Collins’ latest work is Mystery of Everyman’s Way . This compelling Twilight Zone genre story follows Oxford University quantum physics professor Gregory Henry Case who finds a corpse. Genetic testing and dental records prove the body to be his own from 150 years in the future.
What Inspired You to Write Mystery of Everyman’s Way?
Paul Collins: What initially triggered my imagination was my recollection of an insurance company’s series of Freedom 55 television commercials back in the 80s. In one TV ad, a young jogger bumps into his 55-year-old self relaxing on a beach, who would respond “I am you in the future. I am retired.”
For the characters, I’d visualize a Jim Carrey character-type meeting his older self played by black-and-white TV comedian Red Skelton. I also drew upon my university studies of the mad scientist in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein to add emotional depth to the character development.
Essentially, though, the story’s protagonist is an exaggerated version of me and acquaintances who tell me their troubles. Henry Case is a dreamer, a seeker and a mad scientist; he’s the person in the Freedom 55 commercials who faces himself.
How Did You Learn to Write Fiction?
Paul Collins: A night school English teacher encouraged me to read the classics. I also took a creative writing course which validated my true passion. Schooling helped, but I must say that my instructors couldn’t teach the creative writing process beyond their pre-set procedures and formulas. Teachers can give you assignments based on those formulas, but formal education cannot transform you into a creative fiction writer. You either have the bug, or not.
I based my first two science fiction paperbacks, Prescience Rendezvous and King without an Empire on Syd Field’s The Screenwriter's Workbook, which teaches aspiring screenwriters to write in the standard three-act screenplay structure.
When I write science fiction stories, I think about the beginning and I have a vague idea of the ending. The last thing I think about is the middle part.
Tips for Writing Science Fiction
Paul Collins: One of the keys to successful writing is to make sure that the storyline doesn’t jump around too much. Science fiction manuscripts have to be shaped into some semblance of order to be believable. Plus, you have to filter out much of everyday life when you tell the story.
An editor once told me to avoid overusing passive verb forms like “was” and “were” which slow down the story and make it boring. Other reviewers helped me to restrict how much I described minor characters relatively unimportant to the main plot.
One caveat for all science fiction writers is if you can take criticism and apply it without being offended, you can go a long way in this crazy world of internet publishing. Small publishing house editors would look at my manuscript and offer constructive criticism. More importantly, I would always apply those changes to the work.
Do You Have A Writing Mentor?
Paul Collins: Principally, it was Vickie Kennedy of eTreasures Publishing who guided my success. Ms. Kennedy has a strict revision process. Only after I simplified my writing to a grade 8 reading-level did she mail me a publishing contract for Everyman’s Way. Vickie Kennedy then assigned an editor named Brian Adams (not the Canadian rock star) who encouraged me to carefully study rules from the publisher’s eBook on how to properly structure a paperback.
What Are Some Practical Insights from Writing Sci Fi?
Paul Collins: First, when you first draft a 95 to 110-page manuscript, make it single-spaced. After a series of rigorous revisions, transform your manuscript into the proper double-spaced format for publishers.
Second, I no longer use the three-act play structure. Instead, write a series of 10-page chapters each of which ends with a cliff-hanger. There’s nothing like a chapter ending with a mysterious phone call to keep the reader interested!
Finally, I recommend that aspiring writers study story-telling masters like Charles Dickens. Because the old authors wrote their stories for magazines, every chapter ends with a dramatic climax.
If you enjoy the process of writing, your readers will too. That’s because science fiction writing is never easy and if an author makes their written work flow effortlessly, the audience is often inspired.
Daniel Workman - A senior business and finance writer who also does French translations, notably international trade and insurance materials.
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