Comments | limyaael: Including worldbuilding/background

limyaael

Including worldbuilding/background

Jul 18, 2006 19:08

This is a random topic I felt like doing. Because.

( How much stays in your notes, how much goes into the story )

fantasy rants: 2006, idea rants

Comments 81

Latest hits coyotecult July 18 2006, 23:22:38 UTC

For the index:

June total: 739
So far for July: 460

Re: Latest hits limyaael July 18 2006, 23:56:55 UTC

Thanks for letting me know!

xianghua July 18 2006, 23:23:44 UTC

Re: What you're passionate about in #4... I think I should be banned from inventing more imaginary breeds of dog, breed history, and sports to go with them. Really. I've got them in ALL my stories. :P

limyaael July 18 2006, 23:57:30 UTC

I think Tolkien has stories/language in most of his stories. Even Farmer Giles of Ham plays vocabulary games. But yes, it's good to branch out sometimes.

fadethecat July 18 2006, 23:37:57 UTC

#5 is so very true. One of my recent short stories tried to do too many things at once, and thus did only half of them well. I think once I go back and edit out a major plot thread, it'll flow more smoothly.

limyaael July 18 2006, 23:58:06 UTC

I have heard people say that short stories have less inherent depth, but I think more of the problem is that they just try to cram in too much. Enough depth to suit the form would work better than trying to trim down a longer concept.

fadethecat July 19 2006, 00:00:35 UTC

I find it's basically plot I have to trim; I can only do justice to so many plot threads in three thousand words. I can hint at great depth and complexity to the society, but only so much can be going on, or it gets cluttered.

In my novels, I tend to have the opposite problem; you need a certain amount of plot to keep things tangled up and interesting, or the whole thing starts feeling thin, no matter how well-developed the world around it might be. This I find more difficult to fix. It's always easier to trim some plot threads out than elegantly graft them in.

reynardine July 18 2006, 23:43:17 UTC

#7 hit a bit close to home for me. Thanks for that splash of cold water--it was much needed.

limyaael July 18 2006, 23:59:03 UTC

You're welcome. I'm really not trying to bash authors who need to know a lot about their world before jumping in; I've just had too many friends who never wrote a thing because they kept tinkering (and I've done that myself with some worlds).

With Melted Cheese! digoraccoon July 18 2006, 23:43:38 UTC

A lot of great points, especially about #1. Totally agree on the need to have the characters show what they can do before pulling it out of their pocket at the end. Even with villians I think it's nice to know what they got, something that can make you worried for the protagonist ("Oh no, but how will he survive against the witch's golem?"). :)

Re: With Melted Cheese! limyaael July 19 2006, 00:00:14 UTC

Ker-zactly. If there's some ancient obscure law allowing the hero to escape because he can be tried by combat instead of before a jury, fine, but mention that as an option please.