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Write down a detailed account of the rules and regulations of your fictional dystopian world. You can then refer to these notes as you compose the novel. Having a clear set of dos and don’ts will make it easier for you to immerse the reader in the world of the novel. It will also ensure you keep the world consistent and easy to follow. To create the rules, ask yourself:  What are the laws of the world? Is there a legal system, and if so, what does it look like? How are people punished for their actions? Does everyone receive the same punishment for their actions? What is considered taboo in the world? A strong opening line will set the tone for the rest of the novel and draw the reader in. Come up with a first line that is descriptive and unique. It should shock or startle the reader so they pay attention and read on.  For example, you may go for a descriptive, moody opening like the first line of William Gibson’s Neuromancer: “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” Or you may go for first lines that gives character and personality like Chuck Palahniuk’s Choke: “If you’re going to read this, don’t bother. After a couple pages, you won’t want to be here. So forget it. Go away. Get out while you’re still in one piece. Save yourself.” Avoid making your dystopian novel just about the dystopian world. Have a protagonist that feels like the center of the story. Show them trying to survive in the dystopia. Make them the guide to the world for the reader. Having a strong main character will help readers feel a personal connection to the story. For example, you may have a main character who is employed by the shadowy government in control in the dystopian world. You may then show the main character struggling to help others overthrow the government. Do not simply let your minor characters feel like stand ins or caricatures. Make your minor characters just as detailed as your main character. Give your minor characters their own dramas, feelings, and conflicts to sort out. Show them struggling with the dystopian world and their role in it. For example, you may have a minor character who is the mother of the main character. She may try to help the main character succeed in overthrowing the shadowy government using her little known hacking skills. Put your reader in the dystopian world of the novel by describing how it smells, sounds, feels, looks, and tastes. Show your reader how it feels to walk in the world. Give your reader a sensory picture of the dystopian world so they can feel like they are really there. For example, you may describe the metallic smell of the government headquarters, run by robots. Or you may describe the charcoal taste of the food given to the poor and elderly. Use the dystopian aspects of the world to create conflict for your characters. The dystopian world should work against the characters so they feel trapped and restricted. They can then fight against the dystopia and try to get out of it or save others from it. For example, you may have a main character who tries to ignore the evil actions of the dystopian government until it affects their family. They may then decide to take on the government so they can free their family.
Create the rules of the dystopian world. Start with a strong opening. Make the main character central to the story. Have well rounded minor characters. Describe the world with sensory details. Create conflict using the dystopian world.