YCA Writing Workshop

Source Material:

• The legend of John Henry
  (While this is not a Sci Fi story it shows how the theme developed based on the technologies that were available in that era)
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  (Often called “the first ever Sci Fi novel” this story is quite different from most film adaptations, but the basic plot remains: a scientist discovers a way to reassemble and reanimate a human from assorted “parts” and some electricity—which was a very new technology when the story was written in 1816-17)

Pre-reading:

• Man vs. Machine: The Storyteller’s Frontier, by Chris Oatley
  (This essay delves into “character vs. technology” more deeply, with numerous examples both old and new. The author makes note of how frequently writers will employ the theme, only to miss out on its many benefits)

Prewriting:

• Make a list of technologies that you use presently
• Think about the things on that list that you have difficulty with, or perhaps that disturb you in some way
• When you have isolated which technology you wish to employ for your story, do some research on the web about it to determine what the cutting edge is now and where it may go in the future
• Start to plot your story based on your difficulties with and/or projection of where that technology is headed
• Be sure to look at “big picture” ideas like what it means to be human and how technologies alter that as they become more prominent in our lives

Prompt: Write a story wherein a human character (or characters) is (are) pitted against technology, or perhaps a technology they were working with grew beyond their control.