things), so you might be able to get some ideas from that.

    I'm afraid I don't know any novels with GE in them, sorry.
     
  9. Hsnodgrass

    Hsnodgrass New Member

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    Delve into the morality of playing God with people. Maybe a bit cliche but relevant at the same time. Plus it can add a little depth.
     
  10. architectus

    architectus Banned

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    Think of your main theme. That is going to factor a lot in how you write your story because you want to stregthen that theme as the story progresses.

    It should give you a lot of ideas as well.
     
  11. Brode

    Brode New Member

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    I've done a story like this. Try to show that even though your altered characters are unique and have superhuman qualities, they're still human; morally conflicted, confused and scared. Let's just throw out a random example:

    Say your character has a power that allows them to take energy from other people, which is initiated by touch. If your character touches someone and they instantly drop into a coma, have them react appropriately. I mean, holy crap, they may have just killed someone by touching them! How much would that freak you out?*

    Also, in SF in general it's sometimes considered good form to leave out specific time periods. In this instance, I'd avoid specifying just how far into the future you are. Imply that it's none too far, but don't say exactly.

    *I pulled this example from X-Men, by the way.
     

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