Full transcript
0:00Hello, welcome to season 1 of Story
0:01Chef, where we dive into different
0:03genres and discover what makes them
0:05tick. Today, we're talking about how to
0:07write cozy science fiction. And if
0:09you're unfamiliar with this series, I've
0:11gone and used AI to do a huge analysis
0:13of multiple bestsellers in over 200
0:15genres that I've identified through
0:17hours and hours of Amazon research.
0:20Actually going through scene by scene to
0:22identify all the tropes used, the
0:24overall flow of the plot, the character
0:26archetypes, and much more.
0:28Now, this is a lot more than just going
0:30through Chat GPT and asking like what
0:32tropes are in this genre because it
0:34could hallucinate those or get things
0:36wrong or the genre trends might be so
0:38new that it might not even know what
0:41what they are. And when I do it this way
0:43through an actual analysis of actual
0:45books, we're getting far more accurate
0:47data. So, with that in mind, let's dive
0:49into cozy science fiction. So, this is a
0:52fairly niche genre, but it's one that I
0:54decided to do because it was one I was
0:57interested in potentially writing. Uh
0:59so, let's start with the tropes, the
1:01major tropes of this genre. And the
1:04number one here is found family.
1:06Strangers with nothing in common are
1:07thrown together by circumstance and
1:09ending up forming a bond tighter than
1:12blood. The next major trope is fish out
1:15of water. The protagonist is usually
1:16thrust into a confusing futuristic
1:18environment using their lack of
1:19knowledge as a vehicle of humor and
1:20audience. Uh I found this to be true
1:23often for especially for a lot of the
1:25examples that I analyzed. Although, I
1:27think a lot of the times you can just
1:29have a more slice-of-life thing where
1:31the the character isn't so much a fish
1:33out of water as it is just like we're
1:35just following someone around. Uh AI
1:38robots as complex characters. Uh the
1:41ship's computer or local droid isn't
1:42just a tool, but a fully realized
1:44character with sass, emotions, and
1:45agencies. Definitely true from the ones
1:47I looked at. Uh practical skills and
1:49MacGyvering. While the tech is advanced,
1:51the problems are often solved by a
1:53protagonist using simple hands-on common
1:55sense or primitive skills. Personal
1:57stakes and emotional intimacy. We aren't
1:59trying to stop the Death Star here. We
2:01are trying to fix a relationship or find
2:03a place to belong. Again, that kind of
2:04goes into the slice-of-life thing or
2:06just because this is cozy, we're not
2:08having galactic stakes here. We We're
2:11It's more just about the characters, the
2:13relationships, that kind of thing.
2:14World-building, used future, and cozy
2:17spaces. The setting should feel lived in
2:18and comfortable, focusing on the
2:20maintenance of a home rather than the
2:22sterility of a laboratory. And this is
2:25probably one of the more important
2:26things. Um for me personally, I find the
2:30the vibe of cozy sci-fi uh in my mind, I
2:34sort of imagine that as the Enterprise
2:36D, uh aka the Next Generation, Star Trek
2:39the Next Generation. Um Now, I wouldn't
2:42say all of that show would would
2:44classify would be categorized as cozy
2:47sci-fi, but it's definitely very similar
2:51to that. You know, there's carpets,
2:53everything's cushion, and it kind of has
2:55a nice homey feel. That's kind of how I
2:58imagine cozy sci-fi. Although certainly
3:00there would be endless variations of of
3:03that kind of vibe that we could be going
3:05for. Low conflict, uh gentle problem
3:08resolution. So, problems are solved
3:10through communication, empathy, and
3:11cleverness rather than violence or
3:12aggression. And the character arcs are
3:14usually from outsider to integrated
3:15member. Again, this kind of goes for
3:18your typical story, but not for a
3:20slice-of-life story. The journey also
3:22almost always involves a lonely or
3:23cynical character finding their specific
3:25way place within a community. Uh all
3:27right, and those are like the major
3:29tropes, right? So, I also have more
3:31common tropes that you might find, but
3:33aren't necessarily required. Uh we got
3:35blind dates, bad dates from hell. The
3:38protagonist navigates a series of
3:39disastrous social encounters,
3:40highlighting the absurdity of dating in
3:42the future. So, that's definitely one
3:44fits in that slice-of-life kind of
3:46thing. Opposites attract, you can take
3:47two characters with vastly different
3:49backgrounds or species and forcing them
3:51to interact until they realize they
3:52complement one another. I think this is
3:54a great I mean that that kind of
3:57opposites attract trope is useful in any
3:59genre, but works specifically well for
4:02science fiction, I think. The retired
4:03badass, a character appearing to be a
4:05boring old shopkeeper keeper or pilot,
4:08but is revealed to have a highly
4:09dangerous set of skills that they laid
4:11down long ago. I really like this one.
