Disclosed is a method for fabricating a ceramic material from a preceramic polymer material. The method includes providing a preceramic polymer material that has a preceramic polymer and an electromagnetic radiation-responsive component. The electromagnetic radiation-responsive component is selected from boron-containing compounds, cobalt, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, nitrides of aluminum, nitrides of titanium, nitrides of zirconium, nitrides of hafnium, nitrides of tantalum, nitrides of tungsten, nitrides of rhenium, carbides of aluminum, carbides of titanium, carbides of zirconium, carbides of hafnium, carbides of tantalum, carbides of tungsten, carbides of rhenium and combinations thereof. An electromagnetic radiation is applied to the preceramic polymer material. The electromagnetic radiation interacts with the electromagnetic radiation-responsive component to generate heat that converts the preceramic polymer to a ceramic material.