C.K. Oldfield's Blog: Random Thoughts & Updates

[The following post was printed in the Toronto Star on 10/22/22]


What if.

That is the overarching premise of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction. What if.

What if this bad thing happened?

What if that bad thing happened?

While fun thought experiments (who hasn’t daydreamed about a zombie apocalypse?), dystopian fiction can also serve as a stark warning sign of things to come. Just look at The Handmaid’s Tale in comparison to the recent (and growing) influence of Christian nationalists in the USA or the mounting state of government surveillance as foreshadowed in the classic 1984.

We’re now just 100 seconds to midnight according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. The UN is warning that sea levels may rise by upwards of 2 meters by 2100, significantly changing the shape of the world as we know it. And just this week it was reported that humanity was wiped out 60% of animal populations in just 50 years.

We are on the brink of creating a world that we’ve only read about. The Road, Waterworld,
Parable of the Sower — these are no longer just stories. Nor are they even warning signs. They are a road map leading to a cliff’s edge. One we are eagerly speeding towards without even looking towards the brake.

Personally, I love a good end-of-the-world story. Because they are just that: stories.

I suspect the reality is going to be far less entertaining. And I suspect we are going to find that out far sooner than we anticipate.

I can’t write what I can’t see. Sure, I can plot and outline, but in order for a scene — and a book — to really come together I need to be able to watch it.

One of the neat things about writing is that everyone does it differently. Some people plot out in extreme detail, some just sit down to write.

Some people write slowly without a deadline while others need that pressure to get inspired.

Some of us write in the morning while others are night owls.

There’s no single right way, which means anyone can pick up writing and make it fit around their personality and creative style.

For me, I know exactly how I write now, which is helpful for planning out projects and being patient with the process.

Before I write a scene, I’ll jot down notes about what I want or think should happen. And then I’ll spend time watching it happen in my mind, like a movie.

When I walk the dog or go for a run, I’ll let the scene play out, gently guiding it with my outline but letting it unfold as if it were a film.

And watch and replay it, change things I don’t like, and then watch it again.

Eventually, it will be as clear as a memory. Then, I can sit down and write without worry because I literally just have to translate my “memory” into words.

Easier said than done, of course, but the bones are there and have enough strength to stand on so I can continue “watching” the rest of the book unfold.

So, that’s how I write. It may not be the most efficient way to get things down but it works for me. Maybe it will work for you too.