You know, I never thought I would be writing a fantasy story, considering I used to hate the genre. But now... for some reason I want to, and at that, write a tale that is disturbingly similar to Lord of the Rings in some ways. The basic setup is that there is a sword that can kill gods, aptly named the God Killer. The sword does this by literally cutting into reality itself, and wiping the being it cuts out of reality entirely. The sword itself is supernatural in nature, kind of obvious with that, and influences its user significantly. Basically... it turns them into a machine that has one purpose. Kill all gods, and anyone claiming to be a god. Since this world has its share fair or religions, some with gods and others with just really powerful mages, the existence of such a weapon is rather threatening. So, they put it on top of a mountain, that happens to be the tallest in the world, being about as tall as Mount Everest. Okay, I have two questions. A. This is probably similar to a truck load of stories, like Lord of the Rings actually with the artifact, so I'm wondering this. Does this story directly feel like a clone of anything? I know it isn't unique, I'm asking whether it feels like a clone of anything. B. Advice on writing fantasy stories? This genre is... rather new to me to say the least. So, this is rather unfamiliar territory, and it's kind of scary in its own way. So, any help would be greatly appreciated.
To answer your question yes it does sound a lot like other books/movies. Then again the fantasy genre has that sort of... idea to it. Mostly writing fantasy is like writing any other story, it just has more 'pow' to it. The important thing is the story. Do you have a story to go with the idea?
The sacred sword that can kill anything (usually demons) is present in many stories, and even in japanese folklore, but it's just an element, as far as I know there isn't a entire novel on a single artifact like that.
I myself have not heard of other stories such as this, but with the population of the world being around 6.94 billion, everything's been thought of. Quite ridiculous actually. So to answer your first question, I have to say that "I" have not, but most likely other people have. I personally think this is a great idea and if executed well, would be a good book that I would love to read. My own con is that I have a problem with Gods being able to die in stories. If a God is "GOD" then, how is it even possible for them to die? They are immortal, everliving, infinite, for them to die would just be a paradox itself. Now to answer your second question. The thing about fantasy is that anything goes. It's "Fantasy", meaning "Whatever you imagine". You could write about Unicorn named Joe that rides a Rainbow Unicorn named Bob. Hell, give Bob a pet T-Rex. You can write anything you want. It's why I like fantasy so much, there are no limits. It's tougher, because you have to create whole new worlds, sometimes even new races or cultures. There is a lot of designing that goes into these stories. Look at Tolkien, he made a friggin bible for his Lord of the Rings books. Although the designing may be tougher, the rewards are great. Without limits, you don't have rules, you must make your own... I hope this helped!
Ah, well, more details to show that this is a little more developed. Well, I do break off from traditional fantasy some with the characters. Specifically, a boy who is exiled onto the mountain, who the sword calls to sort of like the Ring in Lord of the Rings but with important differences. Namely, A. The sword isn't really good or evil. Whether it was killing a benovelent god or a devil doesn't matter, its sole purpose is simply to eliminate gods. It needs a user to do this, and this boy happens to fit the profile needed. B. The sword doesn't slowly corrupt the user, it outright transforms them into a new being, albeit with memories from the old. The new person can traverse dimensions, knows how to use the sword rather well now, and has their personality locked away. It will be let out when needed, which is usually only to lure somehow to it. C. You can't destroy the sword. Ever. Also, the sword can only be carried by mortals with no magic. To get it to the top of the mountain required someone to carry it there, and then raise the mountain under it. Even with this, the gods have no influence a kilometer around the sword, and on the top part of the mountain, there is mysteriously no snow. So, there will be no throwing it into a volcano and forgetting about it. With all of that in mind, other characters include a woman looking to gain herself a kingdom, and that exile's brother, who isn't much better off. Does this sound like a story? Or just a collection of ideas?
What happens when the sword changes bearers? Do they stay forever changed or go back to the person they were before? It sounds cool btw.
Sword doesn't change bearers that often. This is a very until you die type of situation. If you do, the sword will get another person to pick it up and be transformed. It will repeat this until all the gods are dead, and anyone claiming to be a god is dead. Then... the sword may leave the dimension all together. The sword is basically a force of nature in a lot of ways. You can scream all you want at a tornado, it won't stop. Not for you anyway. You can't destroy a tornado either. So, the conflict of the plot actually comes from reactions to the weapon, and what the other main characters are doing while this all happens.
A sword that can kill a god should have a price. Such as it will kill anyone unworthy to weild it as soon as they try to touch it, or it *always* kills the weilder as well as the god. It's too powerful a toy to just allow anyone to use it.
Ah, interesting point. Thanks Cogito. Surprised with the plot suggestions. Thank you. Well, this sword does have a price. A VERY hefty price. The user loses all their personality, being converted into a organic killing machine targeting gods. It may come out every once in awhile, but otherwise, the person is basically killed by it, becoming a glorified vehicle for the sword. Many people know this, so the sword manipulates the right kind of person towards it(i.e. the desperate type that really want to kill someone) and gets them to pick it up. Not because it has a personality, it's just a machine designed to kill gods. A computer program for a complexity comparison, executing other functions to get the end goal, killing a goal.
