What do you imagine the life of a fugitive looks like?

[Guest]

Just wondering (particularly for sci fi readers)..

My protagonist is a wanted criminal across the galaxy and he escapes captivity at the start of my novel. Up until then he'd been in hiding for years.

[Mark]

Watch Andor and cowboy bebop... and 'Solo' and 'The Expanse' and firefly... and 'altered carbon'... and guardians of the galaxy... and bucky o'hare... and 'final space'... and 'farscape'... and mandolorian and book of boba fett.

[Kristian]

Speaking as a former lawman who studied a good many famous criminals, being a fugitive is a life of constant alertness and eventually paranoia. You cannot trust anyone because everyone is potentially a rat. Count on a consistent weight loss due to being constantly on the move and not always being able to eat, and on a latent state of fatigue owing to sleep deprivation. For the rest, it will really depend on his skill set, means of support, and on how determined the authorities are to catch him.

[Rebekah]

I picture lurking on the fringes of civilization, associating with various criminals to make money and remain hidden. Maybe having to make do with the spaceship equivalent of a pinto, an intergalactic grayhound bus. Being forced to compromise your morals and maybe smuggling, becoming an assassin, borrowing money from the Huts. They might develop chemical dependency issues with space drugs, gambling, or VR prostitutes.

[Kylie]

What's his background? His areas of interest before and during the time he was hiding? His skills? The ones he picked up and the ones he had before? Does he weld any weapon? Does he like to read? To create things from scratch? They can be his hobbies or they can be the useful ones that keep him alive and sane if he's in deep hiding/hermit-like or if he's in constant run.