What do you do when you love science fiction, want to write science fiction, but don’t have a degree in any science?

What do you do when you’re not the typical geek who loves nerdy stuff but never had the focus to get through college? Or struggled with a learning disability that killed that dream? Or both?

If you’re an aspiring or current indie author asking yourself the same questions, fear not. I’ve had this same debate in my head for decades.

So, I always wanted to write and hit a typewriter at the age of three. Then negative self-esteem came a calling, but that’s a talk for another time. This one will focus on being ADHD (i.e. a panster in every aspect of life), and dealing with math.

Yes. Math. I know. Most people seem to hate maths. For me it’s an altogether different problem.

So, I always couldn’t sit still, stay focused, etc. This was assumed to be because I was a boy. We lacked health insurance, and to be fair, no one was really trying to figure out why I was the way I was. I stayed mostly to myself, wandered aimlessly, lacked focus, but appeared to be, what I hated being called later, ‘gifted’. Whatever that meant.

Teachers, counselors homed in on my ability to write entire book reports from only reading the first ten or so pages of a novel. How I guessed the right answers in history class. This meant some form of high intellect. Bleh. So from middle school I was in honors classes or at the least, academic level.

However, there was math. Aside form almost failing most school years due to missed days (asthma attack after asthma attack after…) math kicked me like the worst of schoolyard bullies. I couldn’t get it. Couldn’t count change. Couldn’t tell time. 2+2 took forever to master. As if I wasn’t stressed out enough about this, teachers, counselors, even a principal yelled at me, year after year, as an embarrassment to the entire school, can I imagine how hard it is for the school to struggle putting me in honors and remedial, and I barely passed remedial?

I was averaging a grade of 45 in remedial math in 6th grade.

I was an A or A+ student in English, History while barely making an effort. This made me A) bored as can be or B) stressed out like a war veteran.

It got better. Slowly. By 28(!) I could get basic math in my head, still takes multiple attempts on some days. That year, I applied for financial aid for college (didn’t bother before, figured I’d fail), and got it!

And failed.

Algebra, here’s looking at you. And I had four tutors. Average grade: 45.

So you might wonder when does science come in. Well LOTS of science is maths. Chemistry. I started out so well in chem. Then they brought in chemical equations, those mean bastards. My A went to a clawing-for-dear-life C-. I LOVE science. I sat through Biology and did it while not paying attention. I drew superheroes while my teacher taught. A. Easy.

Physics! B! Equations drifted into town like so many bandits. F.

And here’s me, lover of H.G. Wells, science fiction and the pulps, wanting to write Stephen Baxter grade SF stories. Hah!

I tried. But eventually science would inevitably rear its head and what was once my pal had now become an imposing wall. If I can’t math I can’t science so why bother?

I let it go. Thankfully, the punks saved me.

But lately I’ve gone back to reading scientific journals, following astronomers like our own David Lee Summers, plus Dr. Becky, Nora’s Guide To The Galaxy, and many more. I’ve been digging into James Gleick’s chaos about Chaos Theory. Trying to memorize equations, even if I fumble on the work. Fahrenheit to Celsius and vice versa. Basic physics stuff for calculating speed, distance, time.

This revivified some confidence in me. Sure, I can;t math. But I can imagine. I can tie science principles to a story and make it plausible, or seem to be. This year, I started SF, with my own spin on it.

Dark Synergy One might be goths in space, but it’s a serious tale about being alone in the universe, finding yourself, and drops science terms I find in up-to-date journals and websites. I grab as much as I can, read them, incorporate them into the tale. Give it a go. Tell me what you think, especially if you’re a scientist.

My point is being a scientist writing SF is top notch. That should be the goal. However, if it isn’t, you can still do it. Most people I know hate math, but they’re worlds better at it than I’ve ever been, and I break my brain trying to comprehend the rationale behind the paper on an Alcubierre Drive for FTL! I love this new lane I’m in. It’s an educational, fun version of discomfort. For every struggle I gain new ground. Might not get the equation, but I get the concept, and that’s what counts.

If you are a writer looking to get science news of the day, well, always first hit the books. But I found many sites that help me. physorg.com is a fabulous website with just about every form of science you can shake a lightsaber at, and you can sign up to get a free newsletter about the latest sci-news sent to your inbox on the regular. space.com hosts everything you could want to know about space and how it works, plus nasa.gov has a free ebooks section with books spanning the breadth of things learned by them over the decades. Also spend some time on sciencedaily.com, Scientific American, Science, and SciTech. These will keep you more than occupied, get you learned, and more importantly, inspire that next story!

I’m looking forward to moving on in this strange new world…