Writing Biology Into SFF: A Double Helix of Fascination and Fact

This session will explore how all kinds of life sciences—from botany to physiology to ecology to genetics—can enrich your story with the rich, captivating details that make SFF worlds come alive. Whether you're crafting an alien food chain, designing a dragon's metabolism, or explaining those suspiciously familiar eyes on your orphaned protagonist, this session will help you ground your wildest ideas in logic and plausibility. Take-aways include: an understanding of why biology works so well in fiction, a roadmap of where to look for ideas, and at least a few techniques for how to use them (without sacrificing wonder!)

About the Instructor:

Lauren Stienstra is an American novelist who enjoys writing about the intersection of duty, science, and humanity. She believes that fiction can encourage readers to re-think their roles, responsibilities, and relationships in our own present world. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Lauren now lives, works, and writes around Washington, D.C. 
She holds advanced degrees in science and public policy from the George Washington and Johns Hopkins universities, and trained in creative writing at UCLA.