You've got to be careful when creating extremely strong/useful items in stories. If I was you, I'd give this God Slaying sword some drawbacks. Like, if the sword kills a god, then it also kills whoever is holding the weapon, a life for a life if you will. I'd read Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy if I were you, it has some pretty monstrous magical artifacts in it (including an all-powerful, immortal-slaying sword) and they all work really well in the story. Also, it would make more sense from a god's perspective to keep the sword hidden away in some vault somewhere, where they can keep it safe. I mean, if this sword is the only thing that can kill you, then you're going to want to know where it is at all times. Or, if it was a multitude of deities that hid the sword, then it would seem more likely that it would be cast to the depths of the ocean where the gods wouldn't be able to use it against each other. You're not going to let potential enemies keep their hands on your one and only weakness, that's just not good for your life expectancy ratings.
So, why would this sword want to just go about killing Gods and those who pretend to be Gods? What is the purpose of having such a sword that does this?
My advice to writing fantasy is description. Take the time and effort in describing every little detail (Or at least a good and healthy ammount of it) throughout the story. Sights, sounds and smells are very important, because it makes the reader feel more as if they are in this different world. Of course, this is one element, however I have found it to be very important. '...Oh how magicical it was to finally gaze in wonder at the Throat of the World! The majesty of it's purple-toned face was only matched by the rush of cold, mountain breeze that fled from it's peak. Fresh rain and evergreen sent filled the air at the base of the mountain, and it gave me vigor. I was now ready to place my palms onto that cold stone of the mountain's surface and climb; the God Killer awaited me...'
Ah, thanks guys. Well, again, here's the issue. The sword can only be moved by human hands, all the gods can do is manipulate the enviroment around it, and even that is limited. The best analogy would be it's an anti-supernatural weapon, except taken to the highest degree. Now, the sword does have drawbacks, as noted. No mortal would willing carry it knowing the consequences. You would be turned into a weapon that would kill former friend and foe alike. As for why it kills gods, well, no one knows. It's a mysterious item that isn't really a part of this reality. On top of all that, it is possible to kill someone with this sword, however that again requires another mortal who has no magical potential. Also, the person would have to be VERY careful fighting this person. They couldn't block any of their attacks, the sword cuts reality itself after all, so they would have to dodge every sword strike by the person. Also, they may immediately pick up the sword right after killing the person with it, starting the cycle over again. You can't use ranged weapons by the way because of a trick the user can do where they temporarily cut a hole in reality to block ranged weapon fire. But, there is a upside. If you were to hit the person wielding the sword, they would return to their former selves, albeit temporarily. This might make them vulnerable long enough to kill them. Especially considering they may be overwhelmed by guilt from all the people they've killed. But, on the other hand, they may also be enraged still, causing them to still fight. Hmm, maybe I need another magical weapon to balance this one out. Thoughts please.
Consider getting a hold of Fred Saberhagen's Book Sword novels. (the first trilogy). He created a world where Hephastus was forced to create 12 swords by the other Greek gods for a grand game among mortals--that kind of goes wrong for the gods in the end. Here's a link for information on the books: Book of Swords by Saberhagen Also, here is a link to The Song of Swords, which names each of the twelve swords and hints at their individual, unique powers. I believe Saberhangen's works will greatly assist you in the story you're crafting. Good luck moving forward. Terry
If I could make a suggestion for that? If you want to write a series I think it would be interesting to for you just to write about the sword in the first book and then later in another book introduce the balance to the sword. It would surprise readers and keep them on their toes.
Wow! A series? That... would be pretty hard. I haven't even written a full sized novel yet, much less an entire series. Well, I should try at least.
Although it may not necessarily make it into the story you're writing, it would be interesting to explore how the sword came into being, as this would also help define the nature of your gods. By definition, the Gods can be killed by the sword, so that then begs the question "Who created the sword?". Did mortals? Magic users? Other Gods? Given this, there is the possibility that other weapons can have been created with the same God-killing powers. This also then asks the question as to how many times the sword has been used, and do people know about it? Are your Gods a Greek/Roman pantheon of argumentative, jealous beings that mortal people know about? If so, are there stories/myths/legends/rumours of other Gods being slain by the sword? As an interesting aside, I did wonder if a potential price for using the sword could be that the user *becomes* the sword, or in some way imprints their memories/soul/spirit on the sword. Future users could then have a clash of personalities or some kind of partial possession while the sword is in their possession, particularly if a previous user had a diametrically opposing moral/ethical system. Alternatively, what if the sword *kills* the God but the user of the sword is obligated to take up the mantle of the God they have just killed? So you can kill a God, but the price is that you then become the same God in exchange. I think the idea has a lot of mileage and could take the story in a number of interesting ways - good luck!
Ah, yeah. Well, these gods are... a mix. Some are like the Greek/Roman gods, others are like the Judeo-Christian God, and a few are just humans with insanely powerful magic. As for the sword's origin, that's what scares all these beings, no one knows. It just... appeared. It wiped out many gods before, and it can do so again.
