SciYourFi discussion
Fantasy
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Writing Fantasy
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Adding to what Jonathon said...You get to create your own world, including its history, people, places, deities, etc. I hate when people talk about realism in fantasy. Some complain when something in fantasy isn't realistic. Of course it's not realistic! It's fantasy! You have magic, which can work however you want it to work. You can have someone who's overly powerful, or even immortal. Why are they so? Because you said so! The world is yours, and you have absolute power.
Mod
It's just that we can make it that little bit better.
Jonathan wrote: "It's not so much that it sucks...It's just that we can make it that little bit better."
By having our main character fall off it because it was moving too fast? ;)
Mod
I like that we can make the world behave as we'd like it to. If that means a world someone can fall off, that's part of the fun.
And wait to see what happens to Neville next time round.
Buster wrote: "Adding to what Jonathon said...You get to create your own world, including its history, people, places, deities, etc. I hate when people talk about realism in fantasy. Some complain when some..."
YES, but ... whatever 'rules' you set up for your world and the characters that populate it MUST make sense within that world. For instance, you can't have an immortal suddenly be vulnerable to every jackdaw that comes along - unless you give a pseudo-believable reason for that to happen. NOT just 'because I say so.'
There are few things in life more irritating than reading a book that makes no sense within its own world-building. Especially in fantasy, where almost anything goes. Every author must build a world with rules of a sort and stick to those rules, or the game is off.
There has to be a logic to the story and what happens within that story. Otherwise you could write a book with a computerized plot generator that suggests your world be ruled by crocodile overlords who survey their lands in flying chariots pulled by winged cats. But every Thursday night when the moon is full, the cats' wings deform, and so the overlords can't survey their domain. And that is when the Twinkie-colored rabbit rebels come out to play havoc in the croc-overlords' realm. Now, the only real problem of logic to explain in that scenario would be the astronomical facts that allow the moon to be full every Thursday. You cannot deny the laws of physics understood by your readers unless you first understand them yourself and then create conditions where those laws REASONABLY do not apply. Once you have that established, then everything else is, as you say 'because I say so.'
Couldn't agree more, Penumbra. Suspension of disbelief in fantasy only carries you so far with a reader. Once a reader agrees to accept a certain set of rules as laid out by the author, it can't be thrown out the window for no good reason.
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Can I use it in my next story?
Jonathan wrote: "I rather like that Twinkie-colored rabbit idea.Can I use it in my next story?"
DIBS!
You'll have to put a registered trademark symbol behind the word Twinkie(R)!
Penumbra wrote: "Buster wrote: "Adding to what Jonathon said...You get to create your own world, including its history, people, places, deities, etc. I hate when people talk about realism in fantasy. Some compl..."
Wow! You REALLY focused on the wrong part of what I was saying. I believe the point I was making was that you can make your own rules. Yes, because you said so. I'm sure it wasn't implied that you don't have to follow ANY rules. That's not how I interpret "making your own rules".
I do like the whole crocodile overlords thing though...
Buster wrote: "Penumbra wrote: "Buster wrote: "Adding to what Jonathon said...You get to create your own world, including its history, people, places, deities, etc. I hate when people talk about realism in f..."
It is not a matter of focusing on the wrong part, it is just adding to the overall discussion. There is no disagreement that you can make up your own rules - every fiction writer does that to a certain extent. This was intended as a plea to writers, asking that they do their best to make up rules that make sense within the context of their stories. No insult or argument intended.
It's all good. And you're right on that. You have to have rules. My take was just that they would be YOUR rules. Of course, once you make your rules, you have to follow them, or provide a good explanation as to why they don't apply in any given situation. The beauty part of that is, because they are YOUR rules, you're allowed to do that. No offense taken.
Also, as a humorist, I love the opportunities it gives to play up and exaggerate all the little and not so little things that are strange about our world.