M.L. Chesley's Blog, page 40
April 24, 2013
U Is For Unusual...
In fantasy, you have the usual creatures, but you also have the unusual to go right along with it. Creatures that give you the heebie jeebies or a sense of awe. They can be just about anything. I have a book called, "The Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were". Makes for some interesting reading.
The Djinn or Genies ~ Wish granting, smoke-legged beings that can range from evil to good all seem to have their own agenda. Get their bindings off of them no matter the cost. Be careful what you wish for? Absolutely! If you wish for riches, someone close to you will die so you can inherit the wealth. Wish for anything and the Djinn will take it from someone close to you so you may have it. Wish granted.
Bunyips ~ Water monsters with a diet consisting of mainly of women and children. Their cry is a loud, booming roar. Their description varies so much, because people who have seen them never live to tell the tale.
Banniks ~ If your stories have a bath house or anything related to steamy saunas, bring in Bannik-like creatures. Their touch against bare skin is unmistakable. A caress brings good fortune, a scratch bodes ill.
These are just a few. For the life of me, I can't recall any others and I know there are tons of them out there. Tell me some unsual creatures in the comments!
The Djinn or Genies ~ Wish granting, smoke-legged beings that can range from evil to good all seem to have their own agenda. Get their bindings off of them no matter the cost. Be careful what you wish for? Absolutely! If you wish for riches, someone close to you will die so you can inherit the wealth. Wish for anything and the Djinn will take it from someone close to you so you may have it. Wish granted.
Bunyips ~ Water monsters with a diet consisting of mainly of women and children. Their cry is a loud, booming roar. Their description varies so much, because people who have seen them never live to tell the tale.
Banniks ~ If your stories have a bath house or anything related to steamy saunas, bring in Bannik-like creatures. Their touch against bare skin is unmistakable. A caress brings good fortune, a scratch bodes ill.
These are just a few. For the life of me, I can't recall any others and I know there are tons of them out there. Tell me some unsual creatures in the comments!
April 23, 2013
T Is For Traditions...
Traditions are fun in anything, especially in fantasy. Think about traditions you've started yourself. Think about other traditions from other parts of the world.
They don't have to be connected to a holiday or anything special, they can be simple, mundane things. For example, when we moved to Alaska, the first time we invited anyone over, they asked if they should take of their shoes. I raised an eyebrow and said, "We're not in China or Japan". I had never heard of anyone doing this. But the reasoning is simple in this example, it's wet and muddy outside and people don't want stuff tracked all over their nice homes.
Look at the tradition of bowing in the Asian countries. How over in the middle east, the left hand is used for hygiene and considered unclean so you must eat with your right hand. Marriage proposals and engagements vary. Funerals are all dealt with differently. Even the birth of children are widely diverse. Living in Alaska, there are a lot of orthodox Russians and I see a young couple holding hands constantly and it is part of a tradition, I think, the day before their wedding. It's kind of fun to look up a lot of these traditions and figure out where they started and what they will be.
Traditions in fantasy world building are just as important as they are in our world. They pull people in. Family, friends and in certain situations, total strangers. It creates a bond where you feel connected to other people even if it is only for a fraction of a second.
They don't have to be connected to a holiday or anything special, they can be simple, mundane things. For example, when we moved to Alaska, the first time we invited anyone over, they asked if they should take of their shoes. I raised an eyebrow and said, "We're not in China or Japan". I had never heard of anyone doing this. But the reasoning is simple in this example, it's wet and muddy outside and people don't want stuff tracked all over their nice homes.
Look at the tradition of bowing in the Asian countries. How over in the middle east, the left hand is used for hygiene and considered unclean so you must eat with your right hand. Marriage proposals and engagements vary. Funerals are all dealt with differently. Even the birth of children are widely diverse. Living in Alaska, there are a lot of orthodox Russians and I see a young couple holding hands constantly and it is part of a tradition, I think, the day before their wedding. It's kind of fun to look up a lot of these traditions and figure out where they started and what they will be.
