Tag: fantasy writing advice

Saturday Setup – Magic: Systems

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Last Saturday Setup, we talked about establishing rules for magic and how important that was. This week, we’re going to discuss different systems for magic. This is equally important, though it is a much different discussion than the previous post on magic was. This time, we’re looking at the actual system the rules will function in, which will help you to further categorize your magic use in any given world as well as what rules to associate with it. So, let’s dive right in!

System One: Rational

Now, for this, different people have different definitions, but the general consensus is that a rational system of magic is one where there is an underlying rationale and framework for the magic. Sometimes these systems are also referred to as hard magic systems. The rules are more than just formalities necessary to make it work. In a system like this, they are the lifeblood and the indicator of a much larger structure at work.

Most of the time, a rational system is set up so that’s it’s easy to extrapolate from there. You’ve got your systems where things can occur seemingly at random or where things may not always go according to plan. Those aren’t rational systems. A rational system is something that hints at structures that might go back to something like physics (Avatar: The Last Airbender) or some other specific set of rules that won’t be bent (almost any superhero fantasy). Brandon Sanderson uses a rational magic system in Mistborn. The abilities are utilized by ingesting various metals, which then lead to different magical abilities or superpowers. While the individual themselves must have an inherent ability to use that metal in order to get results, the system is logical and rational because each metal can only do the things assigned to it, and no individual who isn’t Mistborn or specifically attuned to that metal will be able to use it to achieve those assigned things. There’s no mystery or question in it, no vagueness that leaves the reader wondering how this works. It is what it is, and it’s made very clear up front what it is.

Let’s break down an example from my work, Pathway of the Moon. Pathway of the Moon has a mix of hard and soft magic systems (We’ll look at the soft side in a moment). On the hard side of things, there is the system that allows for a few things to happen. First, an individual will either be Inherent (possess an ability) or UnInherent (no ability). From there, a clear set of rules governs the power distribution. With the exception of a few special cases, people control one part of one sphere or element. They can either have a specific ability in the mental or physical areas, or they can control some small part of an element (water, fire, earth, and air). No one gets more than one ability, though some may be more practiced in their area and therefore stronger than another or may contain stronger ability in the first place.

Take Amadeira, for instance. She’s one of two female leads in the epic, and her ability has to do with water. (Elemental Inherent). However, she can’t control everything related to water. Instead, she is able to manipulate existing water sources. Not create them. Just manipulate what exists. Someone else might be able to create water, of course, but then they would not be able to shape it to their will. Under this same idea, someone might be able to create ice from existing water or manipulate ice as it already exists. Still another might have the ability to create ice from thin air. This is a rational system though. There are rules, and with one or two exceptions (the special ones who can use dark or light for their ability), everyone follows them. Even the exceptions follow a set of rules and have an explanation for their existence.

Note that there can still be some mystery to a rational system in that not all rules may be explained. However, the key is that there will be subtle clues and hints toward those rules not revealed so that when something we didn’t realize could occur happens, we aren’t questioning how it’s possible. It just makes sense to us. A true rational, hard magic system will lay out all the rules for the reader because it’s necessary. So there is a slight difference in the terms rational and hard even though people often use them interchangeably.

System Two: Irrational

So with this system, it shouldn’t be assumed that there’s no logic or system at all. There usually is something, but this is more the Lord of the Rings style magic where nothing is exactly clear or predictable. We may wonder how Gandalf can appear at all the right times, but we accept that he can, not because we have reasons within the text but simply because he is Gandalf and that’s what Gandalf does. It’s mysterious and definitely goes unexplained, but it’s still accepted because, hey, that’s just the way it works around Tolkien’s world.

Systems like these are usually less focused on the rules. An individual may memorize an incantation to turn someone into a toad, but in a soft and irrational magic system, they can’t turn around and extrapolate out for a way to turn that person back from toad to human.

Worth noting is the fact that systems like this may often include plants or animals that contain some inherent magic of their own. People who use magic aren’t included in this as you can’t create a potion out of them and get something magical. But, just like with the spells, the system relies on memorization of the different potions and incantations because there’s no logic to it that can be discerned by reader or character. Trial and error is the key to the game.

These systems may also include old magic and artifacts. While both of these could show up in a rational system if the rules are clear and unwavering, they most often seem to show up in systems that are irrational or that utilize soft magic simply because these allow some level of uncertainty and mystery to the magic’s workings.

Let’s go back to Pathway of the Moon to talk about the aspects of the system that are soft irrational magics. While, arguably, Pathway of the Moon uses rules even for this second system of magic, it isn’t like the first one I explained. This one is much more vague and unclear. This system is for the UnInherents (those who can’t naturally use magic), and it is much more of a memorization, spells-based system. Certain types of plants and spells can harness the energy of the planet or, in the case of darker forms of magic, even the life force of people to generate various magical effects. While the system is supposedly only for UnInherents, Inherents may use it too if they go dark and are looking for the power. But the system doesn’t have rules that allocate who can achieve what amount of power or even if one spell can lead to another. Included in this are various artifacts both in the Aurelai Universe (the location where Pathway of the Moon and my published work, Bane of Ashkarith, take place) and in other universes. Most of my worlds contain this kind of duality in the system, which leads to the next point.

