Amanda Lien Of amandajlien.com On How To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories
An Interview With Ian Benke
Knowledge of your strengths. When I was drafting the manuscript I’m now querying, I knew that the element of storytelling with which I struggled most was writing description. It didn’t matter if it was descriptions of settings, people, buildings, cars — I can be terrible at looking into my mind’s eye and actually describing what I see! So, to counter this, I wrote my manuscript in first-person present tense, which ensured that the reader — and thus the writer — would be limited to what my narrator character sees and experiences. While it’s important to work on your weak areas as a writer, it is equally important to learn how to cover those weak points even as you practice strengthening them.
Science Fiction and Fantasy are hugely popular genres. What does it take for a writer today, to write compelling and successful Science Fiction and Fantasy stories? Authority Magazine started a new series called “How To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories”. In this series we are talking to anyone who is a Science Fiction or Fantasy author, or an authority or expert on how to write compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy .
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Lien.
Amanda Lien is a graduate student at National University, where she studies science fiction and teaching of writing. She is also a columnist for Luna Station Quarterly, where she writes about the intersection of chronic illness and speculative fiction. When she’s not completing her thesis or querying a novel, she’s working as a freelance ghostwriter and editor for marketing and PR firms across the United States.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a story about what first drew you to writing over other forms of storytelling?
Sure! When I was a kid, I was often laid up in bed sick or too tired to go out and play with friends or do other things “normal” kids would do, as I was chronically ill and one of my most prevalent symptoms was fatigue. So instead of running around and playing, I read books. Lots and lots of books.
As I got older, I realized that I could actually write the same kinds of stories I loved reading, and set myself to the task of writing a novel that included chronically ill characters as part of the narrative, but didn’t reduce them to just that one facet of their experience. Writing fiction gave me a voice and a way to explore my feelings and perceptions of the world in a way that no other mode of storytelling did.
You are a successful author. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Well, I wouldn’t call myself “successful” personally, but I’m flattered that you think I am!
The first trait that comes to mind is curiosity. I keep a quote by author Tom Clancy pinned above my desk: “Two questions form the foundation of all novels: ‘What if?’ and ‘What next?’.” By constantly asking myself these questions, I was able to explore fictional words — both of other peoples’ making and my own — with a lot more depth and sensitivity.
I’m not exactly sure how to qualify this trait, but I do believe that I was born with a natural inclination toward storytelling; I think I had the ability to write well pre-installed in me at birth, and that has made certain elements of storytelling come to me very easily.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t pay homage to my stubbornness. I saw an absence in my favorite genre and wrote my own book to fill that void because I didn’t think anyone else would — and even if they did, the world can always use more diverse stories! I’m a big fan of digging my heels in and telling the story I want to tell even if I feel like no one else will want to read it, because I know from experience that is rarely, if ever, the case.
Can you tell us a bit about the interesting or exciting projects you are working on or wish to create? What are your goals for these projects?
Aside from writing my regular column for Luna Station Quarterly and working with clients in the marketing and PR spaces, I’m currently querying a full-length adult science fiction manuscript. The story is basically an ode to my love of action films — it’s about a young woman, her mentor, and their cross-country road trip to expose the ramifications of the end of the world. It’s full of car chases and heart in equal measure, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed an agent loves it as much as I do.
Wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. How do you define sci-fi or fantasy? How is it different from speculative fiction?
I’m sure everyone has their own definition, but I define sci-fi as the genre of speculative fiction that deals with futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration or time travel, and often explores the imagined consequences of scientific, social, or technological innovations against a real-world backdrop. I define fantasy as a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, but is often inspired by folklore or myth.
While speculative fiction encompasses both of these genres, spec fic is a bit more broad in terms of definition; I define it as any kind of fiction that contains elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, nature, or the present universe. It includes not just sci-fi and fantasy, but also horror, supernatural fiction, and dystopian fiction.
It seems that despite countless changes in media and communication technologies, novels and written fiction always survive, and as the rate of change increases with technology, written sci-fi becomes more popular. Why do you think that is?
I think we, as human beings, are always trying to make sense of the world around us, and I think one of the ways storytellers respond to the massive changes in technologies is through writing stories that make a statement about how they feel about these changes and how they see the world responding to these innovations — not just in the moment, but decades, generations and even millennia after the fact. We all find it comforting to imagine whatever kind of future we take solace in, and in that, I think sci-fi is always going to endure as a genre.
In your opinion, what are the benefits to reading sci-fi, and how do they compare to watching sci-fi on film and television?
Generally, I’ve seen a lot more diversity within the pages of sci-fi novels, whereas most movies and TV shows in the genre are still pretty heavily whitewashed. Additionally, I think there’s more room for the imagination and the fantastical when you’re reading something — your understanding of, and engagement with the story goes as far as your mind’s eye will take you — not to mention that even the best special effects teams on film and TV production teams have their limits, but writers don’t!
What authors and artists, dead or alive, inspired you to write?