Traditions in fantasy world building are just as important as they are in our world. They pull people in. Family, friends and in certain situations, total strangers. It creates a bond where you feel connected to other people even if it is only for a fraction of a second.
April 22, 2013
S Is For Simplicity...
So we're nearing the end of the A to Z Challenge for April and the end of my fantasy world building from A to Z as well.
I'm sure some of the posts you have read, you've looked at them and just went, "Huh?"
Trust me, I did the same thing when I first embarked on this road of fantasy writing. I can't begin to tell you how many times I deleted something, spent days thinking about the logistics and believability of quite a few things. I stressed over whether or not it was "fantastical enough", good enough. Or just down right laughable.
Would people believe me if I told them about Blood Guards, protectors of the goddess of the underworld who drain the essences of people, devour their souls and drink their blood? A more intense version of vampires, I suppose.
You know what people do believe? The simplest of things.
Even while you are stretching your imagination to the farthest reaches of its limit, don't forget the simple things. Don't forget the small stuff, but certainly don't sweat it, either. Because while you are drawing the reader into your world, you still want to make them feel like it's home. So give them simplicity in your writing and that will be just as big a hit as the intricate details.
I'm sure some of the posts you have read, you've looked at them and just went, "Huh?"
Trust me, I did the same thing when I first embarked on this road of fantasy writing. I can't begin to tell you how many times I deleted something, spent days thinking about the logistics and believability of quite a few things. I stressed over whether or not it was "fantastical enough", good enough. Or just down right laughable.
Would people believe me if I told them about Blood Guards, protectors of the goddess of the underworld who drain the essences of people, devour their souls and drink their blood? A more intense version of vampires, I suppose.
You know what people do believe? The simplest of things.
Even while you are stretching your imagination to the farthest reaches of its limit, don't forget the simple things. Don't forget the small stuff, but certainly don't sweat it, either. Because while you are drawing the reader into your world, you still want to make them feel like it's home. So give them simplicity in your writing and that will be just as big a hit as the intricate details.
April 21, 2013
Book Review: Firehurler by J. S. Morin...
Title: Firehurler
Author: J. S. Morin
Publisher: Magical Scrivener Press
Pages: 492 (Print), File size: 1232 kb
ASIN: B00BA5VEXG
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble & Smashwords
Summary from Amazon:
Kyrus Hinterdale has never dreamed. Neither has Brannis Solaran. What they once thought were dreams were really windows into another world. Linked by fate, and a mystical connection that they do not fully understand, each of them watches the events of the other’s life when they close their eyes to sleep. Kyrus’ world is ruled by reason and bustling trade, while Brannis lives in a world of magic and fabulous creatures.
When they cross paths with another pair with knowledge from both worlds, it becomes a battle of wits – each must try to outmaneuver the other, with the fate of kingdoms, and their own lives, at stake.
My thoughts:
I have to say that this book really caught me off guard in a good way. This is some serious, classic fantasy. This is sword and sorcery, high fantasy, epic, hard fantasy, you name it. Don't let the size of the book put you off, it is long, yes. However, this is a world that needs some time to be built in the reader's eye and with good reason and fabulous end results.
Kyrus is just an ordinary man making a living at something he's good at. He never suspects that his dreams might actually be real somewhere else.
Brannis is your literal Knight in shining armor kind of guy and even though he's surrounded by magic on a daily basis and should be able to practice it, he simply thinks his dreams are showing him what life could have been like.
There is so much detail I could get into, but I did love this book. Fantasy will always be my first love. But I do have to say this: the book had a bit of a slow start, but it's worth it. It wasn't mind numbingly boring, it just built the details you needed to know through the characters and dialogue. Once things got rolling, very hard to put it down. I know lots of people out there who will look at the cover of a book and might be tempted to bypass this one because of the simplicity, but don't! The intricate tale told within will have you ignoring that in no time.
