#tbh i dont think we'll ever have teleports like smart watches

[lettersiarrange]

Tip for sci-fi writers:

Dont be afraid to give your characters cool technology, but make the technology fallible

If you had told someone a hundred years ago that we'd have instant communication devices that could be used to contact anyone at any moment and knew our location at all times and these devices could fit in our pockets or be worn on our wrists, they would have told you no one would ever again be able to write a story dependent on someone getting murdered in an alley.

But that's not true. I could run out of phone battery bc I just came from a boring social event and spent the whole time scrolling thru Twitter. I could be in part of the city where my phone network has shitty service. I could try to call a friend who lives nearby for help but I've just gotten a new phone and haven't transferred my contacts and I dont remember their number. I could be traveling in a new country and not know the emergency number. Someone could take my phone. I could have turned my phone off bc it was glitching and the "do not disturb" function wasnt working, and then it takes like 15 seconds for the thing to boot up and even more time for me to dial 911. There are a million ways you could still realistically write abt someone getting murdered in an alley.

If you had told someone 400 years ago that we'd have flying machines that can take us across the world in a few hours, they would have told you no one would ever again be able to write a story dependent on long journeys or getting lost.

But that's not true. I can't fly straight from my house to my friend's place in Norway. I'd have to drive to the airport, then catch a flight to an international hub city like NYC or DC, then have a layover in London, then another flight to Oslo, then drive potentially hours from that airport to her house. And maybe she lives in the middle of nowhere and google maps doesn't have any info about it. Maybe I get a flat tire. Maybe she REALLY lives in the middle of nowhere and I have to take an ATV for part of the journey. Maybe I lose my passport somewhere and have to retrace 100 miles of my journey. Maybe I forget my passport at home and can't even get out of the country so now I'm stranded in New York. Maybe one of my flights is delayed and I miss a connection. Maybe halfway between her house and the airport my phone dies and I dont have an adaptor and I have to ask a local for directions but the language barrier means I completely misunderstand. Maybe I can't afford a flight at all bc they're too expensive and I have to take a cheap cruise ship and I get left at one of the ports.

So don't worry that introducing teleportation into your world will make it too easy for the characters to accomplish their goals. Don't avoid adding in universal translators because the plot is reliant on a communication error.

Think about what technology the characters might use to get what they want. And then think of interesting ways for that technology to fail. And there's part of your plot.