The first science fiction competition for primary and middle school students in Shenzhen was officially launched on Saturday at the Nanshan outlet of Shenzhen Book City.

Initiated by the Shenzhen Association for Science and Technology and Science & Fantasy Growth Foundation (SFGF), the “Pop Science and Future” online writing competition invites participation from first to 12th graders in the city.

Primary students are required to submit works within 1,000 Chinese characters, junior high students need to submit stories of less than 2,000 characters and senior high students need to send works of less than 3,000 characters.

Those interested need to submit works before September 2, and a jury staffed by educators and established authors will review the works and announce the list of winners on September 24. An award ceremony will be held the next day.

“Science fiction bodes the future of science and art,” said SFGF director Ma Guobin. “The competition aims to ignite children’s imaginations and to encourage them to cultivate an interest in science and writing.”

Deng Yulin, Teacher of the Year in Shenzhen for 2020, and locally based sci-fi author Wang Nuonuo gave lectures Saturday on how to create a sci-fi story.

Deng suggested younger students to write science fairy tales and older students to try their hands at sci-fi short stories. “This type of story should have bold imagination at work. Writers need to think of their themes, backgrounds, roles, settings, and avant-garde equipment, and then design exciting plotlines,” Deng said. “The last step is to come up with the details and write the story with vivid language.”

Wang shared that the best sci-fi works have three things in common: good aesthetics in science and logic, a sense of awe, and unforgettable characters. He also reminded the audience that unlike other genres, sci-fi works are often dealing with the fate of the human race as a whole in addition to the life of individuals. Sci-fi authors always bear in mind a bigger perspective when they write, he said.

Those interested can contact a teacher surnamed Feng via the mobile number 18316138360 for more details about the competition.

(Li Dan)