So, out of 5 skull and crossbones, I rank this:
4.5
Author: J. S. Morin
Publisher: Magical Scrivener Press
Pages: 492 (Print), File size: 1232 kb
ASIN: B00BA5VEXG
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble & Smashwords
Summary from Amazon:
Kyrus Hinterdale has never dreamed. Neither has Brannis Solaran. What they once thought were dreams were really windows into another world. Linked by fate, and a mystical connection that they do not fully understand, each of them watches the events of the other’s life when they close their eyes to sleep. Kyrus’ world is ruled by reason and bustling trade, while Brannis lives in a world of magic and fabulous creatures.
When they cross paths with another pair with knowledge from both worlds, it becomes a battle of wits – each must try to outmaneuver the other, with the fate of kingdoms, and their own lives, at stake.
My thoughts:
I have to say that this book really caught me off guard in a good way. This is some serious, classic fantasy. This is sword and sorcery, high fantasy, epic, hard fantasy, you name it. Don't let the size of the book put you off, it is long, yes. However, this is a world that needs some time to be built in the reader's eye and with good reason and fabulous end results.
Kyrus is just an ordinary man making a living at something he's good at. He never suspects that his dreams might actually be real somewhere else.
Brannis is your literal Knight in shining armor kind of guy and even though he's surrounded by magic on a daily basis and should be able to practice it, he simply thinks his dreams are showing him what life could have been like.
There is so much detail I could get into, but I did love this book. Fantasy will always be my first love. But I do have to say this: the book had a bit of a slow start, but it's worth it. It wasn't mind numbingly boring, it just built the details you needed to know through the characters and dialogue. Once things got rolling, very hard to put it down. I know lots of people out there who will look at the cover of a book and might be tempted to bypass this one because of the simplicity, but don't! The intricate tale told within will have you ignoring that in no time.
So, out of 5 skull and crossbones, I rank this:
4.5
April 20, 2013
R Is For Races...
No, not the kind of race where you speed to the finish line and win a shiny bauble. Races, as in types of beings in your world.
There are a lot in fantasy that are considered "Old School", such as:
Elves: Beings of fair skin and temperament. Ageless, graceful beings who usually dwell in the forests. They are masters of magical craftsmanship from weapons to clothing. Speakers to and for trees and animals, they're the most mystical in fantasy.
Dwarves: Short, stocky men (for you rarely see the women!) who dwell beneath mountains. Delvers and spelunkers, they dig to the core of the earth to find precious gems and minerals. Their handiwork rivals the elves in creation.
Ogres: Large brutes, somewhat more intelligent than their Troll cousins, they live for war. They can do some serious damage to their enemies, if not rip them apart completely.
Humans: Well, we know about humans, don't we?
Goblins: Short, chittering, greedy little buggers who tend to get underfoot. They reproduce quickly and can usually overwhelm an army just in sheer numbers rather than any sort of skill. They prefer to attack the weak of any given species and travel in large packs.
Drow: Dark Elves. With almost jet black skin and white hair, they are the exact opposites of their woodland kin. Eyes as red as blood and underground dwellers, the Drow have lots of different qualities and stories of how they came to be. Warring with their Elven brethren, they went underground and got involved in arcane magics. (At least according to Dungeons and Dragons)
Of course, in all of this, you can't forget dragons. They are just as important as the others, but I covered them in my "D" post.
There are lots of fantasy creatures that are not "Old School" coming into play more and more these days. There is nothing wrong with creating your own beings as long as you make them believable, for one, and know their creation background, for another.
Be creative! Don't hijack someone else's ideas unless you have explicit permission to do so. The imagination is a powerful tool when used correctly, so think about things in our own fairytales and folklore and expand upon it.
There are a lot in fantasy that are considered "Old School", such as:
Elves: Beings of fair skin and temperament. Ageless, graceful beings who usually dwell in the forests. They are masters of magical craftsmanship from weapons to clothing. Speakers to and for trees and animals, they're the most mystical in fantasy.
Dwarves: Short, stocky men (for you rarely see the women!) who dwell beneath mountains. Delvers and spelunkers, they dig to the core of the earth to find precious gems and minerals. Their handiwork rivals the elves in creation.
