Tag: Inspiration for writing science fiction

Write the First Lines for a SciFi Story

Write the first lines of a scifi story

Here’s the last prompt for this month’s theme of speculative fiction. Study the photos and write the first lines for a scifi story.

Here’s my inspiration:

Slumped in her swivel chair by the front control panels, Dalian said, “Sector Q-37 is clear. All normal readings. Exactly what we’ve found in all the previous sectors, and exactly what we’ll find in all the rest. Thick forests, steep mountains, and no intelligent life.”

I rubbed my eyes and flipped several switches. “The scouting mission wasn’t a total waste. Mining is possible in the mountains.”

“Those trace amounts of elements wouldn’t make it worth any companies time.” Dalian stared at the front screen which relayed the terrain in front of our ship. “My brother-in-law has told more than I’ve ever wanted to know about mining.” She sighed. “Sectore Q-38 is …”

I looked up from the buttons in front of me.

Dalian stared straight ahead and lifted her hand to point at the screen.

Our ship was quickly approaching a structure big enough to be a city jutting from the side of a pinnacle.

“I guess there is intelligent life. Or was.”

“But it’s not registering.” Dalian had moved her focus to the displays. “According to our sensors, there’s just a mountain peak in front of us.”

We looked at the structure and then at each other.

For more prompts for writing scifi stories, click here.

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What’s the Plot for This SciFi Scene?

what's the plot for this sci-fi scene

What’s the plot for this scifi scene? There’s so much going on. Here’s my inspiration.

“No, no, no!” shouted Commander Zaeron. “We’ve entered the atmosphere, Cadet!” He shoved Cadet Plsae out of the pilot’s seat.

With the cadet screaming as the land rushed toward them on the main view screen, Commander Zaeron slapped at touch panels. The starboard side of the ship plowed into the field, showering the landscape with boulders and dirt, the metal skin grinding through layers of sediments. Zaeron flew out of the seat.

Then the ship went quiet, except for the gasping of Cadet Plsae.

Zaeron pulled himself up to the bank of touch panels, half of them black, the other half almost vibrating with warning alarms.

But the main screen still worked. A small figure, possibly female, stood in the field, looking directly at the ship.

Zaeron gulped, every story he’d ever heard or read about Earthlings colliding together in his mind.

For more prompts to inspire plots, click here.

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What’s the Story?

How about a science fiction prompt to kick off your week? What’s the story for this photo? I chose this one because it is clearly a science fiction setting with the spaceship, but there’s also a castle in the background. I like the contrast, and that ignited my imagination. Here’s my story:

The rust bucket hit the planet with all the grace an ancient space shuttle.

“If our mission is so important,” I flipped switches to cut the steam billowing from a burst tube, “why didn’t the Government give us a decent ship?”

Haney stared at me. “You’re trying to make sense of the Government?”

“Sorry,” I said through clenched teeth. “Don’t know what came over me.” I stared out the window, past the iron formations to a castle straight out of a fairy tale. “This is a wasted trip. Senator Allus quit and came to the backend of the galaxy to build that thing and live by himself. He’s not going to help the Government, no matter what the crisis is.”

Haney lowered his eyebrows. “Do you know there’s a crisis?”

“No. But why else would the Government send us to get somebody who’s made it pretty clear he wants nothing to do with anybody?”

“Good question.” His voice was quiet as he gazed at the spires rising against the purple clouds of methane.

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