It’s amazing how fast things progress over time. Who would’ve thought that augmented reality, smart watches and 4D films would already be in existence. This week I’m talking about keeping up with, not only technology, but with all the new advances when writing a book in a modern day world.

I started writing The Luke Bright Series back in 2006 and the world was a very different place back then. I was also hoping to set the series in 2029, so when I was writing, I was trying to predict what the world would be like 23 years in the future. Of course, I had my caveat – that the Atlantic Split had meant the USA was far more advanced than Britain.

But it was hard to know what would change about the future and what would stay the same – I had an MP7 player back in the first few drafts of what is Atlantic Split, unaware of how Apple products would overtake them. I also used different slang and descriptions which wouldn’t make sense now – slang words that were common place back in the mid 2000s but haven’t been carried through to the future. Reading some of the first drafts make it seem dated. I used words like “dibs” which just aren’t around now. Considering all that, and changing the language to be more universal, Luke’s tone has matured a lot more especially now knowing what types of speech are realistic nowadays.

So why did I change from 2029 back to 2018? Well, the first person who officially read and critiqued my manuscript made the suggestion that it didn’t feel futuristic enough so it would be easier to keep it in the present if I didn’t want to change it wildly. I wanted to try to keep the days of the year the same for continuity reasons and I realised 2018 and 2029 share the same pattern of days and dates. When I decided to publish back in 2017, it felt almost fitting that Luke’s world and mine would collide at the same time in this adventure.

I’ll end on my few tips if you’re planning on writing about the future. Don’t get too hung up about the specifics – use made up descriptions, technology and situations rather than trying to replicate our own in case it becomes dated. Use language that will make sense no matter when someone reads it, and be cautious with very specific new slang, use more established slang if you need to. Just can be as inventive as you like, it’s your world, and that’s where alternate reality comes in very handy. Because at least then, you have an excuse as to why the future is so different from our own.

Atlantic Split and At Liberty To Live, the first and second books in The Luke Bright Series are available to purchase NOW! An Undercover Dream – the third book in the series will be released in SUMMER 2019! 

Please follow me on my blog and social media links below, and use the links on my website to purchase a copy of each if you have not done so. Don’t forget to leave a review! Thank you once again for taking the time to read this blog post.

N.A.K.