tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post5050507145792730534..comments2023-05-01T07:08:33.419-06:00Comments on Text Crumbs: Sometimes It Takes a Villagecarolwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-26496106366245983112009-03-08T00:58:00.001-07:002009-03-08T00:58:00.001-07:00Yes it is and yes indeed. *wide grin*It's certainl...Yes it is and yes indeed. *wide grin*<BR/><BR/>It's certainly good for the "need to find this out right now to make sure I have it right, rather than lose my train of thought by diving into my reference section" moments :)Gabby-Lily Raineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17594786113599623938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-23057131552070301442009-03-08T00:58:00.000-07:002009-03-08T00:58:00.000-07:00Yes it is and yes indeed. *wide grin*It's certainl...Yes it is and yes indeed. *wide grin*<BR/><BR/>It's certainly good for the "need to find this out right now to make sure I have it right, rather than lose my train of thought by diving into my reference section" moments :)Gabby-Lily Raineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17594786113599623938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-45467549321980455342009-03-07T21:08:00.000-07:002009-03-07T21:08:00.000-07:00It is great to have a partner to explore with. Lo...It is great to have a partner to explore with. Looks like you have a good list to start with. It's those odd things (like blood-letting instruments and renaissance chairs) that start to add up! Halleluiah for the internet!carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-56253033781718825632009-03-07T20:57:00.000-07:002009-03-07T20:57:00.000-07:00I'm slowly starting to read bits and bobs here and...I'm slowly starting to read bits and bobs here and thought to check out the 'world building' posts.<BR/><BR/>Comments like that make me want to bring out my somewhat ever present nerf bat.<BR/><BR/>I like writing and prefer the fantasy, sci-fi genre (so does the friend I write with whenever we hook up) and between the two of us we've looked into the following:<BR/><BR/>History, mostly medieval (me)<BR/>Herb lore (her)<BR/>Anatomy and Physiology (me)<BR/>Mythology (both of us, different cultures)<BR/>Psychiatrically related topics (mostly me)<BR/><BR/>And we also ask each other stuff about topics the other might know about (like I might ask her about herb lore, or she'll ask me about history (as she puts it, I at least know where to start looking)).Gabby-Lily Raineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17594786113599623938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-59028824854386183642009-01-25T13:38:00.000-07:002009-01-25T13:38:00.000-07:00Exactly so. That's what makes it so much fun to w...Exactly so. That's what makes it so much fun to write!carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-59438452320495532462009-01-25T12:16:00.000-07:002009-01-25T12:16:00.000-07:00Fantasy is easier than other genres?! Ha. As you'v...Fantasy is easier than other genres?! Ha. As you've just described, it is in fact in many ways harder. I think it is absolutely more difficult specifically BECAUSE you don't have a world already set out. We all know how the (real) world works. We can read about how it used to work/be, and place any old story in any of those times. But creating a new, different world THAT WOULD WORK, and a story that could (possibly only) happen there is so much more difficult.<BR/><BR/>Aside from the complexity/difficulty, fantasy has the opportunity at least to be so much more creative and original. And THAT is the great thing about writing fantasy. Not that it's easier, because it's not. But that there is so much more opportunity.Perrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02270525470990134759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-91508645697391839492008-07-05T07:44:00.000-06:002008-07-05T07:44:00.000-06:00Love your list, Anya! Yes to every one of your po...Love your list, Anya! Yes to every one of your points.carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-58964943629219758692008-07-05T05:03:00.000-06:002008-07-05T05:03:00.000-06:00Fantasy -- easy? No research? Here's a list of som...Fantasy -- easy? No research? Here's a list of some of the topics I've researched since I started writing fantasy.