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- Dec 31, 2017
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Hello,
My YA WIP is currently undergoing a rapid shift from high fantasy to light sci-fi. Somewhere along the way it just kept screaming "space opera!" at me, so I ditched the fantasy genre, which I've been writing in for the past six years. Since I'm nowhere near as experienced in sci-fi, I'm having some problems "transposing" the story's map from a fantasy realm to outer space. My original fantasy setting consisted of four continents, each with 3-5 kingdoms. For the space opera makeover, these continents became star systems, each with 3-5 planets. I plan for the four star systems to have no prior contact with one another. Each system is governed by a monarchy that rules all the planets within that system. Most space opera books I've come across feature some sort of Federation or/and interplanetary alliance and especially, an Empire. Would it be too unconventional for mine to be completely devoid of words like "Alliance" and "Empire?" and "Federation?"
Also, will I need to employ "sectors," "quadrants," and FTL travel if it's only going to be four star systems within a single galaxy rather than multiple galaxies?
My YA WIP is currently undergoing a rapid shift from high fantasy to light sci-fi. Somewhere along the way it just kept screaming "space opera!" at me, so I ditched the fantasy genre, which I've been writing in for the past six years. Since I'm nowhere near as experienced in sci-fi, I'm having some problems "transposing" the story's map from a fantasy realm to outer space. My original fantasy setting consisted of four continents, each with 3-5 kingdoms. For the space opera makeover, these continents became star systems, each with 3-5 planets. I plan for the four star systems to have no prior contact with one another. Each system is governed by a monarchy that rules all the planets within that system. Most space opera books I've come across feature some sort of Federation or/and interplanetary alliance and especially, an Empire. Would it be too unconventional for mine to be completely devoid of words like "Alliance" and "Empire?" and "Federation?"
Also, will I need to employ "sectors," "quadrants," and FTL travel if it's only going to be four star systems within a single galaxy rather than multiple galaxies?
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