Anyone writing dystopian fiction?

[stripyeyes]

My novel is set in a modern dystopia, where the details of how society is ordered is gradually revealed.

The story centers around a young man and his boss, who has a not-insignificant power over him. She asks him to take actions which are increasingly morally and legally ambiguous and it is the consequence of this which makes the story.

My current issue is I've read the damn thing so many times, I've lost the ability to "see" what a new reader would know, and whether the implied threat is great enough to affect his actions. Does anyone have any tips? Or fancy a read?!

I'm reluctant to give it to friends and family to read at this stage due to all the usual issues regarding biased or kindly reviews!

Haha at the pounding hearts! yy...

Spider, mine's a trilogy too, it's ambitious but such a great feeling when the story is coming together - I've started book three but on edits for 1 and 2.

I think there's definitely something to be said for writing without all the detail on a first draft. In fact, I was reading a blog where the writer suggests you use 'telling' as placemarkers in the text, so you're not fumbling around in your head for the umpteenth way to show aforementioned pounding hearts, and just say something like 'she was scared' or whatever, then on your edit you can spend the time getting the phrasing and the 'showing' right. This works for me because I like to write fast; when I'm in the flow it all comes rushing out (my record is 20,000 words in a day!!) and I don't want to be stopping every second sentence. Then I find the edit v satisfying as I can go slowly and tighten it all up so it shows what I want it to show - does that make any sense?

I also have the seperate folder for notes, and a notebook I carry around with me too as ideas flow at the funniest times (school Governor meeting? Natch.)

Mad Our novels sound quite similar - mine is also post-apocalyptic plague.

I do that. If I get in a flow but can't find a word I want I have a quick look in the Thesaurus (online so easy to flick to) and if I still can't ind a suitable one I put "X". I then go back through and replace the Xs with a word/name that fits.

20,000 words in one day is insane. Impressive, but also insane. My most is 2,000 and I was so tired after that. I find my novel mentally exhausting. Possibly because its super complex, but more than likely because I haven't planned it well enough.

Ooh Spider I'd be interested to read yours sometime :) mine is kind of post-plague so when everything has settled down years later and reformed into something different.

I know 20,000 is crazy. I was on a roll and it wouldn't stop coming, I just couldn't leave it so was up to the small hours. Reminds me of the time I did an 8,000 woes thesis in an evening because I was lazy and preferred the pub hadn't had time to do it. I got a first on it and annoyed my friends

Most days 2,000 is about right for me but I kind of love those crazy days when it all comes tumbling and I get carried on the adrenaline rush of it all. It's brilliant

word though it felt like woes at the time

I once wrote the ending of a novel ( around 5k) the night before submission.

When my edits came back they included the line 'the ending feels a little rushed '

No shit Sherlock .

Mad, I'm seriously impressed with your Wc. 20,000?! That's a quarter of a novel-are you one of those infuriating people that can write a book in a week ? 😃

Get, that has really cheered me up- it's is just the sort of thing I would do! All my uni work was done into the early hours on submission day. Its like I need the adrenaline of missing a deadline to actually finish something 😃

Uhm, Mad, did I just say that I am impressed with your toilet? but you know what I mean

Inspired by you lot, I have stopped fiddling with character arcs and have just started the actual thing.

It's hard to write without constantly thinking: 'oh god this is rubbish.'

dust one of the worst parts about writing for me has always been dealing with The Fear.

It has never gone away, despite having lots of books published and quite a few scripts optioned and produced.

I remember reading an interview with Nigella Lawson, back when she was married to the dickhead and she said that she was plagued with doubts during the writing of every book, despite enormous success.

can't my scripts are coming along okay thanks for asking. I think.

This whole project just keeps morphing. Originally it was a novel and film screen play.

Then it got interest from a television production company, with a view to it becoming a series. So I wrote a pilot.

Then the production company decided that they might film the first half season anyway, rather than just the pilot and hope it gets picked up. So I was asked to outline the first six episodes and write the full script of episode one.

