Generalizations Versus Individuals

Blue Flax

This week, I found myself thinking about how generalizations are both useful and horribly dangerous, both in life and in writing.  These deep philosophical thoughts germinated with my recent interactions with our two foster kittens and as I work on getting our garden ready for the year to come.

“Microclimate” is a concept that is very important to gardeners where I live.  Here in Albuquerque, a few hours of shade can make the difference as to whether a plant will thrive or fail.  Therefore, the generalization that, say, blue flax does well in our yard needs to be modified as “Blue flax does very well in one particular corner of our yard,” as you can see in the photo above.

A gardener friend newly moved to this area dropped by this weekend to get some iris rhizomes.  As I was showing her around our yard, and noting what had worked for us, she mentioned that in more humid climates, humidity lets microclimates “even out” over a larger area, whereas here in New Mexico, we lack that humidity buffer so our microclimates are more extreme.

Great fun.

Jim and I have had the foster kittens for two weeks now.  Although they are the same age, from the same litter, and have grown up together, they’re showing radically different personalities and interests.  Yet, so often people say things like “cats are” or even “kittens are,” as if they are interchangeable.

Especially in SF and Fantasy, one of the greatest errors is going for generalizations when worldbuilding (in which I include creating the people who live on those worlds).  As roleplaying games and computer games—both of which I indulge in on a regular basis—become the gateways through which newer writers come to make their creations, I think there is an automatic reflex to believe that there is a “typical” elf or space pilot or mage or whatever, thereby losing sight of the fact that there is no such thing as a “normal” anything.   Bluntly put, reality doesn’t come with character classes or racial designations.

On that provocative note, I shall wander off and write before going to let my typically atypical foster kittens have a chance to run around a larger area than their hutch.