Some people say they write by the seat of their pants, while others prefer having outlines. Personally, I consider myself a seat-of-the-pants writer, but before diving into a story, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. One of these tricks is creating a "bible" for my ideas and books.

When an idea starts to form in my mind, including the characters and the beginning of a plot, I begin by writing a detailed bible. This bible encompasses various aspects such as the characters' backgrounds, history, politics, and plots. Since I write retrofuturistic science fiction, I also include details about the technology and rules of the universe. As most of my stories take place between the 1920s and 1950s, this requires meticulous world-building.

Creating a bible is like building the foundation for a story. It involves note-taking and constant modification, but the original ideas always serve as a reference point. One of my personal rules is no time travel, but within the realm of science fiction, I allow for exploration of different planets at varying levels of development. From caveman tribes to semi-futuristic or alternative futuristic societies, the possibilities are endless.

For each character, I establish their personalities and even subject them to personality tests. Drawing upon my psychology degree, this not only helps me understand the characters better, but also adds depth to their development. By the time I start writing the actual story, the sets, backgrounds, and even constructed languages for certain beings within my universe are already established.

With all these elements in place, the story begins to write itself. The characters take on a life of their own and sometimes even alter the direction of the narrative in ways that make more sense than my original intentions. Even the inclusion of one-off characters, for whom I may not have initially developed background details, can create unexpected plot developments and add richness to the story.

Through the help of the bible, the story, its people, their technology, and even the background characters all take on an organic quality. It feels as if I am merely documenting real-life events that unfold before my eyes. Creating a thorough bible is the crucial first step in this process, and I credit it for the success of my storytelling.

In my next article, I plan to delve into the stories of four characters who invented themselves. It is important to give credit where it's due, as the main protagonists and antagonists are not the only ones deserving recognition.