Writing Ideas - Writing Science Fiction, part 175 Extrapolating Military Technology, more Advanced Vehicles

22 January 2014, Writing Ideas - Writing Science Fiction, part 175 Extrapolating Military Technology, more Advanced Vehicles

Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

I am writing about the extrapolation of science and technology to be able to write science fiction.  I made the point that it is almost meaningless to try to fully extrapolate a universe (world) that is 10,000 years in the future (and maybe 1,000 years in the future) without applying some cultural and technological shaping.

By shaping the cultures of your science fiction universe, you can shape the science and technology that is extrapolated.  Here is how I culturally shaped the universe of The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox to make the 10,000 year extrapolation work.

The major areas in warfare technology are:
1.  Software
2.  Weapons
     Heavy Weapons
3.  Countermeasures
4.  Defense
5.  Communications
6.  Robots
7.  Vehicles
8.  Environments (personal equipment)
9.  Costs 

Part of my goal in writing about extrapolation of technology is to give you ideas you can use in your science fiction.  I mentioned simulators in the previous post.  In Ghost Ship Chronicles (unpublished), I use simulators to great effect for the training and the checking of pilots for civilian shuttles.  The same can be done for military vehicles and systems.  The cost of running actual vehicles is very high and might get higher in the future.  The use of simulators of various types will be a necessity and a reality in all civil and military training.  For lack of a better model, the science fiction writer should take the current training and simulator systems and extrapolate them for future vehicle and weapon systems. 

If you are familiar with military or aviation training at all, you know there are significant events in each.  Those events and the circumstances of training can be the focus of an entire novel.  I did this with Warrior of Darkness a yet unpublished, but very close to contracted work.  I also did this with my Ghost Ship Chronicles.  In these novels, the focus for a good part of the novels is on training.  In Warrior of Darkness the training is military officer training at Sandhurst. In the Ghost Ship Chronicles, the training and simulation is for Shuttle training in flying the shuttles of a commercial spaceship.  There isn't much difference between military and civilian training in aviation and I use the extrapolation of current military training models for the aviation training.  In military officer training, I use the model of standard officer training.

More tomorrow.

Also remember, I'm trying to show you and give you examples of how to write a science fiction theme statement and turn it into a plot.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com