SciFi Writing Craft I: Omit Needless Words

Monday August 11, 2014

I cannot emphasize subtlety and economy of words while world building enough. Strunk and White very famously wrote “omit needless words,” as one of the most important aspects of good composition, and in science fiction this rule is often forgotten. In visual media - video games, movies, art - we pick up on visual cues that are artfully placed in order to tell the audience more story. In writing this same effect is achieved by providing descriptions. This is not in and of itself a problem except when a lengthy exposition interrupts a story, especially at a critical moment. If your reader is entranced in your writing - right where you want them - and then you go off on another long description of the room your characters are in or about a piece of technology they are using, then you’ve interrupted the story. I know personally that I get frustrated with writing where this happens, and when the story is really good, I begin to dread the long sections in between the parts I really want to be reading.

How then do we avoid upsetting our readers with the things we want to tell them? Location location location!

In science fiction you may need to expound on various topics including technology, setting, character descriptions, and other plot elements. Plan these expositions out so that you’re not interrupting scenes where you are trying to create tension or rapidly convey other information. Unless you want a surreal feeling to accompany the reading, which you may well want, I wouldn’t start writing about the flora of the planet where your characters are right this second fighting. If you do decide to do this, do so with purpose. Plan out the scene so that your expositions transition smoothly and don’t interrupt your story. Remember too that your stories will be better if they are character driven or plot driven, not prop driven.

Omit needless words. Superlatives? Get rid of them. Often times you can create vivid spaces using bare minimum language and allowing your reader to fill in the large gaps with directed imagination. This takes practice, but practice you can (and should!) Describe the room you’re in right now using 100 words or less. 100 is quite a few actually, and most people should be able to put together a good picture of where you are standing if they read that description. If you can manage that with the settings you are making in your science fiction work, chances are they are vivid in your readers’ minds too. Don’t worry! Minimalist descriptions flow better and allow your reader to get drawn in more deeply.

So, in summary: Keep your readers from getting lost in the sauce by using fewer words and not interrupting your scenes for lengthy expositions.

Now check this out: I summarized three paragraphs with one sentence. Do that with your writing. BOOM.