I have recently been reading a few of my favorite book series, and it's getting me pumped up to start up some writing again! One of the books I finished was "A Horse and his Boy" As most of you will know, this is a book from The Chronicles of Narnia The book series is good, and I really like the idea of talking animals. Considering it has been done multiple times, in many different series, I feel comfortable putting it in my writing because I won't be directly coining it. I just have to do it in my own way of course. The idea overall is generally very magical, and I liked it quite a bit. My thing now is that I'm working with a rut of sorts. I have two characters that pop up in most of my plot ideas, and they are Father Time and Mother Nature. You hear these all the time, and I'm working with the idea that they are the ones who really appear briefly every once in a while, to sort of help or guide someone through thick and thin. One thing I want for these two characters, is to have some animals identified with them, as in an interchangeable form. I have tossed around a couple of ideas, but so far my favorites would have to be a Stag or Lion for father time and possibly a Dog of sorts for mother nature, maybe a collie. I have also thought of just designing two creatures, making their brief appearances seem that much more mysterious and magical. I am working on doing this my own way. So, if you guys have some potential ideas to help me toss around, I'm just looking for little snippits of ideas. Thanks in advanced! ~TY PS; know I am not talking about an anthropomorphic animal, or anthro as some people call it. I am speaking purely about regular, every day animals, that can simply speak in human tongues.
The key word is "Ideas" I have taken ideas from many of literature that I read but I do not use it the exact same way they did. Therefore, I am looking for ideas from people, and I will use it in my own way depending on how I see fit in my stories. They are just spitball ideas.
i can't see mother nature as a dog... dogs seem to be a more 'male' sort of animal to me, despite them obviously being two-gendered... and dogs aren't one of the most young-nurturing species, either, though mother nature would have to be... the species wherein the female does nurture the young the most, regardless of whether it's her own, or that of one of her 'sisters' is the elephant... so, if i had to choose a animal to be the personication of mother nature, it would probably be a female elephant... as for father time, i'd look for a very long-living species... perhaps the tortoise, which may be one of the longest-lived of all, one having attained the age of 250... koi also live beyond 200 years...
I like Maia's idea of having a koi fish representing Mother Nature. Though the idea of a talking fish is bordering on comical; if you want her to talk like you mentioned, the tortoise might be better. It depends on whether they open their mouths and talk like humans, or whatever device you happen to use.
Mother Nature is a strange cliché. Individual mothers tend to nurture their young; meanwhile ‘nature’ is indifferent to the plight of individuals – or in fact to entire species. Nature does not nurture young – it kills them. All organisms produce more offspring than can possibly survive into adulthood. In a way, mothers and nature oppose each other… If you want to create a realistic mother nature, rather than a cartoon character, then your mother should be throwing disease, starvation, genetic disadvantage, and so on at all her children.
That's a good point, Duffelworth. Mother Nature would not be an ally to the protagonist, or even a positive character. But Mother Nature is unbiased and does not take favorites; she would not be a villain either. Instead she would probably be this immensely powerful being that everyone fears, but not as an enemy. That makes for a very interesting story by itself, as a matter of fact. If you need her to take sides, she'd probably try to keep things in balance, to help and hurt everyone at some point to keep things in check.
Or who hurts those who act contrary to the natural order, and rewards those who conform to it, whether the intent is good or bad.
She might hurt those who act contrary to the natural order, but she wouldn't do anything positive for those who conform to it.
That makes for a very interesting story by itself Yep - The Greatest Show on Earth, Richard Dawkins calls it in the title of his latest book.
I have to agree with mammamaia on the whole dog thing, for some reason people view them as very Male creatures. We put pink collars on ours put people still call them boys all the time. One thing to consider maybe to use an animal that has its own female name that is common enough for the GP to identify. Such as a vixen or Doe for example. I quite like the idea of using a cat for mother nature, they have links to the spritiual in a number of religions and can be very interesting to write. Father time i am drawn to what someone else said about long lived animals but there is something about the tortoise that just doesnt work! A quick google search shows a swan can live for 100 years and an eagle for 55 so maybe a bird would work.
Swans seem feminine, the same way that dogs seem masculine. An eagle for father time would work. I love the idea of a cat for mother nature.
Yes cats always work well with being humanised, i think its because they are so self important to begin with!
