Writing a Fantasy - Dos and Dont's

Discussion in 'Fantasy' started by aimi_aiko, Jun 27, 2011.

  1. The Degenerate

    The Degenerate Active Member

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    DON'T

    - write a story based on your adventures in an MMORPG.
     
  2. Ellipse

    Ellipse Contributor Contributor

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    I did a similar thing in the current story I am working on. An 'elf' in my world was conversing with a human in his own language. Much like in real life, certain words and ideas between different cultures don't necessarily translate well so every so often she would spit out a word in elven, catch herself, then have to explain it to the human. It makes for interesting situations.

    This I do not understand. For one, why does a fantasy world need to take place in medieval times? Two, people can figure out how to create irrigation ditches/channels for their fields. Eventually, someone is going to get the bright idea to apply this to a house in the manner of plumbing. Primitive does not mean stupid.

    As for flat out stupid medical practices, what is considered stupid can change depending on the viewpoint of a culture. Look at circumcision, for instance.

    I briefly looked at the website linked in the OP's post. I didn't see any DOs or DON'Ts listed for magic, which surprises me. Here is an essential DO if you use magic in your setting.

    DO:

    - Create rules and limitations for magic in your world, and follow them. This helps make magic more believable. Otherwise, your reader will start wondering why magic isn't a cure-all solution for every problem.
     
  3. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    There is a lot of fantasy that doesn't follow this these days. Just have to look deeper into what is out there to get past the D&D-style high fantasy.
     
  4. afrodite7

    afrodite7 New Member

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    --
    i agree with you completely.however,i see no problem in mentioning another language...maybe the names can be certain languages.but i do believe c reating another dialect is a waste of time for the most part.
     
  5. J.P.Clyde

    J.P.Clyde Prince of Melancholy Contributor

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    Why not?

    It doesn't even need to take a place in the land. I always called RPGs mini character makers. Cause it can help you visualize a character. And you may get into the game. Yeah.

    Its good practice. Maybe not something you publish. Certainly. But good practice.
     
  6. afrodite7

    afrodite7 New Member

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    - realistically,i am not a fan of medieval fantasies,i just don't like them at all.its like the same song and dance over and over.
    -why not the victorian/edwardian era? the twenties or thirties? what about now? in the future? anything but the ancient times,we've got enough of that
     
  7. SeverinR

    SeverinR New Member

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    Unless your character is a professor of a subject, otherwise a working knowledge is all you need. People do things and use things with only the basic of understanding.
    example;
    1.If your character doesn't ride a horse, he will know basic safety rules about the horse but probably wouldn't know the forelock from the withers, nor where to look to check the frog.
    2.But if the person was raised around horses, they would know most major parts of a horse.
    3.Raises and trains horses; would have even more knowledge.

    You can write scenes inspired(inspriation is everywhere)by events in a MMORPG(table top games too.)
    just don't base the whole story on a game.
     
  8. AmyHolt

    AmyHolt New Member

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    Thanks, this makes so much sense.
     
  9. Islander

    Islander Contributor Contributor

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    I'd like to add that this doesn't mean you need to make a magic system. Instead, you can impose limits on the individual characters' abilities.

    For example, a character who can teleport is fine, but a character who can teleport only between reflective surfaces, like mirrors and still waters, is better, because it forces the character to be creative and spend some effort to solve problems.

    A character who can read minds is fine, but a character who can only read what one person is thinking at that precise moment is much more interesting, because it forces the character to be subtle and trick their victim into thinking about their secrets.
     
  10. I lol'd. I see it WAY to often. Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, for example. It just makes me stop reading for a moment to try and decipher what the heck his name is. I think that just because it's fantasy doesn't mean you can't have names like david, sam, steven, you know, generic western names...

    Very, very important point. It's fantasy. Don't look at it in relation to any other world. Look at it as though it's the ONLY world. Don't let our earth set standards.

    It's your story!!!!!! Do what you please!!!
     
  11. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    I really agree with the posts that have cautioned against the same old D&D stuff over and over. I love Lord of the Rings, both the books and movies (plus the soundtrack), but I get really tired of seeing all of the trite ripoffs. Or the people who keep regurgitating the same stereotypes--their fantasy world has dwarves, elves and men, dwarves live underground, elves are etheral and tree-dwelling....re-invent the wheel! It's fantasy, which means it should be the most diverse category of all, but often it isn't.

    I also agree with the point made about apostrophes in bad places. Mrog'Fyle'Dor and all that.

    One point that I'd like to bring up that I haven't seen mentioned yet (although perhaps I missed it): a major DON'T for me is when people feel the need to use this really archaic, wordy language, just because it's set in a time period with an ancient feel. Some people can pull it off, like Lovecraft, and it's fine for the dialogue, but often fantasy stories will have these purple-prose-coated descriptions that make me have to reread everything twice. It's annoying, and pulls the reader out of the story.
     
  12. Daydream

    Daydream Contributor Contributor

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    Yeh I agree with this. Had alot of people say this is a bad idea too. A games a game best to leave it at that. As far as I can remember theres no amazing books out there dedicated to games...

    I'm guessing you were inspired from World of Warcraft or something? :p
     
  13. Ellipse

    Ellipse Contributor Contributor

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    In the Recluse series by L.E. Modesitte, he does that in several of his books. I find it very annoying. Reading it is bad enough. I can't even begin to imagine how that would sound uttered aloud.
     
  14. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    Actually there are good reasons for miners tending to be short and stocky...
     
  15. The Degenerate

    The Degenerate Active Member

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    If there are no striking similarities to the original IP, then there's nothing wrong with it, but too often writers recount their table-top RPG sessions and end up with nothing more than glorified fan fiction.
     

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