 Fantasy: September 17, 2014 Issue [#6555] |
  Fantasy
This week: The Thread of Importance in Fashion Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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An Elf (written) Fantasy Newsletter
Fashion is a detail that can either bore a reader or provide a wealth of important details to a story. This newsletter looks at the use of fashion in fantasy stories, including an example from The Wheel of Time series. Sometimes a small bit of detail, like clothing for a day, can have a big influence for a character.
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What do your characters wear? Is it really that important? It can, at times, be an overwritten details. Too much about the clothes will come off as unnecessary and probably bore the reader who doesn’t care about such information. But when building worlds or even doing some of the writing it helps to have a general idea of the fashion in your fantasy story. I don’t do the minor details well, let along think to put much about what the characters are actually wearing at times, but it’s something I’m going to work on as I have a few novels where for a couple scenes that information is important. Instead, let’s look at how a published story used fashion.
In book 2 of the Wheel of Time series, The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, there is a part near the beginning where it talks about the clothes Rand has been given to wear. It’s a long fantasy series, so at times certain aspects are explained, but this part in particular stands out not just because it’s in the book I’m trying to reread right now. It stands out because of how much just a little thing like clothing can affect a character. This particular small part of the long novel worked for both internal and external conflict, as well as character development.
Internal Conflict - The character was struggling with the drastic changes his life was taking. He wanted so bad to hold onto being just a farm boy and nothing more, and didn’t look like one in the clothes that were given to him. And it didn’t help that others then started calling him Lord. Hard to hold that farmer focus when fighting people trying to give you a different title.
External Conflict - He had friends and having him dress in the different style, seeing others calling him Lord and such, well that didn’t go over well. The friends started to question the way he was going to act and if he thought he was better than them. So, it created a conflict among some of the characters in the novel.
Character Development - This is linked to the internal conflict. A lot happened in book one and the beginning of book two is still recovering from all that happened. The mentality of what he wants, the struggle to come and how he’s going to eventually have to let go of the initial dreams he had in life are big on the character development scale, and it’s still very early in what ended up as quite a long series with very long books in general.
So, clothing can be quite important in the right scene. There are many things that fashion can show in a story, whether it’s for an individual character or to show the entire culture of a community. Granted, we don’t want every detail described, nor do we need to know the clothing every single place and character involved. It’s one of the time and place types. There are times and places in a novel/story where the detail is necessary and useful, other times the information isn’t needed at all. But as NaNoWriMo approaches, it’s almost time for chaotic first draft writing and that means, write all the information you want. The writer should know more of the whole story than the reader, just can’t be afraid to cut details later when editing. So, consider fashion as you get ready to write that fantasy story.
 Challenge: Write a short story about a fantasy fashion show (as in fantasy characters taking part or watching a fantasy show) in less than 5,000 words. It doesn’t have to be a full story conflict wise, a vignette is also acceptable. Just show details of fashion set in a fantasy world. Let me see how the fashion affects the character in some way or another. Send it in comments or email me by October 12th.
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Aside from the writing challenge, I do have a question. What do you think of fashion in fantasy?
Last month I got so many comments, it was crazy. Which is also all kinds of awesome. The topic of whether you build worlds or not really struck a chord, which is good for fantasy and science fiction writers. Normally, I pick just a couple to post when there are more than three comments submitted in the comment form. This time, however, I won't be commenting back but I'm going to try and post them all. This will be the longest comment section I've had in a newsletter. World building makes people long winded at times. 
Comment by Adrianna 
I have sections of a fantasy world built up inside my head. I have decided to put it all together, I have long wanted to create an epic world from total scratch and so that is what I did. I started from the beginning, how the universe began, the Gods, their purpose and struggles, the worlds they created and so on. It's a wonderful process.
Comment by ENB
Good newsletter! 
I absolutely love world building!  I may love it too much because I actually do more of it than writing. 