<BR/><BR/><BR/>the history of:<BR/><BR/>- medicine<BR/>- trade + shipping<BR/>- travel, horses, speed of sea/overland transport<BR/>- crafts and trades<BR/>- law and statesmanship<BR/>- religion<BR/>- mythology<BR/>- Ancient World, especially Celts + Germanic tribes, Rome + Byzantium, Egypt<BR/>- measuring + calendars<BR/>- architecture<BR/>- technology, tools, and household goods<BR/>- armor, weapons, military strategy, leadership, and combat styles<BR/>- farming, food, cooking<BR/><BR/><BR/>natural + social studies:<BR/><BR/>- plants, especially medicinal herbs<BR/>- poisons (plant and animal) + symptoms of poisoning + possible treatment<BR/>- phases of the moon and exactly where it appears in the night sky at which time of night, seen from which latitude<BR/>- climates + landscapes + animals + plants + which of these are native to which climate/landscape<BR/>- personality types<BR/>- symptoms of several diseases, such a lung cancer, consumption, etc.<BR/>- lots of books on creative writing<BR/>- even a bit of chemistry (enough to be able to say exactly how much silver, in kg, one needs to cast a silver pentacle of 5m diameter.)<BR/>- peoples and customs<BR/>- languages<BR/><BR/>Questions one encounters during writing fantasy range from: when was the spinning wheel invented to how does one lay siege to a city. From: how long does it take to die from deadly nightshade? to: It's March, what would they have to sell at the market? From: How long does it take to hand-spin enough wool + weave it into cloth + sew a simple tunic out of it? to: Is it possible to extract snake venom and apply it to a dagger? How long until it loses its potency? When were antivenoms invented? ...<BR/><BR/><BR/>I write fantasy, not historical novels, because I like to be able to build my own worlds and not be restricted by the history of a specific country/period. Especially confining would be the dominating role of the Catholic Church and the narrow definition of the female role. Also, I am so much of a perfectionist that I would dread getting even the minutest detail wrong. Fantasy allows me much more freedom, also in regard to which of the above interests (or more) my story explores. Some people love horses, others think it's interesting to see how swords or pieces of armor are forged, so they will include much about these topics in their stories. I don't know much about horses and only included as much as was absolutely needed, nor do I show an armoror at his work, but I am very much interested in ancient law and statesmanship, in mythology and history of medicine, to name just a few things.<BR/><BR/>In science fiction (at least in hard scifi) the author must be interested in modern technology and astrophysics, there's no way around it.<BR/><BR/>Sorry about the longish post...<BR/><BR/>Carol wrote: "Creating worlds where everyone speaks the same language..."<BR/><BR/>Haha, I absolutely HATE that. In some fantasy, even the demons speak English among each other. I love Charmed, but e.g. in the first-season episode with the grimlocks, the blind man who had been captured by them as a boy tells Phoebe that he remembers the two grimlocks saying something about "auras." In a serious fantasy novel I would not be able to overlook something like that, but I don't take Charmed serious that way.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>AnyaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-44437272238723160242008-05-25T16:20:00.000-06:002008-05-25T16:20:00.000-06:00I think writing "good" fantasy is harder than writ...I think writing "good" fantasy is harder than writing science fiction. With science fiction, you have a world, basically the present modern-day world, to extrapolate from. That forces certain choices, customs and even word choice based on how the extrapolation is done.. but you still have that basic modern-day world. For good fantasy, you're not only creating an entirely new world, but a new history. How that history is crafted affects how the inhabitants of that fantasy world operate. <BR/><BR/>Now, I guess, for an average fantasy, all you need is a dragon and a farmboy who is really some bloodline descendant of something or someone special. As long as the farmboy doesn't say something unTolkeinish like "Dude, you're a gnarly dragon", the author is fine. I mean, really, if I was an evil lord, I'd either capture or kill every dragon because I know some farmboy would find a dragon right before I marry the beautiful but innocent princess and come kill off my lieutenants one by one, then set its sights on me!