Ogres: Large brutes, somewhat more intelligent than their Troll cousins, they live for war. They can do some serious damage to their enemies, if not rip them apart completely.
Humans: Well, we know about humans, don't we?
Goblins: Short, chittering, greedy little buggers who tend to get underfoot. They reproduce quickly and can usually overwhelm an army just in sheer numbers rather than any sort of skill. They prefer to attack the weak of any given species and travel in large packs.
Drow: Dark Elves. With almost jet black skin and white hair, they are the exact opposites of their woodland kin. Eyes as red as blood and underground dwellers, the Drow have lots of different qualities and stories of how they came to be. Warring with their Elven brethren, they went underground and got involved in arcane magics. (At least according to Dungeons and Dragons)
Of course, in all of this, you can't forget dragons. They are just as important as the others, but I covered them in my "D" post.
There are lots of fantasy creatures that are not "Old School" coming into play more and more these days. There is nothing wrong with creating your own beings as long as you make them believable, for one, and know their creation background, for another.
Be creative! Don't hijack someone else's ideas unless you have explicit permission to do so. The imagination is a powerful tool when used correctly, so think about things in our own fairytales and folklore and expand upon it.
April 19, 2013
Q Is For Quests...
Lots of fantasy stories revolve around characters going on a quest. In 'Lord of the Rings', Frodo and the Fellowship were charged with returning the One Ring to its original location and destroy it. They were trying to stop a force of evil larger than anyone could have imagined. And Aragorn needed to be returned to his rightful place as the King of Men.
Most quests involve a magical item or the return of something the world thought was lost. Like the unassuming farm boy who is actually the rightful heir to a long lost throne. Perhaps it is a quest to slay a dragon and return to a city that was lost.
When starting out on a quest, there has to be some questions answered. Who is going? How will you get there? And where did you find that magical map/weapon/thing? Artifacts in fantasy quests are just as important as anything else. Some trinket is always turning up in the most unexpected places. Perhaps the key to the city of gold was tucked away in a strongbox down in some wine cellar of a farmer who retired from the military after the last battle of some now forgotten city. The only way it was found was because of the man's passing and his handing his small fortune down to a son who had to fight off greedy relatives who thought the man had other treasures hidden.
Well, they'd be right, but they certainly wouldn't know it. Not until someone else came along with a map to said city and a picture of what the key looks like.
But quests don't have to be about items or lost kings all the time. Quests can be simply finding answers to questions that have plagued a person their entire life and they finally decide to go looking for answers. Maybe the quest is to regain a freedom from a centuries old oppression. Or perhaps the person beginning the quest just wants to find out who they really are and what the fates have in store for them.
Most quests involve a magical item or the return of something the world thought was lost. Like the unassuming farm boy who is actually the rightful heir to a long lost throne. Perhaps it is a quest to slay a dragon and return to a city that was lost.
When starting out on a quest, there has to be some questions answered. Who is going? How will you get there? And where did you find that magical map/weapon/thing? Artifacts in fantasy quests are just as important as anything else. Some trinket is always turning up in the most unexpected places. Perhaps the key to the city of gold was tucked away in a strongbox down in some wine cellar of a farmer who retired from the military after the last battle of some now forgotten city. The only way it was found was because of the man's passing and his handing his small fortune down to a son who had to fight off greedy relatives who thought the man had other treasures hidden.
Well, they'd be right, but they certainly wouldn't know it. Not until someone else came along with a map to said city and a picture of what the key looks like.
But quests don't have to be about items or lost kings all the time. Quests can be simply finding answers to questions that have plagued a person their entire life and they finally decide to go looking for answers. Maybe the quest is to regain a freedom from a centuries old oppression. Or perhaps the person beginning the quest just wants to find out who they really are and what the fates have in store for them.
April 18, 2013
P Is For Patience...
One thing I have learned the most about writing fantasy is to have patience. Yes, patience.
