Writing Genre Fiction: Creating Imaginary Worlds: The 12 Rules

“What a brilliant book! Rule 13: Read this book. It can only help you write better genre stories. What's to lose?”
Vanessa Gebbie, award-wining author and editor of “Short Circuit: A Guide to the Art of the Short Story"

Writing Genre Fiction: Creating Imaginary Worlds - The 12 Rules is a guide for writers and readers of sci fi and fantasy that explains the 12 unwritten rules for creating believable imaginary worlds. Flout these rules and a good story idea can be destroyed losing the reader along the way. The conventions, tricks and the trips are explained and lots of examples given so authors, whether writing flash fiction or a full length novel, don’t strain their reader’s patience, sympathy and credibility.

Written also to entertain readers of genre fiction - sci fi, fantasy, paranormal, horror - the book is useful for beginning writers, established authors, writing groups and creative writing courses in schools and universities as a quick and fun 101 on creating imaginary worlds in books and film.

About the Author

Charles Christian is a barrister and Reuters correspondent turned award-winning technology journalist, newsletter editor, blogger, publisher and science fiction author.

His dystopian sci-fi and urban fantasy stories are Gothic tales for the 21st century – with a sense of humour and a topical twist. His collection of science fiction and urban fantasy short stories, This is the Quickest Way Down, was listed for three national and international book awards. Set mostly in the present day, the eleven stories give everyday existence a gentle nudge into the realms of the weird, the supernatural, the horrific and the surreal. He has also recently published Secret Cargo, a sci fi/steampunk story, Tomorrow's Ghosts and Rip and Burn.

Charles lives in Norfolk with his wife, Jane, three dogs and two horses.