 Fantasy: October 17, 2012 Issue [#5318] |
  Fantasy
This week: After the Apocalypse Edited by: Satuawany  
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| While stories set on another world after an apocalypse are fascinating, this newsletter focuses on our world, post apocalypse. |
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A story set after an apocalypse---whether immediately after or eons in the future---is full of opportunities for fantasy and adventure. As with all speculative fiction, it has to be plausible to carry your readers into the world.
One of my favorite scenarios is the introduction of magic into a post-apocalyptic world. Clearing away all the magic-like advanced technology seems to lend well to the possibility of true magic. But there still has to be a reasoning for it.
There seems to be no evidence of true magic before the onslaught of modern technology, so there would have to be some sound reasoning for its existence after an apocalypse. It could be the nature of the apocalypse itself---perhaps by the invasion and conquering of a magical race from another planet, dimension, or from deep forgotten places in our own biosphere.
If the magic comes in from the conquerors, is it an inherent ability within them, or is it something we humans could come to learn how to use? Would we even want to? Of course, the whole story could revolve around one brave human bent on learning the alien magic while all the others advise against it.
If the apocalypse is magical in and of itself, does it have lingering effects? A comic-book-esque storm could engulf the world, shutting down all electronics as effectively as an electromagnetic pulse, but is that it for our experience with magic? And where did it come from?
If the end of civilization as we know it comes by more mundane means, and magic manifests only later, then why? Is it completely new, or were some of our legend and myths actually true? If they were true, how is it that they faded into only myth and legend?
Or perhaps magic's been there all along, known only to a certain few who kept hidden for fear of persecution. Or for nefarious reasons---which might have had to do with the apocalypse.
In any case, explanations for these things could make up the entire plot, but they might only be background information. If they're background information, they might barely come into play---but you need to know all about it. Even if only the minutest details come out in the actual story, your knowledge (or lack thereof) colors every word. Knowing the back-story gives your voice authority, and that gives your readers confidence in you and the story.
Magic is just one possibility. Apocalypse wipe the slate clean and makes most anything possible. No matter what, though, if your story is set in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event, you are dealing with characters who are going through---or have gone through---technology withdrawal. Even a decade later, they're probably dealing with frustrations over having lost modern civilization.
Have they formed communities, and if so, what's their structure? Is there some kind of governing body? Is there any kind of long-distance communication between everyday people? Does the society (if there is one) go all the way back to the dark ages, or to a more 1800s sort of setting? Better yet, does something completely different emerge?
Some things to keep in mind:
1.) Most structures fall into dilapidation at an alarming rate when there's no one to tend to their upkeep. Leaks that would have been fixed rot wood instead. Rats that would have been exterminated take up residence and breed. Predators use them as hunting grounds and shelter. No one cuts back the plant life that can cause damage with their roots and climbers.
2.) A growing number of our population depends on modern medicine to survive. Heart medication, insulin, oxygen, etc. Do these people die in your post-apocalyptic world, or is there some alternative? How do doctors function without the implements they're trained to use today?
3.) Clothes don't last forever. Look, I'm a fan of the new series, Revolution, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. What drives me nuts are the seemingly pristine T-shirts with logos on them you see now and then, fifteen years after the blackout. My husband gets onto me when I rant about it, saying they might have been stored away and only brought out (and worn) recently. Fine, I say, but show me that.
That's three, to get you started. There are countless more. The more stories you watch and read, the more questions you can come up with about a world after a cataclysm. Those questions give you the chance to come up with a original setting, when you address them.
What do you keep in mind when writing a story in a post-apocalyptic setting?
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Feedback from my previous newsletter, "Top Five Reasons to Read"
platinumbwords writes:
Thanks for sharing reasons for reading within and outside your genre. They make a lot of sense!
I'm glad, and you're welcome!
Tasia714  writes:
Thank you, I enjoyed this article. It was very helpful. Especially the part about "Take a Break" when you get stuck.
Thanks again,
Tasia.
You're welcome, and I am all about taking a break when it's needed.
Joey' Falling for the Season  writes:
Great job, your idea was expertly delivered. easy to read and understand. The exact model for helping a peer.
Well Done!!!!!! (I know we are only suppose to use one ending punctuation mark. But I am publisher already, so I can break the rules.)
So that's the rule on breaking that rule! I'll try to remember.  Thanks for writing in and for the kind words!
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