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!

They both sound really interesting, cant and get.

Mine has themes of mysogyny, identity and hope running through it at times too

I'm not, but I am test reading a friends novel, she is up to 350k words though, very much a labour of love, but I'm hooked!

Sorry, should add hers is a dystopian apocalyptic horror, it's brilliant!

My themes are: entitlement/inequality and personal sacrifice.

It's on a speculative post-apocalyptic world, but that's just for fun.

And I'm trying desperately not to sound like THIS

The worst YA I've read, which really made me think 'This is shit. Anyone could write it' was Legend, which has good reviews. It's not a patch on the fun provided by Hunger Games and even the (albeit really implausible) Divergent.

dust that has made me smile.

It reminds me of the first speculative piece I wrote which was a radio play. The characters talked a lot about Before and After.

And during a chat with a production company someone asked (very tongue in cheek) how I proposed they should get those capitals across .

I'm finding it difficult not to randomly capitalise words...

I think in a novel it could work (provided not over used). An easy way to make the reader understand it has significance in the New World .

Haha at that twitter feed!!

Oh no! I have Before, and I have Barriers.

Oh dear.

Hi all!

My theme is evolution. Kind of. You have a horrible dictatorship and the brewing of revolution leading to (maybe) War and (hopefully) freedom.

I've stopped reading dystopian fiction after the last draft where I realised I'd basically written a UK Hunger Games.

Dust I am constantly capitalising words. I had to stop, because I lost track of my new nouns...

Oh God, that link. I have a character with green eyes and am now seriously contemplating changing the eye colour to a dull grey But dystopians, please continue to provide us with angsty love triangles. In testing times, a girl really does need a couple of insanely hot guys with chiselled jawlines fighting over her. It makes the struggle more bearable and their chocalatey faces make up for the bleak surroundings, you know with the power cuts, concrete jungles, food shortages etc.

spider I never read a book I think is similar to what I'm writing for this reason- I'm terrified of subconsciously imitating the style or content.

Cant Glad its not just me!

I've gone against my better judgement and stuck a love triangle in. Can't help myself...

On a serious note, although some of the elements commonly found in this genre may come across as formulaic, it it what the readership expects and wants, I think they'd feel cheated if they didn't get it. I like reading YA dytopias and I'd be a bit puzzled if there were no romantic undercurrents to the story, given the ages of the protagonists.

That was pretty much how I justified it .

I also had to stick in a lot of non-love-triangly twists to make it feel 'okay'.

spider you must keep the love triangle- it's a great way of creating romantic conflict and it works well with YA books- I love them

X post, yes to your last one spider 😃

It's too late anyway! I've fallen for the love triangle, even if they haven't (yet...) I used to love the will they/won't they when I was reading YA (as a teenager... ahem ) - I can't not do one!

I'm not writing ANYTHING if it ain't got a love triangle.

Mine has plenty of love and sex and messy feelings.

I figure that these things don't go out of fashion just because the lights have gone out.

How is everyone doing today? I've just put my work laptop down and turned my novel writing one on (it literally gets used for that and Mumsnetting...) Aiming to do 200 words before I hit the pillow. Mostly typing here as motivation to actually do it.

I've had a pants day at work...

Ok Spider You and me. 200 words each. Time starts now...

P.S If I'm not back in the next 30 minutes, I've knocked myself out with my own writing and will wake up around 1300 hrs with the iPad stuck to my face.

Cant I'm on 109... May have stumbled onto iPlayer though. I swear I am my own worst enemy.

Well I was ogling at Aidan Turner after doing some extensive research on him online but I am now fully focussed on catching you up. I have 20 so far...bring it on!

Hurrah! 236!

I hate how work gets in the way of writing. Although at least I normally finish at 7, not 9.50...

I think that ogling Mr Turner counts as novel research, right? [kids self] I'm also adding in Mr Hiddleston... Just for good measure.