Comment by brom21 
My fantasy worlds are really out there. Sometimes it is hard to accurately portray my very abstract worlds. My problem is not "What does it look like?" but "What is it?" For instance I remember a short story I wrote where the characters find themselves in shinning and deserted city. The city was an abandoned angelic city in a realm between Earth and heaven; kind of like a middle plane of sorts. However I never got far enough and I think people thought it was another world. So that is how I am. Is anybody else like this?
Comment by Shadowstalker-- Covid free
I usually take a bit of the middle ground when I build worlds. I start off just writing the characters/plot. Many times I say to myself... Ok self... I want to get them from point A to point B. I know they will start off here, and they will meet these people. Then I begin writing. The characters and plot begins to evolve on their own, they create their own personalities so to speak.
Once my characters and plot begin to unfold, then I do some world building. Did they just walk past a street preacher that I hadn't thought to put in the story until just his moment? Well then, what religion was he preaching? I have two of the characters start talking politics on the spur of the moment? Well then, where exactly is this other country/kingdom in relation to the current one? what kind of treaties or relationship do the two countries have?
I don't necessarily make them detailed,but a little extra information for my own reference at least. Even if I never really make mention of it again, I know it is there and I can color future interactions between characters based on their beliefs/ nationality to bring the characters to life.
Comment by blue-arrow
I build worlds all the time, And I pretty much begin the same way every time.
I Figure out the magic system first. To me this is the most fun and one of the hardest things to do. Once I've got my magic then I can build the world around that. How will this magic affect the world they live in? How will religion be affected by my magic? How was history shaped by this magic?
Obviously some people don't put as high a value on magic as me, but to me magic is one of the most important parts of worldbuilding as I tend to build my worlds around my magic.
Comment by creatress
Me? I like to world build so that I will be able to shape more believable characters and situations. Surroundings, customs, and names of places reveal a lot about a fantasy or science fiction and the people/creatures that inhabit it. In a sense, a world can even be another type of character in a story, because it plays a role in how all of the events and interactions between all of the players.
Comment by panzersherman
If you want to build a world, try using sensory information being gathered by the MC or other character; say (s)he's in a forgotten zone of a forest, traveling with a buddy. Leaves, needles, and twigs may be crunching and snapping underfoot, it may be sunny and humid, or cold and raining, sweat could be dripping off their brow, and how much sun are the trees letting through? How did such a variety of trees grow there? Was the trail they're following a popular path for merchants, to which seeds clung to? Granted, there is a limit to the detail one can go into before the story becomes insufferably boring, which is why you never see a writer using algebra to explain the trajectory of an arrow, bolt, bullet, or spell. Are birds chirping? Is there an eagle or hawk using letting out a mighty cry? Or is it night and a barn owl is tackling a field mouse? Is there a fire burning nearby? Is it controlled, or a wild fire? Does the scent of honeysuckle fill the early morning air? So much detail, such limited space. This is why it's best to give little tidbits of sensory information, so as not to not only avoid overwhelming your reader, but to keep from boring them. What does the arena they're in look like? An ancient Roman-style Colosseum, or a shabby, primitive tent and scrap metal fence built around a crater? Who or what are they fighting? Is it a fighter with nothing but a knife or nail board, a legendary champion with the finest weapons and armor, or a great beast? What do they look like? Are they aggressive or timid? Humble or proud? Choose your words with care, as they can either make or break the moment.
Comment by Professor Q
World Building! I sometimes find I have more fun building the world than writing the story (which might be why I love campfires so much). As a historian, I tend to go the timeline route, folding in geography, mythology, and politics as I go. The world I'm working on now (which I don't even have a name for yet) even goes far enough back to have an "In the Beginning" story, as the origin of the gods is of great importance.
But honestly...humans tend to think of time as linear and so the world grows and changes along a discernible, often teleological path. I recommend starting with the creation of your world and rolling forward, filling in crucial bits of information as you go. Geography, politics, economics, and religion are the four bigs that dominate the development and evolution of worlds, with geography shaping the development of the other three. For example, a world of clearly defined nation-states that are isolated and individual likely requires a physical world that is somewhat difficult to traverse.
