Are you writing speculative fiction? Are you sure? Because it turns out that speculative fiction is so much more than what most people think!
Recently, we hosted an eye-opening workshop on writing speculative fiction. Our instructor, a literary agent who loves the genre, not only went over what all is considered spec fic in today’s market, but also how your spec fic project can outshine the rest. Below are three takeaways from this class taught by the spec-fic-loving literary agent, Kat Kerr!
And, if you’re sorry you missed the workshop, great news! You can still get the replay!
Takeaway #1: Speculative fiction encompasses a lot more than you think.
You might think of speculative fiction as “light” science fiction or fantasy, but the term is actually a much larger umbrella. Not only does it cover all subgenres of fantasy and science fiction—from space opera to fantastical realism—but many subgenres of horror also fall under spec fic. That’s because, by definition, speculative fiction is a genre in which there’s an element to the setting that makes it different from the real world (or, in some cases, it’s an entirely other world). That’s pretty broad!
That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should label your WIP as spec fic, but if you’re querying to agents or trying to find the best language to sell your book to readers, it’s a label worth investigating to see if it fits your book and the market you want to interest.
Takeaway #2: The rules of magic and limitations of science can make or break your story.
Speculative fiction’s endless possibilities can be downright intoxicating to the writer in their heady brainstorming phase. Getting to create magic systems and “invent” new technologies is one of the best parts of being a writer!
That’s why sometimes the challenge comes from putting restraints on yourself and your work. Consider this a friendly reminder: sometimes putting limits on ourselves and our ideas can actually spark more creative ideas. Not to mention that it also makes for more interesting conflicts for your characters to tackle in the story!
Takeaway #3: To really step up your worldbuilding, develop the infrastructure of your society.
We’ve touched on this concept before in blog posts like “How to Make Your Characters Sound More Like Themselves,” but Kat Kerr really drove this point home during the workshop: the setting makes the characters. In fact, in speculative fiction, the setting can be a character unto itself!
One way to develop this “character” beyond appearances—that is, its geography and surface-level attributes—is diving deeper into the hierarchies, cultures, and governments that inhabit the world. Whether you’re writing about the real world with a speculative twist or a different planet altogether, the societies that live there impact everything, and they will definitely impact your story’s direction!
