The Sci-fi/Fantasy Writers’ group I founded is The Dragon Writers, to honor Anne McCaffrey, who wrote both Fantasy and Science Fiction. The title of the group is a nod to her story The Dragonriders of Pern.
If you haven’t read the series I recommend reading the first book. I became so immersed in her world I started role-playing as a dragon rider. That’s the kind of writing we want to do, the kind that builds a loyal fan base.
The standard writing sample for the group is 2 pages double-spaced. Writing a short vignette for the group allows members time to go over each story and obtain individualized feedback. The advantage of getting used to writing short stories is that you learn to write concisely and to cut out what isn’t relevant.
Remember, you can follow the prompt or if it strikes your imagination do something of your own.
The prompt is “Robot” and the following is a series of questions you can use to jog your creativity.
- Is your robot sophisticated or simple?
- How intelligent is it?
- What is it made of?
- What is your robot’s purpose?
- How are robots used in your society?
- Is your robot’s society technologically advanced or magical?
- How do people define robots in contrast to the native species of your world in your story?
- How do people relate to robots?
If you need ideas for this topic Isaac Asimov is one of the foremost authors known for compelling stories featuring robots. His world building is also fantastic.
(The original prompt was given to the live group in April 2018.)