I've nearly finished that job, but know that I'm going to recieve a million notes on them when I submit and have to do re-write upon re-write.

Can I join? I'm trying to write but need a good kick up the backside. Dystopian ish but for an adult audience (as opposed to YA/NA, I'm not writing a dystopian erotica)

Also happy to beta read if you still want feedback OP.

Although I'm only the side salad, I'm sure the others won't mind if I welcome you to the quiche Catin 😃

Dystopian erotica sounds slightly terrifying although it may be where the market is headed next given recent trends. (Apologies to anyone writing dystopian erotica-I'm just joking and you are very clever to be on that bandwagon!)

Get your career sounds so exciting!! 😃

can't I like it .

But the reality of my life is the same as any other writer; hours spent on my own, making shit up and typing it out.

Also, it's always worth keeping in mind that all of this night come to nought.

The production company could decide to shelve this project at any time. Or lose funding.

And even if we go to production, we might not find a buyer and our half series go to the graveyard of pilots/ half series ( of which there are many).

Get that sounds incredibly exciting - really hope it comes to something great. This whole thing is such a waiting game, isn't it!

Cant why thank you for your appreciation of my wc. It is a very naice wc, if I say so myself. It has little fishes on the seat.

...but yes. Crazy word count - I can write a lot quickly, but then the editing is much, much slower - for this project (trilogy) I wrote 50,000 words in two weeks, I was on holiday for one so had loads of time and ignored the dc . I'd already written 30,000 but had left it for a time while I sulked had a despondent slump about rejection emails for the first, but then got back into it in a big way and just went for it. It was a bit bonkers, really, and there is a lot of work to do on it, but in general I'm really pleased with it.

catinthecorner welcome to the Quiche. All welcome here; toppings, side salads, a touch of vinaigrette, even. Although in my made-up-shit world, vinaigrette doesn't exist 'cos it's a furrin word and they don't let them in doncha know.

Ahem.

'Little fishes swim in eager delight around the toilet seat.' Better?

won't give up day job

In my made-up-shit world, the quiche would have all gone off (no electricity) and the survivors would probably have already drunk all the vinaigrette!

Food and water are a real issue.

Can I ask everyone out of nosiness what themes you're all tackling?

I do find that this stuff lends itself to really large canvas themes.

Mine has electricity, but the kids wouldn't get quiche because they have to grow up and work hard for that kind of luxury. Obviously.

And I keep hoping a dystopian quiche isn't like the (dystopian) Soup in Cloud Atlas...

(I meant soap)

Mine covers the idea of a far-right dictatorship taking power when the country is decimated - they are a bunch of egotistical loons, but decades later they have everyone in submission and no one knows different - the kids gradually wake up to the reality that they are living under evil. It covers issues of value, justice and relationships.

It is a huge scope - what are your main themes? Love all this stuff!

Which dystopian novels have you all read - any recommendations? I read a load of my dcs books that they bring home from the library - have read some Charlie Higson then obv all Hunger games, Divergent, Maze Runner et al. Lately I read The Testing trilogy which wasn't really in the same league but did hold my attention. I've also read a load of self-pubbed kindle dystopia. Some of it really is terrible but some pretty good. I've just downloaded one called 'The Institute.'

Is that like Primordial Soup?

Get I know, it's not all glamorous. I hope you strike gold with this one, the fact they wanted to go for more than just the pilot must be encouraging.

Mad Never has a toilet seat been so masterfully described It makes the reader want to sit on it.

My theme is misogyny and an overcoming of all odds. Sounds a bit meh I know...

My constant theme throughout all my work is identity and whether any of us can truly forge our own. Or us the past inescapable.

Unsurprisingly, I'm revisiting that theme again .

But also, survival and how far any if us would go to survive. Are there limits? If so what are they?

Also hope. Is it better to live with hope and be disappointed ? Or to live without hope at all?