I think, though, that the biggest question you have to answer is this: do you want your world to shape your story, or your story to shape your world? Do you need to develop a world that is conducive to an already existing set of characters and plot devices, or do you want those characters and plot devices to grow out of that world? If you look at the Malazan series (both those by Erikson and by Esslemont), it's clear that the world is the biggest character, dominating their development and the story arc. The world came first, and everything else just fits into that world (which was developed for a table top game, coincidentally enough). Looking at, say, the Dresden Files, it's pretty clear that Butcher grows the world as needed for his characters, which comes with the unenviable task of always making sure new developments fit with established rules. Butcher does this well. The creators of the show Supernatural do not.
Both have their merits, of course, and I've done both. My latest world is a mixture. I had this idea for a cosmic theogony, and a main character in mind, so I am developing this world to be something in which this main character would fit. Honestly, plot comes last, as it should. World, then characters, then plot.
I'm so sorry for writing a novel! I...I really love world building!
Comment by The Run-on King PDG Member
I got interested in world building when I had to create cities and places my characters have to travel to, fight over and under. There are some great trial programs that will create you a world complete with day and night, weather systems and land masses with seas.
I like the random fields, streams, and mountain ranges. I like the facts you can use this as part of planning where your cities go as well as some nature encounters you can add to your story. I loved the possible encounters, animal dens, caves, flash floods, lairs, and high steep rocky mountains. Just look at the endless possibilities you have.
Once I have my world created I pick the main content that my story begins and decide if we are going to need islands or a second content for the story. If I can do it all on one land mass so much better. Now I plot out my cities, villages, roads, and hazards. Now I can decides my linage as well as what cities and farms they came from. Now that all my story line is plotted out I print out the map and keep a copy next to my computer to keep my story consistent with my map. That way I also have the map for the inside covers.
Comment by Red
In my story I have three races that live in harmony on the continent. But things weren't always peaceful between them, so I had to think how things got this way. I then created three more lands that each of the races came from with their own history and culture and then the original land became that worlds version of America where the races fought for control and eventually decided to live peacefully with each other.
Basically, I just used our world and created the fantasy world to explain why things were the way they were and to give the world its own unique history.
Comment by ~ Aqua ~
I have written fantasy and whenever I write fantasy, I like to create my own worlds, either they are separate or connected to Earth by some link. I like to sketch in my mind, I know which species I want in my world as well as I create new species - my very own creations! 
With the help of the world present around us, I make my world like a carriage like vehicle working on engine rather than horses 
Comment by RICHARD
Building a world
are you relating to the laws of the world, what the gods or whoever rules the cosmos, will magic exist. How does it exist. What forms are there?
Beings that exist there are who? Humans, dwarfs, elves, o what?
Relating what you understand, to your world. In one of mine, magic exists yes. But the gods ask for a sacrifice. as do the people who practice magic of the dark,
Comment by Elfin Dragon-finally published
Build worlds? Definitely! I can't imagine doing a fantasy or Sci-Fi novel without building a world first, especially if the sci-fi aspect is not Earth-based but another world in whole. You need to know if there are aliens involved, what kind, do they breath air (or not), what type of world is it? For fantasy you need to know what other types of creatures or people is your character going to come across. And what era is the fantasy story based in? Many can be either in ancient Earth or even mixed with sci-fi (modern to future). As you can see, world building involves not just the basic world itself but the people/character aspect as well. I usually have a research "folder" in my computer listing different aspects so I can refer to them at any time. If you want an idea of some of the research I've started for world building, check out the dragon research in my Port. I use it for my stories. If you have questions please feel free to contact me, I'll be happy to help. 
Comment by BIG BAD WOLF is Howling 
I've been known to create worlds, and the histories of the worlds, not to mention customs. Other times though, I base my stories in certain worlds, but deal in certain sections. For instance, my Monster Army series - it's a dangerous world for a human, especially as a civilian, but in the military though, things are very different, and while the job is still dangerous, it's much safer.
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