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Bascomb James
Author | Scientist | Science Fiction Fan

Five Science Fiction and Fantasy Story Prompts

5/31/2015

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Friend or Faux?     A story about an (alien?) shapeshifter whose chimeric DNA makeup allows it to imitate anyone it touches. A conflict/solution (depending upon POV) arises when it assimilates template DNA from someone with a genetically-based neurodegenerative disease (such as Lou Gehrig's disease). The disease blocks the creature’s ability to shape-shift and it is trapped in a failing shell.

Junker    A junk dealer who fixes/recycles broken items acquires a powerful spell writer with a defective spell checker.  All hell breaks loose when (s)he tries to fix the infernal contraption.

Cookin’ Skag    University researchers create yeast cells that can produce morphine and oxycodone from a simple glucose-based culture media.  The organism is smuggled out of the facility on a Band-Aid and grown in sterile Mason jars.  This could be a biological “Breaking Bad” scenario coupled with a little terrorist action/human interest as the market for opium poppies crashes.  This story could be taken from tomorrow’s headlines.  See this story from the University of California at Berkley  bit.ly/1EWhwWT   

Plug and Play    A scientist learns to pull massive amounts of clean energy from another dimension, using inexpensive portable devices.  The world’s energy problems are solved until the residents of the tapped dimension send a collection agency to settle the Earth’s delinquent power bill.

Potions    A molecular biologist uses his training to create some of the most famous potions in history and sells them via the Internet.  The potions work, but buyer beware!


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Catch and Release Storytelling

5/27/2015

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Picture
“I can hypnotize a rabbit.”

This statement conjures a host of responses from incredulity, curiosity, and exasperation, to concerns about the sanity of the speaker.  But it’s also an example of a narrative hook I once used to get my audience interested in what comes next. 

Picture if you will, an extended family dinner with 10 or 12 people at the grownup table and at least that many at the kids’ table.  There was the usual level of noise and commotion associated with a large family dinner but there was also an air of curiosity--my nephew had brought his new girlfriend home to meet the family.  She was an undergraduate science major and she had been told that I was a research and development scientist.  So, as you might expect, she asked me what I did at the R&D center.  I really didn’t want to put on my scientist’s hat at the dinner table so I responded that I did a lot of different things. 

Undeterred, she said, “Tell us about one of them.”

And yes, I told everyone that I could hypnotize a rabbit. 

My second point is that you have to know your audience.  I could have talked about gene expression, viral antigen production, protein purification and a host of other things, but my non-science audience would have been bored to tears. Instead, I said something interesting--something unexpected--and after the hooting subsided, I was able tell my story about how I learned this unusual skill and why it was necessary.

Short story writing is much like telling a tale at dinner. You have to quickly engage the audience, keep the narrative brief and lively, and have a satisfying ending.  The ending is as important as the hook because storytelling is catch and release fishing.  You need to release them in good condition so you can hook 'em again later.


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Coffee with Grandpa

5/11/2015

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Up North Stories.  My grandparents were poor Mennonite dairy farmers who lived near Fairview Michigan. Every day is a work day on a dairy farm, and workdays started early. Grandma would stoke the wood-burning cook stove and make breakfast while Grandpa brought in firewood and started his chores. When breakfast was ready, they would eat and talk about the day. After breakfast, Grandpa went down the hill to milk the cows and Grandma cleared away the dishes and attended to her chores.

When the milking was finished, Grandpa came back up the hill for coffee and toast. I remember Grandpa’s cup, a sturdy cream colored vessel with a round tapered bottom and a one-finger handle high on the side. When I see this style today it’s always a “Grandpa Cup.”

Coffee with Grandpa was instant coffee with milk and sugar and two slices of toast. I’m sure he had coffee cake or pastry once in a while, but I remember the toast. Grandpa buttered his toast, folded it in half, and dunked it into his coffee before taking a bite. He would eat soggy toast and drink his coffee every morning. I don’t think he noticed the buttery film floating on top of the coffee and coating his cup.

Grandpa and I were pretty close. Whenever we visited, I would sit with him while he had his coffee. Mom and Grandma believed children should not drink coffee – “it would stunt your growth” - so I sat at the table with my toast and a glass of milk. Sometimes, when Grandma was in the next room, Grandpa brought a second cup to the table - a cup just like his! Grandpa would wink at me and with a finger pressed to his lips, he would transfer several spoonfuls of his coffee to my cup and fill the cup with milk. I was so proud at these moments because I was having coffee, just like Grandpa. And just like Grandpa, I folded my toast and dunked it.

You may be interested in these Up North Stories:

New Feature:  Up North Stories
Skinny Dip
Radio and the Fabric of our Lives
Early Reading Experiences

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