I'm writing SCIENCE!

I write science fiction and fantasy. I think taking characters out of the real world and putting them in a fictional setting provides fascinating opportunities to explore the things that are universal among humans. Even if that fictional world is pretty much ours with a twist, it can remove some constraints and let you do things with characters that you might not be able to otherwise.

So though I started writing science fiction as a way to explore characters, my last few manuscripts have really shown me that I like writing science. Just pure explanations of scientific concepts. Of course, there are times I have to pull back; info-dumping in any form is bad and should be integrated more neatly into the narrative. There's also the fact that should I ever get published, people will want to read more story than essay. But I can't deny that writing the scientific parts, whether they be astrophysics or fringe theories, is bringing me a lot of joy lately.

I thought I'd be a scientist growing up. I entered college intending to be a biologist. I got pulled into religious studies and linguistics, two fields I also love. This means that I really don't have a subject expertise in the area, which means I have to do extra research to make sure I'm stating things correctly, and there is a constant fear that some creative phrasing may make it appear I don't know what I'm explaining. Right now I'm writing a scene where a character from a culture that's lost much of its scientific knowledge is trying to explain the basics of DNA to another character whom she believes has no scientific background. I have to balance the character's words so that it's clear she understands but doesn't use any of the lost technical jargon. In my last manuscript, all the characters were scientists, so the only challenge was making sure I explained everything correctly in a way that wouldn't bore or confuse the audience. This new approach is a fun challenge.

A lot of the writers I read do delve into the more technical points when they write about scientific concepts. Any favorite examples, either of that or of writers who've done what I'm trying to do?

Literary Orange 2011 Website Up!

Hi all! I just wanted to post to say that a good portion of the Literary Orange 2011 website is up here!

Literary Orange is "Orange County’s premier literary event, where authors, passionate readers and committed libraries join together for a day-long celebration of literature in all its guises." It was a lot of fun last year, and I would definitely recommend attending if you live in southern California and would like the opportunity to listen to authors speak and maybe get some books signed.

While we have mostly figured out the event program, it is subject to change and so the final list of what-goes-when isn't up yet. However, our front page does show our keynotes, and there is a list of the authors who will be participating in panels and lectures here. I hosted the science fiction and fantasy panels last year, and we had a great turnout and discussion. This year, we were able to get enough genre authors to hold separate panels, and I'm set to host the fantasy panel with Gail Carriger, Karen Essex, and Kim Vandervort!

Most of our panels are designed to appeal to enthusiastic readers. However, due to popular demand, we are going to offer a publishing industry panel this year as well! Several agents from the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, as well as others in the industry, will be on hand to answer questions from aspiring writers.

It's a bit too early for registration to be up yet, but if you can make it out, keep this event on your mind...