<BR/><BR/>RickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-72716007573098154902008-04-24T08:47:00.000-06:002008-04-24T08:47:00.000-06:00Unfortunately, there are those who think that the ...Unfortunately, there are those who think that the freedom to "invent your own geology or astronomy or culture" means one can just make up <I>anything</I>. Ignoring the law of gravitational attraction by having a planet with three moons, but earth-like tides is a sure way to lose all credibility with a lot of your audience. Creating worlds where everyone speaks the same language and no one works for a living will allow readers to ignore the truths you may write about particular characters or situations, unless you've built a chain of logic to explain why such unlikely things are the case.carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-51011662137719226672008-04-21T19:40:00.000-06:002008-04-21T19:40:00.000-06:00I find writing fantasy challenging. What other ge...I find writing fantasy challenging. What other genre allows you to create your own history, astonomy, mythology, geography, etc? In addition to the characters and plotline? And making sure everything works logically is so much fun. I'm currently working on a trilogy. There's a lot of time that I don't cover but as it's between books I still have to know that on this date this war started and this character's grandfather treated his father in this manner so now he acts a certain way (even if his father and grandfather don't enter the story). <BR/><BR/>Worldbuilding is a magical experience. It's a lot of fun to do, but I wouldn't call it easy.Jessica Striderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13375221959854098665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-24419933658087031492008-04-17T23:06:00.000-06:002008-04-17T23:06:00.000-06:00Exactly so, Tami. You don't have to know every de...Exactly so, Tami. You don't have to know every detail about the Bedouin, for example. But if you are going to write about a nomadic, pastoral desert people, you ought to learn about their culture. And your point about the necessity of knowing current science in order to invent future is right there.carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-29862485686004197532008-04-17T21:24:00.000-06:002008-04-17T21:24:00.000-06:00For sci-fi, even in the distant future, it is well...For sci-fi, even in the distant future, it is well worth knowing where science is now. there is a sci-fi writer who I won't read anything by because his lack of scientific understanding is obvious. His story took place in the distant future, but a key plot point was that they could not do X. As a scientist, I couldn't go, wait, we can do x and it is fairly trivial thing. Furthermore, they could do y, and imagining how you could possibly do y without x is nearly impossible (if you could come up with a method, you'd make a million dollars).<BR/>I think fantasy research is actually pretty different from the research for other genres. It is similar to how when my friend sews, she can create her own patterns, mix and match pieces and end up with beautiful things. In order to do that, you have to have a much more thorough understanding of how everything works. But technically, you didn't need a pattern. Or, you don't need to look up a boat, you just need to know enough about sailing, water types, construction, etc to create a believable boat. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-61708381552495697442008-04-17T09:00:00.000-06:002008-04-17T09:00:00.000-06:00I learned about the fork, too, but I didn't read t...I learned about the fork, too, but I didn't read the comment. Priceless.<BR/><BR/>Some kinds of research would be the same for both eras. In both cases (historical-era fantasy vs far-future sf) you might need anthropological research, eg. what drives people/races to leave their home territory and take someone else's, or psychological, eg. how do people react when they are sleep deprived whether they are stuck in a space ship or a dungeon. IN some cases it's just a matter of what subjects you want to study - or technical, eg. how sailing ships worked vs how genetic engineering works. And then you extrapolate, using your imagination.carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-35375496053947801202008-04-17T07:08:00.000-06:002008-04-17T07:08:00.000-06:00Nancy Kress says that writing is taking the 3-D , ...Nancy Kress says that writing is taking the 3-D , multi-sensory movie that's playing in your head and transferring it to the page in a way that conveys the experience to the reader. <BR/><BR/>And I find I do more research for fantasy than for science fiction. My science fiction tends to be far-future where I don't worry about how things work. I don't really think we can predict how technology will advance. But we do know a lot about the past. For BAG OF TRICKS I had to do research to find out when Europeans started using forks (basically, the Renaissance). Did you know the English laughed at forks, at first. Why would anyone bother when they had a God-given "fork" at the end of each arm?Carmen Webster Buxtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08516485172937482027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-61102433519618580962008-04-15T12:06:00.000-06:002008-04-15T12:06:00.000-06:00Rochelle, I love your friend's comment about the ...Rochelle, I love your friend's comment about the dream. What's funny is that I am so much NOT a dreamer. Or rather, I just don't remember them at all. People who dream stories (like one good friend of mine) just astound me. If I'm channeling, then just picture me as the siphon hose - it passes right on through! But, as my readers can tell, I do love to THINK about parallel realities, eg. Aeginea. I still think that's one reason Platform 9 3/4 appeals so much - I always wanted to go to that "in-between" place.carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-23289599659619691682008-04-14T19:35:00.000-06:002008-04-14T19:35:00.000-06:00I recently discovered your books, and passed them ...I recently discovered your books, and passed them on to another friend who is also an avid reader. A few days ago she emailed me to say that she feels that you are not so much writing a book, as you are transfering a dream that you have had to the page. You create the world so vividly for her that she actually thinks you are channeling an alternate reality.<BR/><BR/>While I don't think you are channeling an alternate reality, I have read enough awkward writers to be impressed that your research serves the story rather than the story highlighting the research.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-2760057694392173772008-04-13T15:45:00.000-06:002008-04-13T15:45:00.000-06:00Yes, it's true that research turns up marvelous nu...Yes, it's true that research turns up marvelous nuggets to add verisimilitude to a fantasy world - everyone should use verisimilitude in a sentence once a day. I just want to be <I>using</I> not <I>finding</I>.carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-39165409325435163142008-04-13T11:07:00.000-06:002008-04-13T11:07:00.000-06:00I may be in the minority, but I adore the research...I may be in the minority, but I adore the research aspect of writing fantasy. I love digging deeply enough into any "real-world" thing I want to use to twist it to my worldbuilding purposes. It's the really obscure stuff that yields the details which make worlds, scenes, and characters come alive--not only for the reader, but for me. (And I'm just that big a geek, and collecting obscure and otherwise-useless knowledge is FUN.)<BR/><BR/>Yeah, there are days when I chastise myself for the loss of forward motion--but I find that everything I take the time to learn in support of a story eventually bears fruit: if not in that story, then in another.<BR/><BR/>I don't write fantasy because it's easy. I think one of the main reasons I've stayed with it as long as I have is because I never stop learning, and because it's astonishingly challenging to do it well.Barbara Friend Ishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08773584593990288452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-12721034969719294972008-04-12T19:18:00.000-06:002008-04-12T19:18:00.000-06:00Great answer!Yep, The Summer Tree has all of those...Great answer!<BR/><BR/>Yep, <I>The Summer Tree</I> has all of those - plus myth and the ancient feel of a historical novel. Say "fantasy" and many people think "Harry Potter, kids, monsters," or they think erotica, or even space ships - all of which could certainly be fantasy. Sigh - our need for classification gets us in trouble sometimes.carolwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01256696323017219424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757509958916289741.post-79492914164331959412008-04-12T18:53:00.000-06:002008-04-12T18:53:00.000-06:00Not telling! Wah!! :)Yes, fine... I'll be patient....Not telling! Wah!! :)<BR/>Yes, fine... I'll be patient...<BR/><BR/>Even from the hobby-writing I've done, I know it's no easy thing to write fantasy! At the least, logic has to apply, and your post is a great example of taking the care to craft a book worth reading.<BR/><BR/>As for Fantasy's rep... a co-worker (who had interrupted me reading Kay's "The Summer Tree" at my desk at lunch twice in a week) asked what kind of book it was when we were setting up a room for a meeting, and then went on to prompt, "Romantic, adventure, mystery...?" <BR/>Since I kind of think she's not a reading person (except maybe for those business books that I really can't ever make myself read), I thought about it for a second, then answered "Yes." Because that seemed to do it better justice than just saying Fantasy.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779106167838220416noreply@blogger.com