4:14Um this is the kind of thing I
4:16These This is one of my favorite tropes
4:18just generally. Uh marriage of
4:20convenience, two characters getting
4:22hitched for logistical reasons, but
4:23arrangement is driven by genuine
4:25spontaneity and eventual love rather
4:26than cold strategy. The matchmaker AI,
4:29an artificial intelligence, decides it
4:31knows better than the humans and quietly
4:32manipulates events to bring a couple
4:34together.
4:35We have [snorts] the grumpy sunshine
4:36dynamic. This is a classic pairing with
4:39a cynical pessimist is partnered with a
4:40relentless optimist. The narrative
4:42framing device, um the story is told or
4:45supplemented by an AI that acts as a
4:47translator for the reader.
4:49We have time dilation, the characters
4:50deal with the melancholy reality of
4:52relativistic travel, often finding
4:54themselves stranded in a future where
4:56everyone they knew was gone. It might be
4:57a little dark for cozy sci-fi, um but
5:00could be an added element. Technological
5:03disparity, the narrative highlights the
5:04stark contrast between primitive Earth
5:07habits and the advanced bureaucratic
5:09tech of aliens.
5:10>> [snorts]
5:10>> We have the impostor or hidden identity,
5:12the character is terrified that their
5:13lack of credentials or true identity
5:15will be discovered by their new friends.
5:17Um as so as a spin-off of found family,
5:20you often have a adopted child or ward.
5:23And some of these others are just not so
5:25much tropes as they are just literary
5:27techniques like Chekhov's gun,
5:29foreshadowing. We got witness
5:31protection,
5:32um
5:33refuge in audacity scam becoming real,
5:36ensemble cast with diverse
5:38representation. That's definitely a big
5:40one. Uh slow burn romance, so if this is
5:43a cozy sci-fi that has romance, not all
5:45of them do, but cozies often have a
5:47layer of romance in them. Slow burns is
5:50a good way to go. Comfort, self-care,
5:52and wellness. The narrative pauses to
5:54explicitly focus on the characters
5:55resting, eating good food, and taking
5:57care of their mental health, which I
5:59think is great for sci-fi fiction
6:00because in our current world, technology
6:04is often a source of anxiety, and I I
6:07like the contrast of showing a future
6:10where technology is a source of
6:13rest and mental health. Or at least it's
6:15the setting for that. All right, so
6:17those are the major and common tropes. I
6:19do have more fleshed out explanations on
6:21each one of these, and this by the way
6:23is we're essentially looking at the book
6:26that I wrote on this, which you can get
6:27on Amazon,
6:29but I also have them at no extra charge
6:31inside of my membership, which
6:34and we also just announced my new Story
6:36Hacker OS, and this genre is included in
6:39that Story Hacker OS tool so that you
6:42can actually use this to write your own
6:44books in this in this genre.
6:47So, go check that out if you're
6:49interested. Now, my favorite is the plot
6:52template that we developed by kind of
6:54kitbashing what all of these bestsellers
6:57in the genre are doing into a single
6:59plot template. And this goes literally
7:02chapter by chapter. We've got 24
7:04chapters. So, it starts with chapter
7:06one, the mundane grind, which is
7:08essentially the protagonist is
7:09introduced in the middle of their
7:10ordinary working-class routine,
7:12demonstrating their specialized
7:13practical skill. And so, that's kind of
7:16what we'd see here. Cracks in the
7:17routine, so the protagonist tackles a
7:19more challenging version of their normal
7:21work. So, it's like an unusual day,
7:23right? Then there's some sort of
7:25disruption that happens. While in the
7:27middle of a mechanical task or routine
7:29errand, the protagonist are abruptly
7:31swept up by an overwhelming external
7:33force, whether through abduction,
7:35environmental catastrophe, forced
7:36relocation, or being trapped on a
7:37malfunctioning vessel that takes them
7:39somewhere unfamiliar.
