For this assignment, you will write an original science fiction short story based on the guidelines and
parameters described below.
Assignment Guidelines
The story should be 2000-3000 words in length, double-spaced, and typed in Times New Roman, (10-point font.)
Choose one of the following inspirational themes on which to base your story.
1. Earth and Beyond
2. The Future of Food
3. Smarter, Stronger, Faster
4. The City of Tomorrow
5. The Incredible Shrinking Computer
6. The Future of Your Mind
Your story should follow the plot outline below.
Step 1: Build the World
Who are the main characters? Where do they live? When? Select a date that is just on the other side
of plausibility.
Step 2: Insert Technology Inflection Point
Choose a technology you are worried or excited about. What happens in the story that causes that
same concern or excitement?
Step 3: Explore the Ramifications
What are the consequences of the inflection point or conflict? How are the characters or setting
affected?
Step 4: Insert Human Inflection Point
How do the main characters adapt to what is going on? How do they change? What decision do they
make?
Step 5: Reveal What We Learned
How does the setting or the main character change as a result of their reaction or interaction with the
technology?
Note: If you want some inspiration, read this short story that won a science fiction creative writing contest
sponsored by the Intel Corporation. The author wrote “The Lost Emotion” as a response to the
competition theme: “Is the Future Friendly?” It contains references to compelling technology, but the story
is about people, not just technology.
(The elements used in this assignment, primarily the story themes and plot outline steps, are derived from
The Tomorrow Project’s fiction competition. Source: “How to Create a Science Fiction Prototype.” The
Tomorrow Project. n.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014.) |
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