SWRT 223 | Dystopian Fiction in Dystopian Times

September 23, 2021

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This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn talk about writing dystopian fiction when the world we’re living in seems dystopian. What does a dystopian story have to offer readers who already feel left out or beat down? Maybe…a lot.

Register for Memory Emotion Body and save your seat in this new writing workshop. We’re going to delve into the writer’s first tools…oneself! Get all the details and sign up here.

VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

What we talked about:

Does living in a dystopic feeling world change your view of dystopian fiction? (0:25)

What is the appeal of dystopian fiction? (1:36)

Providing hope through survivor stories. (3:50)

We love to catastrophize. (6:38)

How do you talk about a thing, without talking about a thing? (9:50)

So what would a dystopian fiction written from today’s perspective look like? (11:30)

Creating experiences for our readers. (14:30)

Dystopian fiction helps address our sense of displacement. (17:35)

Be careful not to be tasteless! Use your fiction to make people think! (20:05)

Use and create empathy. (24:50)

What are our takeaways? (27:15)

LINKS

Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.

Things we mentioned:

1984 by George Orwell
Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley
Don’t Look Up
The Last Man
Raya and the Last Dragon
Animal Farm by George Orwell
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she is also a notable in Best American Essays and winner of the Page Turner Award. Author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series, Alida lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com