Tamsyn Muir and Seth Dickinson are two incredibly skilled authors whose work consistently push the boundaries of what genre conventions typically demand of sci-fi and fantasy, respectively; both authors push queer women and their experiences to the forefront of their narratives and don’t shy away from examining the tough, ugly, dark elements of the human experience. Their work inspires me to be bold in my storytelling.
If you could ask your favourite Science Fiction and Fantasy author a question, what would it be?
I have so many favorite authors that it’s impossible to pick one, but no matter the author on my list of favorites, I’d always ask them this question: “How do you approach worldbuilding?” And, as a follow-up, “Can you teach me?!” I’m no worldbuilding champ myself, and my favorite authors are able to weave such impressive, nuanced and beautiful words. I’d love to make myself their student.
We’d like to learn more about your writing. How would you describe yourself as an author? Can you please share a specific passage that you think exemplifies your style?
I’m a very straightforward writer; my fiction and nonfiction narratives are both focused on painting a picture of a world and the people within them, as well as what they want. My prose isn’t flowery, but I try my best to make it eloquent.
“The only thing I will always refuse to believe is that all chronically ill characters and their stories are good for is trauma porn or “hero stories” about how courageous some young person is for living with a chronic illness (which is just condescending, let’s be real). Take it from me — chronic illnesses are just a facet of being a human, no different than anything else. My chronic conditions are things I carry around with me — and sure, they inform my personality and character — but I am whole and human nonetheless, and I want stories that treat me, and everyone like me, that way.”
— From my column, “On chronic illness rep in spec fic, from my own experience”
Based on your own experience and success, what are the “Five Things You Need To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories?” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
- Clear stakes. If readers don’t know what your characters want — and how those desires are at odd with the story, the setting, or other characters — they aren’t going to be compelled to read. Establishing the stakes near the beginning of the story will hook your audience and ensure they’re dying to know what happens next.
- Knowledge of your strengths. When I was drafting the manuscript I’m now querying, I knew that the element of storytelling with which I struggled most was writing description. It didn’t matter if it was descriptions of settings, people, buildings, cars — I can be terrible at looking into my mind’s eye and actually describing what I see! So, to counter this, I wrote my manuscript in first-person present tense, which ensured that the reader — and thus the writer — would be limited to what my narrator character sees and experiences. While it’s important to work on your weak areas as a writer, it is equally important to learn how to cover those weak points even as you practice strengthening them.
- A wealth of inspiration from many sources. Everyone who says in order to be a good writer you must be a good reader is correct, but there’s more to the world of science fiction and fantasy than great books. In addition to being influenced by literature as a young writer, I was also heavily influenced by action films as a child and adolescent. From Star Wars — I used to watch the original trilogy on my grandfather’s old VHS player — to Pacific Rim and Mad Max: Fury Road, these films inspired me in different ways than the books I loved did. They were a master class in pacing and action, and perfectly augmented what I had taught myself through reading and writing fiction. Inspiration comes from all sources, and anyone who tells you that “real writers don’t get inspired by movies or TV shows” is missing out on some great storytelling.
- The ability to self-edit. Editing is the hardest thing to teach, because there’s no formulaic way to approach it. Yet self-editing is one of the most important elements of writing compelling stories. You have to understand where your writing falls short and how to improve it, and you have to be able to look at your writing in a completely objective way.
- I always advise the students I taught while in graduate school to consider their own “internalized sense of doneness,” or that feeling they get in their gut when they know their work is as good as they can make it. It takes a lot of practice to hone that sense of doneness, but over time and with practice, self-editing will come to you naturally.
A great group of critique partners and beta readers. Working with other people made me a better writer; while it can be awkward and uncomfortable to put your work before someone else and ask them to edit it and comment on what’s working, what isn’t, and what you should delete or add to a story, it’s an essential part of telling a good story. You may think your story is the next Dune or 1984, but you’re the author, so you’re automatically biased! Putting your work before other people and asking for their critique will not only improve your stories, but will contribute positively to your skills as a writer as well.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Entertainment, Business, VC funding, and Sports read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I would love to sit down with George Miller, the director of Mad Max: Fury Road. That movie was so instrumental to who I am as a writer and as a science fiction reader and consumer, and I would love to thank him for inspiring me and pick his brain about worldbuilding and narrative elements.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I occasionally tweet about writing and editing on Twitter @AlienWrites, and you can follow my work at https://amandajlien.com.
Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success.
About The Interviewer: Ian Benke is a multi-talented artist with a passion for written storytelling and static visual art — anything that can be printed on a page. Inspired by Mega Man, John Steinbeck, and commercials, I.B.’s science fiction writing and art explore the growing bond between technology and culture, imagining where it will lead and the people it will shape. He is the author of Future Fables and Strange Stories, the upcoming It’s Dangerous to Go Alone trilogy, and contributes to Pulp Kings. The CEO and Co-Founder of Stray Books, and an origami enthusiast, Ian is an advocate of independent, collaborative, and Canadian art. https://ibwordsandart.ca
Amanda Lien On How To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.