The Backdrop

In Ian's story "Luna Marine", the political environment is set in the year 2045. The United Nations has become a powerful entity that is at war with the United States. In my story, I would like to create a political system that is more like the past however set in an off-world environment. The ruling party or house is more or less a royal dictator that answers to the senate and employ's its political liaison however decides in its own best interest. I want to combine this with an unstable religious setting to create some conflict that will be the backdrop to the real science fiction taking place in the foreground.
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Politics

In the 25th century the interstellar Republic was made up of planets all within 100 light years of its center or origin which was called earth. The two party political system which served so many years ago was no longer effective and had been replaced by houses. Each territory was directed and represented by a house. The lord was nothing more than a figure head and each house had an elected political contingent.

Is there a God?

I often hear people say they don't believe in god because of all the pain and suffering they witness on earth. I was thinking about that this morning and have developed a response. First off, you have to understand that god is much like "The Force", it is insides us, it binds us to each other, it runs throughout all living things and the universe. There is something I like to refer to as "Gods Will". If you were to let go of an action the force that takes over, the end result could be considered god's will. However the self-centered human experience that takes control and presses "Self Will" with the desire for an expected result. This is where pain and suffering are found. Are you willing to let God determine events in your life?

Let it go, it takes practice.

Convolution

It is a convoluted task to really weave a good story that encompasses the complete background in a good science fiction story. The politics, religion, and culture are all too apparent in a book I am currently reading called "Semper Mars". The timeframe is around the year 2040 and the UN has become a soft enemy of America as other poor countries use the UN association as leverage to attack the United States abroad. This is great stuff, and as I continue to study is quickly becoming apparent that it is essential to any well written story.
In my story: Painter is making a visit to the slave quarters located in the palace depths. He needs to understand this power that the slave Durantis has, and how it can help the save the republic from the repeated attacks from the machine race called the Digi Tribe.

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The Pull In

What is it about some stories that pull the reader in within the first few pages? I just finished reading Frank Herbert's "The Dragon in the Sea". It had me hooked immediately and I read it cover to cover. That is a satisfying read for me. When I try to pin down what it is that hooks me it is a complex equation. I think it was the action. It started quickly without too much introduction and character development. He is able to spin it in on the go. It is important to get it out there early and then get down into the details latter.

Character Interaction and Personality

One of the many threads throughout the story is character development. As your reader progresses through he/she forms a relationship with the characters in the story. The reader might like, dislike, hate, or even want to love and protect the persona the writer has created. So the writer in essence gets to play god. Wielding that power means responsibility. How is it best done? My only knowledge in this area comes from reading and analysis. I often think that way do it best is to make a 3x5 card for every character adding a description and list or character attributes. This can be used with your story board to arrange direction.

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The power base and immortality

In every story there is a civilized structure to follow. In this case, there is a hierarchy and royal family. There is a palace and training courtyard. There are castes that define member's status. The king, the priest, the prince, the slave, and the mysterious Nayla all make up the beginnings or introductions. Each and every member needs to be described to some degree depending on the weight given to the character in the story.

The influence of the royal family on Quin was felt to only a few close surrounding planets. There were other powers great in the universe to be feared. The Digi tribe was an offshoot of the techno age when immortality was realized by the storage of digitized memories and experiences. The once 20th century Internet and been the foundation the millions and millions of memories were stored.

The church of Tau had their own brand of power base on the spiritual system once practiced by witch doctors and powerful tribal leaders on the early days of Earth. It was the self, the ego, the entity that makes the one, here was the power the Prince Alex knew could be unleashed as only Durantis knew how.

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