7:40So,
7:42you know, something happens. Uh, and
7:44then they encounter strange new faces.
7:46The protagonist begin navigating the
7:47social landscape of their new
7:48environment, forming a tentative
7:50alliance with a knowledgeable local. Uh,
7:52so, uh, this is the kind of thing that
7:54happens next, which is, uh, they
7:57encounter some new characters are
7:59introduced. Uh, cramped quarters. So,
8:01they'll be displaced and things might be
8:03a little uncomfortable at first, but of
8:05course this is a this is a cozy, so that
8:07only goes so far. And then they fully
8:09cross the threshold. The protagonist
8:11achieve their first significant
8:12professional victory in the new setting,
8:14applying their unconventional skills to
8:16a problem the locals had considered
8:17impossible or too tedious. This is what
8:19in my book the plot module we refer to
8:22as earning respect. And, uh, chapter
8:25seven is about the wider world. So,
8:28we've kind of crossed the threshold, but
8:30this is the point where we kind of get
8:32to see like how big is this world, um,
8:34that they've entered into. They get to
8:36to see more of it, and they start
8:38building a home. Because this is a cozy,
8:40home is sort of important. So, they they
8:42become a little bit more, uh, settled in
8:45this new environment that they're in.
8:47They might develop romantic feelings
8:50between the protagonist and the love
8:51interest. Uh, there might be a a quiet
8:53intimate moment of bonding over shared
8:56media, food, or cultural exchange, that
8:58sort of thing.
8:59Uh, but there might be a sidekick, and
9:01that sidekick might get lonely. Um, this
9:03is this is one of those chapters that
9:05kind of like goes off and talks about
9:06different characters that you might
9:08have. By the way, none of this is set in
9:09stone, you can absolutely modify this.
9:11In my tool, in my tool that we developed
9:13Story Hacker OS, we have the ability to
9:15modify any of these templates to your
9:18heart's desire. But then there's a new
9:19character in distress that arrives in
9:21the protagonist orbit, whether through a
9:23damaged vessel, a desperate plea for
9:25help, or being found hiding within the
9:26infrastructure. And there's also a
9:28saboteur. So, just as the protagonist
9:30new life begins to feel stable, an
9:32external threat strikes their home,
9:33business, or community in the form of
9:34sabotage, vandalism, or hostile
9:36intervention. Um,
9:38and again, this is cozy, so these are
9:39not world-shattering things that happen.
9:41It's just a disruption to the everyday.
9:44And there's some kind of devastating
9:46truth. So, the protagonist performs a
9:48routine task with ease, demonstrating
9:49mastery of their new circumstances.
9:52Um however, a casual conversation, an
9:54overheard transmission, or a delivered
9:55piece of news reveals a devastating
9:57truth about the nature of their
9:58displacement. Their home is gone, time
10:00has passed beyond recovery, the physical
10:02changes to their bodies are permanent,
10:03or returning has become categorically
10:05impossible. Stuff like that. Uh then
10:07they process the loss. So, in the
10:08aftermath of the devastating revelation,
10:10the character processes their new
10:11reality in distinctly different ways.
10:13So, there's a number of ways that that
10:15could go. Uh but then they double down
10:16on the life that they are in. So,
10:18they're they're fully committed. This is
10:19kind of the uh the midpoint, you could
10:21call it, of the story, where they double
10:24down on the life that they are in. And
10:25then the investigation deepens. So, now
10:27that they are committed, they look into
10:29some of these issues that have been
10:30going on. And from here, there's an
10:32expansion and allies. So, they travel to
10:35neighboring communities or
10:37neighboring station or market to expand
10:38their network, market their services, or
10:40gather supplies, putting their new
10:42business model to the real test. Their
10:43efforts are largely successful, but also
10:45reveal additional layers of the
10:46setting's social and political
10:47complexity, etc.
10:49Uh the antagonist strikes is after that.
