Fiction on Creative Liberty looks like it could go in one of two directions this winter: fantasy, or sci-fi. I’m looking forward to spending more time in a single setting, building up a fictional world through multiple related stories.
I’m slightly apprehensive that either direction might not suit readers’ tastes. Both fantasy and space-fi belong firmly in the Genre Fiction category, with people who either devour everything in the genre or wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.
It’s easy to see why so many solo online creative projects turn into A Single Story, which can run for 10 years or more. The author becomes anonymous behind the world and the story; there’s no conflict of tastes between readers who like the setting or genre and those who like the author’s style. Spending more time in a setting allows the overarching story to grow and develop more fully, and mistakes can always be fixed in future instalments.
Image credit: NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope. The Orion Nebula.
As part of the preparation for a potential sci-fi turn, I’ve been experimenting with some music. Have a listen; you might like it!
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