I started writing my fantasy story after lots of years of building the world. I had to know who was going to be involved, what rank they held (if any) and what their purpose was. If I told you it only took me a few short weeks to do all of this, I'd be a better storyteller.
In truth, I worked on my world for over ten years before writing down the first part of the story. Most of the planning was put to paper, but a greater portion was in my head. I had to visualize a great deal. The first story that came out, wasn't quite what I expected, but by this time I was in such a rush to get it out to the public, I didn't stop to take the time to plan the rest of it.
Even after the first story was done and I went through the whole, “What Do I Do Now” period, my brain was working. It changed the story, shifted things a bit and I ended up writing “Adversarius”. See, that first story was really just my rough draft. I wouldn't have written Adversarius had I not fouled up that first book.Patience would have helped me determine this eventually, I suppose. And even though the first book is now done and in the hands of readers, I'm still being a bit overly cautious and patient to get book two done. There are so many things happening in my world that I have to make sure I keep a good eye on it all.
Once it is done, though, I need to practice patience all over again to get it polished up and ready for the readers again. Half the time, I'm so impatient, I skip over things. I won't do that again and hopefully book two will be better than the first.
So have patience when building your world and writing the story. There are lots of details to include and you don't want to skip over any of them.
I started writing my fantasy story after lots of years of building the world. I had to know who was going to be involved, what rank they held (if any) and what their purpose was. If I told you it only took me a few short weeks to do all of this, I'd be a better storyteller.
In truth, I worked on my world for over ten years before writing down the first part of the story. Most of the planning was put to paper, but a greater portion was in my head. I had to visualize a great deal. The first story that came out, wasn't quite what I expected, but by this time I was in such a rush to get it out to the public, I didn't stop to take the time to plan the rest of it.
Even after the first story was done and I went through the whole, “What Do I Do Now” period, my brain was working. It changed the story, shifted things a bit and I ended up writing “Adversarius”. See, that first story was really just my rough draft. I wouldn't have written Adversarius had I not fouled up that first book.Patience would have helped me determine this eventually, I suppose. And even though the first book is now done and in the hands of readers, I'm still being a bit overly cautious and patient to get book two done. There are so many things happening in my world that I have to make sure I keep a good eye on it all.
Once it is done, though, I need to practice patience all over again to get it polished up and ready for the readers again. Half the time, I'm so impatient, I skip over things. I won't do that again and hopefully book two will be better than the first.
So have patience when building your world and writing the story. There are lots of details to include and you don't want to skip over any of them.
April 17, 2013
O Is For Oppression...
"Help, help, I'm being oppressed!"
Not really. But in lots of fantasy worlds, there is always someone who is feeling a bit oppressed. Peasants feel it from their rulers, merchants feel it from the ship traders. It all rolls down hill.
You want your fantasy world to resemble our world, our reality. Even if just a little bit. So you're going to have your tyrannical enthusiasts and you'll have your yoked, whipped oppressed.
I know I refer to Melanie Rawn's books quite a bit, I know. However, "The Dragon Prince" series is one of my all time favorite reads. Her High Prince, the one who rules over all and makes everyone's life miserable, is the perfect example of a tyrant. The way the rest of the world perceives him and his family, you know they all have a deep seated desire to kick the living snot out of the guy.
Talk about being oppressed. I think the entire world breathed a collective sigh of relief when he dies.
Now, not all fantasy stories have to have an oppressor, but it is kind of fun.
Then again, I have fun with those kinds of characters in my stories. I never liked bullies while growing up and I used to stand up to them. So I sort of let my characters take over that aspect of me. They stick up to people, they do everything in their power and then some to make sure that they take them down.
So who is oppressed in your stories?
Not really. But in lots of fantasy worlds, there is always someone who is feeling a bit oppressed. Peasants feel it from their rulers, merchants feel it from the ship traders. It all rolls down hill.
You want your fantasy world to resemble our world, our reality. Even if just a little bit. So you're going to have your tyrannical enthusiasts and you'll have your yoked, whipped oppressed.