10:52So, the antagonist strikes directly at
10:54the protagonist's newly built life,
10:56targeting their home, business, found
10:57family, or vulnerable newcomer in the
10:59calculated acts of intimidation or harm.
11:02The attack is more personal and
11:03devastating than the earlier sabotage,
11:05threatening the foundations of
11:06everything the protagonist has built.
11:07Once again, this is more on a personal
11:10stakes and less so about um about
11:13anything like uh
11:15universe-shattering. But there is an all
11:16is lost moment, as there is in pretty as
11:18there is in pretty much every book. Um
11:21where the protagonist faces what appears
11:24to be a complete unraveling of their new
11:25life. So, things are not going well. But
11:27then there's some kind of truth reveals
11:29revealed. Protagonist discovers the
11:31truth behind the apparent betrayal. So,
11:33they're just digging into that a little
11:34bit more. Then there's setting the trap.
11:36So, they're starting to put a plan into
11:38motion to overcome the antagonist, which
11:40leads to the climax. The plan unfolds in
11:42a high-stakes confrontation where the
11:44protagonist applies their practical
11:46mundane skills against the antagonist's
11:47sophisticated resources, turning the
11:49environment itself into a weapon or
11:50trap. The conflict involves engineering,
11:52environmental hazards, clever
11:54misdirection, or defensive technology
11:55rather than direct lethal force cuz
11:57again, this is a cozy, keeping the
11:58resolution in line with the cozy tone.
12:00Right? And then there's some aftermath.
12:02The dust settles, right? Antagonist is
12:04neutralized or exposed or brought to
12:07justice. And then there's the lifelong
12:09commitment. Amidst the relief and
12:11celebration, the protagonist makes a
12:12life-long commitment to the love
12:14interest using a humble symbol drawn
12:15from their shared journey rather than
12:17something extravagant. The The team
12:19receives substantial rewards, etc. And
12:22they essentially settle into their new
12:24routine, which is the final chapter. The
12:26story concludes with a ceremonial
12:27gathering, communal celebration, or
12:29shared meal that brings together every
12:31ally encountered through the journey,
12:32reinforcing the theme of community and
12:34found family. Okay? So, really settling
12:36into that cozy vibe, right? So, that's
12:38the the general plot. Now, I do have uh
12:41information inside the book about like
12:43how that would change if you're writing
12:44a sequel cuz obviously some things like
12:47the character already understands the
12:49the the world that they're in and
12:51everything. So, what changes, what stays
12:52the same, that sort of thing. And then
12:54we have the characters. So, these are
12:56like the character archetypes or the
12:57character types. So, we have a competent
13:00outsider is your typical main uh
13:03protagonist. Uh you have the guarded
13:05protector, which is the deuteragonist or
13:07the love interest or both. Uh starts as
13:10a rigid, grumpy, or intimidating figure
13:12with a dangerous background who has
13:14built emotional walls to protect
13:16themselves from past trauma. I love the
13:17grumpy sunshine trope, by the way. Uh
13:19it's such a fun one to play with.
13:21Initially, they view the protagonist as
13:23a nuisance, a liability, or a job to be
13:24managed, treating in with suspicion or
13:27professional distance. However, they are
13:28gradually disarmed by the protagonist's
13:30vulnerability and unorthodox competence.
13:34Uh we've got information about their
13:35heart's desire, their character flaw,
13:37character demographics, etc. We have a
13:40vulnerable catalyst. So, this is be be
13:42like a side character or a ward. Uh this
13:45could be the adopted character
13:47potentially. We have the benevolent
13:49manipulator. This could be a mentor or
13:51potentially even an AI or robot figure.
13:53Uh this character is usually a fixture
13:55of the setting itself, such as a
13:56sentient spaceship, a station authority,
13:58or an ancient AI. So, it could be
14:00something like that. Um
14:01the system systemic antagonist. This
14:04character represents the cold, unfeeling
14:06nature of the universe or the
14:07bureaucracy that the protagonist are
14:09fleeing from. They act as an
14:10administrator, a corrupt captain, or a
14:12corporate functionary who prioritizes
14:15efficient profit or efficiency, profit,
14:17or rigid law over human empathy and cozy
14:20values. They do not typically have a
14:22redemption arc. Instead, they serve as a
14:23foil to the protagonist's practical
14:25humanity. Their arc ends in downfall
14:27often via public exposure, arrest, or
14:29poetic justice, clearing the way for the
14:31protagonist to live in peace. All right.
