Horror stories and twist endings go together like peanut butter and jelly. They both achieve results by surprising the reader in some way. They catch us off guard, creating an emotional afterburn that lingers on. But how do you accomplish […]
Author: Brandon Cornett
I write gritty sci-fi thrillers about rogue AI and killer robots, and you can participate. Subscribe to the Machine Wars newsletter so you can participate!
Five Important Elements of a Post-Apocalyptic Story or Novel
If you’re thinking about writing a post-apocalyptic short story or novel but don’t know where to begin, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome, doomsday scribe. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most important elements found within post-apocalyptic […]
How to Structure a Zombie Novel
If you’re going to write a zombie or post-apocalyptic novel (as opposed to a short story), I recommend using one of the traditional structures. This is especially important for new and inexperienced writers. The novel structures listed below have been […]
How to Create a Zombie Virus: Fictional & Real-World Inspiration for Writers
Welcome to the zombie virus workshop! I created this guide for fiction writers who want to build a story around a zombie virus or similar disease outbreak. Here’s what you’ll find in this guide: We’ll get started in just a […]
Tips for Creating Fictional Technologies When Writing Sci-Fi
When writing science fiction, you might find yourself in a position where you have to create a fictional technology in order to complete the story. It might be as small as a nanochip or as large as a generation ship, […]
How to Write a Story That Combines the Sci-Fi & Post-Apocalyptic Genres
Science fiction and post-apocalyptic fiction play nicely together. Both genres fall under the umbrella of speculative fiction and therefore have a lot in common. These stories look at what is … and speculate about what could be. In this guide, I’ll offer some ideas for combining […]
How to Create a Realistic, Immersive World in Zombie Fiction
This article is part of a series that focuses on the process of writing zombie stories, novels, and fiction in general. Today, we’ll focus on the importance of realism and believability in fiction, by answering a common question among beginning […]
Science Fiction World-Building Guide for Writers
Science fiction and world-building go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other. When you write a sci-story or novel, you’re creating a time and place that doesn’t currently exist. And that time and place should have its own unique […]
What Is Science Fiction? A Genre Definition for Readers and Writers
The rest of this article explains (1) what science fiction is, (2) common characteristics of the genre, and (3) how it’s different from other genres of speculative fiction. What Is Science Fiction? So, what is science fiction? The Merriam-Webster dictionary […]
How to Come Up With Original Ideas for a Science Fiction Story
Science fiction explores big ideas in a though-provoking manner, more so than any other genre. But how do science fiction writers come up with their ideas? And how can you, as an up-and-coming writer, generate ideas for an original science […]