I know I refer to Melanie Rawn's books quite a bit, I know. However, "The Dragon Prince" series is one of my all time favorite reads. Her High Prince, the one who rules over all and makes everyone's life miserable, is the perfect example of a tyrant. The way the rest of the world perceives him and his family, you know they all have a deep seated desire to kick the living snot out of the guy.
Talk about being oppressed. I think the entire world breathed a collective sigh of relief when he dies.
Now, not all fantasy stories have to have an oppressor, but it is kind of fun.
Then again, I have fun with those kinds of characters in my stories. I never liked bullies while growing up and I used to stand up to them. So I sort of let my characters take over that aspect of me. They stick up to people, they do everything in their power and then some to make sure that they take them down.
So who is oppressed in your stories?
April 16, 2013
N Is For Names...
Names are a huge thing in fantasy world building. You're either going to stun and amaze people, or you'll piss them off.
Personally, I like coming up with unique sounding names in my fantasy writing. Sorry to all of you out there who have read my book and can't get over the names. Not my intent. Just like... skip 'em or come up with you own nickname, I suppose.
But that's the point of this post. You want your names to be simple, yet fantastic. This IS fantasy, you know. I don't want my main character running around saying, "Hi! I'm Bob the ogre. Nice to meet you."
Bob? Bob is the slightly overweight, balding guy who sits behind his desk in the managers office of the insurance agency in town and shows off his old high school football trophies to new clients.
No offense to any Bobs out there.
Ahem.
When I came up with the name Kayta, it was while playing Dungeons and Dragons. I took my middle name, Kay, and added the last two letters. I just randomly pulled it out of the air. Then again, names come easily to me. To other people? Not so much, from what I've been told. But there are baby name books out there to help you. Find something with meaning. Try different languages. I named a character Alkarinque once. It's Tolkien's Elven language and it means "a star". There are all sorts of translators out there, use them if you want.
Or, be nice to your readers and give your characters simple names.
It doesn't have to be hard to pronounce to be a fantasy name. It is all personal choice. What seems viable to you may be hard for someone else to pronounce and get past. They might even put the book down. I don't intend for people to put my book down because of the names, but I still will make up a really cool sounding name over something generic. I can't help it. You can find a happy medium. Remember the name Bob? Try spelling it Bahb.
Good luck!
Personally, I like coming up with unique sounding names in my fantasy writing. Sorry to all of you out there who have read my book and can't get over the names. Not my intent. Just like... skip 'em or come up with you own nickname, I suppose.
But that's the point of this post. You want your names to be simple, yet fantastic. This IS fantasy, you know. I don't want my main character running around saying, "Hi! I'm Bob the ogre. Nice to meet you."
Bob? Bob is the slightly overweight, balding guy who sits behind his desk in the managers office of the insurance agency in town and shows off his old high school football trophies to new clients.
No offense to any Bobs out there.
Ahem.
When I came up with the name Kayta, it was while playing Dungeons and Dragons. I took my middle name, Kay, and added the last two letters. I just randomly pulled it out of the air. Then again, names come easily to me. To other people? Not so much, from what I've been told. But there are baby name books out there to help you. Find something with meaning. Try different languages. I named a character Alkarinque once. It's Tolkien's Elven language and it means "a star". There are all sorts of translators out there, use them if you want.
Or, be nice to your readers and give your characters simple names.
It doesn't have to be hard to pronounce to be a fantasy name. It is all personal choice. What seems viable to you may be hard for someone else to pronounce and get past. They might even put the book down. I don't intend for people to put my book down because of the names, but I still will make up a really cool sounding name over something generic. I can't help it. You can find a happy medium. Remember the name Bob? Try spelling it Bahb.
Good luck!
April 15, 2013
In Other News...
Hey all, just wanted you all to know I was interviewed by Michael Brookes. My interview is up on his blog today. Drop by if you have time and say hi. I know we're right in the middle of A to Z, but what can I say. Timing is not my forte. Lol!
