 Fantasy: September 09, 2020 Issue [#10357] |
This week: Particular Setting: A Home Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Fantasy Newsletter by Dawn
While a common place for many of us, at times we can forget even the most typical when focusing on other elements of world and story. The home can be a good place to have for setting or it can be used as tension, a place long for or missed. |
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There is no place like home.
A known phrase from The Wizard of Oz, it is a statement that can be taken in more than one way. The sentiment may have been a more pleasant, longed for place as Dorothy realized she wanted to be back home, which was a change from the start and tornado when she wasn't too happy at home. For some, however, there might not be any other place "like" home but that may be a good thing because the home isn't a good place. Horror comes to mind in particular because a house, new or old (or new to them but it's a super old house) is a common setting. What I'm already rambling about here in this introduction is that there are many options for how one can use a home within speculative fiction.
What is home?
Is that a trick question? Maybe or maybe not because home is viewed as a concept, a place to sleep or it can even be referred to the more medical, restrictive properties where the elderly may find themselves living in some day near the end of their lives when maintaining a property on their own is too difficult. The home can be where someone lives in the moment, a future location, or it can be somewhere from the past. Even as an adult with an apartment, when I go visit my parents (either one in either state) I still refer to the locations as going home because I've lived there before. So, the places one grows up or lives with family in different stages of their lives can be called a home too. How you use the concept of home within a speculative fiction can vary and in fact use any or all elements depending on the characters and world.
“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” – George A. Moore
Travel is a common situation in fantasy because not many of the stories is going to be told at once single location. Some of the stories get really long, epic even, and there are many places visited over times that can span from days to centuries. The character might be leaving their home for the story, heading off on an adventure sparked by danger, a call to the wild or whatever form of conflict you can imagine to push upon them. Travel can come from job, duty, no other choices or even a dream. They can be on the search for something physical or metaphysical. And in the end they may find their way back home or to a new place, somewhere that will become that settled state of existence. Again, more options
Or the story could stay in the home the whole time. As I mentioned already, when it comes to speculative fiction the horror subgenera have made good use of this particular setting for creating some tested tales. While I don't write scary stories much, I've seen hints of some considering my grandmother on my mom's side loves everything horror. And one of my limited favorites includes a house focus where the people building the house where so obsessed that the home itself becomes possessed and takes over. Having problems and haunts within the place of comfort can really draw a reader in because it's a place that we view as safe but in horror that's not going to be the cause much of the time when home is the main setting. Trying to make a place a home or escaping one, in the end it is one very good type of setting when writing spec fiction with elements of super creepiness.
One need not be a chamber to be haunted; One need not be a house; The brain has corridors surpassing Material place. - Emily Dickinson
And with that in mind, let's talk a little about the character and their views of home. For this particular setting, the mindset of characters is as much or even more so than the actual location. The personal view of the location, what the character thinks and experiences when referencing home can show a lot about them and the world. There are some non-viewpoint ones whom the reader might not get to see but having some general knowledge as the writer on certain attitudes and opinions can help develop in how they speak and interact with others. Whether the character longs for home, is trying to escape or has reached the point of creating a new one, home is a place that many readers can relate to in their own ways.
So, when developing the world or even the characters, maybe set aside a little time to think about the humble abodes (or not so humble locations) where they might call home. If it's the main location, obviously time will be spent focusing on the details but even if it's in passing thoughts, allow a little time to consider that particular setting for your story.
“It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realized what’s changed is you.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Does your character have a main home? Is a home important place in your fantasy world?
Last month, I discussed politics on the fantasy newsletter and asked everyone about the political systems in their speculative fiction stories. Here is a comment sent over the topic:
Comment by s 
My fantasy world is ruled by four main political systems
1) Autocracy, rule by one. Whether this is a hereditary monarchy, a meritocracy based on army service, or even the occasional popular uprising, is the most common.
2) There are a few kratocracies, which leads to annual rituals of challenge (as they would). This is more for city-states than nations.
3) There are a couple of noocracies. Tend to be peaceful, and so are always at risk.
4) The most common and powerful in my world is theocracy. My main character for over 100 short stories and half a dozen novellas is a priest of the main religion, who rises to become its Highest.
I do not have a single democracy or sociocracy in my world. There is one Gynocracy and one where councillors representing regions/tribes/etc. makes the decisions by popular acclaim, but how these people themselves are chosen is generally not democratic.
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