14:33Uh last but not least, let's talk a
14:35little bit about the world building for
14:37cozy sci-fi,
14:38uh which I have also have in this book.
14:40So, high-level, we've got the
14:41containment scale. So, in this genre,
14:43you must establish a specific, usually
14:45enclosed scope for your narrative, such
14:48as a single space station, a colony
14:50ship, or a small planetary outpost
14:52rather than a galaxy-spanning empire.
14:54So, that's very important for cozy.
14:56Like, we're kind of keeping the the
14:59scale of the setting very very closed. I
15:02like the idea of like a space station or
15:04colony ship personally. Uh makes it
15:06really feel like a place that you could
15:08settle down and it could be like a home.
15:11Uh there is a used future aesthetic. I
15:13would add to this that not just used, so
15:16not used in this sort of Star Wars-y
15:18grungy sense, but used in the sense of
15:21like a home, right? Should feel lived
15:24in, worn, and repurposed avoiding the
15:26pristine sterile white hallways of
15:28traditional space opera. So definitely
15:29avoid the sterile white hallways type of
15:31thing. But I also wouldn't go too far
15:34the opposite way where everything's like
15:36dark and gritty.
15:37But grounded home type stuff definitely.
15:40We have the community hub. So you need
15:43to design a central gathering spaces. So
15:45like a pub, a mess hall, market specific
15:50bar or diner. Definitely you want some
15:52kind of social gathering place
15:55involved in this. And domestic spaces,
15:57of course. And once again, I keep
15:58thinking of the USS Enterprise from the
16:01next generation
16:02had really home feeling domestic spaces
16:06for all of its main characters. So your
16:08world building must pay attention
16:09special attention to the private
16:10quarters and living arrangements of your
16:12protagonist as making a home is
16:13essential theme of the genre. Okay? And
16:15then we got technology. So mundane
16:18infallible tech, stuff that can just you
16:20know,
16:20get messed up and needs replacing. You
16:22got to think like car mechanic type
16:24thing. And personified and artificial
16:27intelligence usually plays a big role in
16:28this genre as well. As far as groups and
16:31races, we do have the alien neighbor.
16:33Neighbor, you should populate your world
16:35with diverse alien species who function
16:36as co-workers. I don't know if this is
16:38required,
16:39but certainly depending on the type of
16:43cozy that you're doing, having having
16:45like friendly aliens I think would be
16:48very useful.
16:49As well as class and vocation
16:51hierarchies. So you should clearly
16:52delineate the social stratifications
16:54based on profession, wealth, or species.
16:56Often contrasting high-rent diplomat
16:58zones with low-rent maintenance decks
17:00type of thing. Although I wouldn't go
17:02too far in terms of like wealth
17:05disparity because that kind of brings it
17:07out of the cozy
17:09thing as well.
17:11This is this is an optimistic future
17:13that we're looking at. But there There
17:15going to be some kind of incompetent
17:16bureaucracy and found family units. As
17:19far as culture and daily life, we got
17:21food and hospitality, so you must build
17:23a robust culture around the production,
17:24preparation, and consumption of food.
17:26This apparently seems to be a big deal
17:28with cozies.
17:29Um and then there's the economy of
17:30scarcity and hustle. Characters in your
17:32world are rarely post-scarcity utopians.
17:35Although there is some of that, they are
17:36usually motivated by debt, keeping the
17:38lights on, or saving for a modest dream.
17:40So like stuff we would be interested in,
17:43you know?
17:44Um And that's pretty much it. So we've
17:46got other information here inside of the
17:48book uh regarding to like themes and uh
17:51some notes on writing prose in this
17:53genre. I also have a template here for
17:56marketing considerations, like what do
17:58you title this thing? Uh what does your
18:00book description look like? We have a
18:02template for that. And like I mentioned,
18:05uh we have our own proprietary software
18:08over at Story Hacker now, uh where you
18:10can actually write a book with these
18:12genres as your templates. So go check
18:14that out at the link down below, and I
18:16will see you in the next video.