Why I Write Science Fiction
The other day a friend asked me why I spend so much time writing. It’s not for the money, that’s for sure. Unlike many novelists, I don’t need to earn a living doing this. But I am also not doing this as just a pastime or a hobby. To me, it is serious business and I spend time everyday pursuing the passion. But why?
Here’s the thing. I have to do it. I must, on a daily basis, express my creativity in some form or fashion. This is not optional. I am the mythical Sisyphus and creating something on a daily basis is the stone I am damned to roll up the hill. And no, its not a particularly healthy obsession. It is why most creatives are labeled crazy and often end up alcoholics. But enough with the cynicism. Here are the good reasons…
My favorite ‘thing’ in the world is a blank sheet of paper. You can do anything with a blank sheet of paper. From the mundane to the magnificent. For me, I like to put words on it mostly. Sometime pictures, but mostly words. And here is why I keep at it day after day.
1- I love the magic of it all – Here’s an admission, I have no clue where the ideas or words I write come from. They just come. Sometimes in flashes of insight as complete scenes in my head that I have to describe or as words that just find their way through my fingers, onto the keyboard and then on the screen.
2- Everyday, I Show Up Just to See Where the Path Will Lead - Since I have no clue where the ideas or the words come from, everyday is one of awe and wonder. Some of the stuff my muse supplies is absolutely magical and she is always full of surprises. It’s amazing to play in my head sometimes. And by putting the words on paper, I hope you can play in there a little bit too.
Science Fiction is a fun genre because you are not constrained with reality as most people live it day to day. You can stretch it a bit and make stuff up. That’s fun to do. It reminds me of my childhood when I would make up elaborate games to play with my friends. Pure fantasy stuff.
One game we played we pretended we were stranded on an island filled with cannibals. Our entire neighborhood became the ecosystem of this island and we would imagine elaborate obstacles we needed to overcome just to survive. Imagine that! As adults, we tend to avoid obstacles but as kids we would create them just for fun. And this game would go on for weeks at a time.
Another game we played was like Star Trek except all of our missions were underwater and our spaceship was a super fast submarine. We even had imaginary air locks we could go through to “dive” outside our submarine. Even as I write this I can recall some of the specific adventures we would come up with. It was like our own TV show with a new mission that we would embark on every time we played. Yes, the 7 year old mind is a fertile playground indeed.
So, here I am at 45 years of age trying to capture the imagination of that 7 year old blond headed kid. And guess what, I think I am doing it.
So why do I write science fiction? Because there is nothing cooler in the world than to be inside the mind of a 7 year old kid. And I get to play there every single day. Care to join me?
