Writer Wednesday: Writing Dystopian Fiction

 

This month is all about utopian and dystopian fiction. Last week, utopian fiction was the focus so this week, check out some elements and tips about dystopias. Then check out the fun exercise to creating your own dystopian story. 

Elements to Dystopian:

- One of the purposes of dystopian fiction is to express anxieties of today's society, government, etc. It allows authors to explore these feelings through fictionalized (and at times way too realistic) stories that create satirical and thought-provoking commentary. 

- Dystopian stories are all about the perspective. The stories work thanks to the strong voices and point of view with a character willing to break all the rules to achieve freedom, individualism, rights, etc.  

- The stories often have vivid details of the world (or future) that have a rich history about how society became this way. 

- Be sure to remember to include strong themes like oppression, control, breaking free, and more. These themes touch upon the anxieties you have within society. Writing dystopian fiction is a way to explore these emotions and open others' to new thoughts. 

Tips to Dystopian:

- Make it believable 

- Strong world history

- Know who the oppressor or who the one in control is 

Exercise:

As a brief exercise, answer these questions. 

1.) What is your character's goal? Do they want to break the restrictions in place by the government? Do they want to prove themselves? 

2.) Where does your character fall within society? Are they at the top of the status structure or the bottom?

3.) What is your theme? 

Next, write a scene where your character stands up for their beliefs. 

Happy writing!