Start with some research on scientific developments.
Science fiction frequently builds on scientific developments that have already captured our public imagination. If you're struggling to develop a really good story, a good place to start is to turn to current scientific developments. By building on the latest science, you can avoid a lot of the same old cliches and write something that people are really excited to read.
Read good examples of science fiction.
Getting inspiration from the classics of sci-fi can help you in writing your own work too. Don't shy away from it because you feel like might lead you to be unoriginal: reading from others can teach you a lot about what does and doesn't work in a novel. You can also learn about the way that sci-fi novels usually look or sound, letting you decide to stick with those aesthetics or break free of them entirely.
Look at current events.
Science fiction is at its best when it teaches us about the world that we live in now. Sometimes when events are too close, people get too emotionally attached and they struggle to see things rationally. When you package current events in aliens and other planets, the ideas become easier to process and understand. Draw inspiration from current events that are important or interesting to you and tell the story in a way that removes some of the biases that people may have.
Look for a message you want to send.
You can also build your story off of a message that you want people to understand. This can actually be a really good way to build a book because it gives you a path and a goal. When your story actually goes somewhere and has a final meaning, something for the reader to take away, it's much more likely to make an impact on them.
Root your world in a relatable material.
Science fiction can often look wildly different than the world we know. For many people, they have a hard time following and understanding a world so different from their own. If you want to make a story that resonates with a lot of people, write something that's rooted in the world we know.
Pay attention to real-world science.
Science fiction, of course, includes lots of fiction. Nothing wrong with that. However, if the science in your science fiction is too far off of what people know about how things work, they won't buy it. It might even come across as poor writing since sometimes fantastical science in science fiction is used to overcome problems with the plot. Don't give your readers an excuse to find problems with your writing: don't neglect science entirely.
Set some basic rules for your language.
If you are using an alien or another fake language in your story, it can help if you set some basic rules for how the language sounds and works. This doesn't mean you have to full Tolkien Elvish on your book, just that it helps the reader's suspension of disbelief if there is some consistency to the language included in the text.
Build the culture.
If your story takes place on an alien world or even on an Earth very different than this one, you might want to put some thought into developing the culture of that people or world. When your story looks very similar to the modern day, it's easy to just let the reader assume that the culture is much the same. However, if you have aliens making Seinfeld joke, the reader will have a much more difficult time immersing themselves in your world.
Create your environments.
One of the main draws of science fiction is the feeling that the reader gets like they're escaping from the world that they know into one which is more interesting. This means that you'll want to work to create an engaging world with enough depth to draw in a reader.