System Three: Dual or Hybrid Systems

Many fantasy novels these days are using a hybrid or dual system that blends or uses both of the magic systems described above. Pathway of the Moon falls under this. My book’s universe uses more of a dual system as there are, quite literally, two different magic systems at work: one rational and based more on magic with genetics and the other irrational with no clear system or basis in any set of rules that would allow extrapolation. However, this is a less common thing to see. Ordinarily, you will see systems that are a mixture of qualities from the previous two systems. This is why you can end up with a soft rational system or a hard irrational system. While the soft rational or hard rational systems may make sense to us, I’ll make a few quick notes about a hard irrational system. With a hard irrational system, you’re going to take the set of rules that are always explained and combine it with things that are impossible. 

As stupid as the example is, think about My Little Pony (if you have younger sisters or daughters who liked this show, I’m sorry. I was subjected to watching it once or twice with my baby sister, and that was bad enough. Those of you who end up watching it over and over… That’s like your own personal hell, in my opinion…). In the movies and shows, the rules and limitations are always explained. But the reasons for it make absolutely no sense in that there’s no way they could possibly occur. Ever. They’re either impossible or just straight up unexplained. Therefore, it makes a great example for what I was saying about a system that falls between being hard rational and soft irrational. It becomes a hybrid best described as hard irrational, as weird as it may seem.

Conclusion

Hopefully, all of this makes sense and helps everyone creating a magic system to create one that fits their story needs and personal preferences. There’s a ton of leeway with the hybrid systems because it combines elements from the rational and irrational systems. There’s also the option to create a world with dual systems, as I did with Alcardia from Bane of Ashkarith and Pathway of the Moon. (Interestingly enough, when I created dual systems, you see more of the soft irrational system come out in areas of Bane of Ashkarith than you do in Pathway of the Moon, which focuses far more heavily on the rules and extrapolating from them.) Really, you aren’t locked in, though you do want to create what best allows you to implement and tell your story. 

Have other tips or details on these systems? Have a question about implementing them or further inquiries about them? Feel free to leave it in the comments below! I’d be happy to talk about it a bit more in depth!

Sunday Sub-Genres: Arthurian Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

This week’s discussion turns from the darker sub-genres of fantasy to one that hails back to legends. Arthurian fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy that is quite common. People love a good spin on the story of King Arthur, and given the fact that the original legend is bigger than life with many fantastical elements to it (I mean, Merlin exists, right?), it’s hardly surprising that Arthurian fantasies can be found in almost any bookstore if one looks. So let’s dive into this interesting sub-genre to get a good grasp on writing it and what we’re really looking at if we’re reading it.

Defining Arthurian Fantasy

First of all, we’ll start with the definition. This time around, it’s pretty easy. Arthurian fantasy is, simply put, any fantasy that involves some element of King Arthur’s legend and a lot of fantasy. The main appeal here, naturally, is the creativity in the ways Arthur’s legend gets incorporated into the fantasy world. The ways this happens are as varied as the stories themselves. So, there you have it. The definition of Arthurian fantasy.

Writing Arthurian Fantasy

Of course, this is the area that all you writers are actually interested in. We know what Arthurian fantasy is, but how on earth does one go about writing it? Given the myriad ways to incorporate the King Arthur legend into a story, what is really concrete about the genre that authors and writers can use to help themselves really write a true Arthurian fantasy.

Let’s take a look at the common elements and discuss what ingredients you need to write this sub-genre. That should help to clarify the issue, even if the plots and characters may vary.

Plot Complexity

Let’s be honest. While character-driven fiction is increasingly becoming the norm in writing, we all know that character-driven fiction is nothing worth reading if there’s no plot. Granted, you can prop up some really bad plot lines with character-driven fiction, but if the plot is really bad, good characters won’t help at all. In Arthurian fantasy, the plot is especially important. Most of these books, true to the legend itself, have a lot of complexity in their plot. Backstabbing? You got it. Vying for the throne? Check. Evil cousins or half-siblings? Yup. You get the idea. If drama and intrigue can be fit in, they are. All of the betrayals, double-crossing liars, and just straight up enemies lends a great deal of complexity to the plots of Arthurian fantasies. Also worth noting is that most Arthurian fantasies contain a lot of complex layers through use of prophecies and the appearance of quests characters must complete. Politics, betrayal, and intrigue aren’t the only areas where things are complex. So, if you want to write Arthurian fantasy, you’re going to have to write complex plot lines of some sort. It’s just expected.

Magic

This is the one most people wonder about when it comes to fantasy. Magic is one of those borderline situations for Arthurian fantasy. Some of them are really high in magic use while others just aren’t. It all depends on the plot and the focus of the story. So this one leaves you with a lot of wiggle room. You can pretty much write it how you want it. 

Themes

So, this is one that you don’t necessarily see in every sub-genre of fantasy, but in Arthurian fantasy, you may see it more often. For Arthurian fantasy, the themes usually have to do with power, family structure, and moral codes or honor. While these things don’t seem like huge themes or major areas of social implication, they can be used to expand into a commentary on social implications or grander ideas throughout the story. It all depends on the writer and how they choose to do things. But most of them do, at least, focus on moral codes and honorable conduct since that was a big focus in the legend of King Arthur.

Conclusion

Arthurian fantasy is a really nice sub-genre to work with because most people, even if they don’t usually enjoy fantasy, will find something in the sub-genre that they do enjoy just because most people enjoy the legend of Arthur. It doesn’t mean your story will be all things to all people, but it does mean that your chosen sub-genre has a higher chance of appealing to readers who might not otherwise read fantasy. That’s a very nice perk since fantasy, though it is a huge genre, is not everyone’s cup of tea, particularly if they’re happier with scientific explanations and technology than they are with magic and mystical reasoning. Nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that hardcore fantasy may not appeal to as many as Arthurian fantasy does.

Further Reading and Resources

T.H. White’s The Once and Future King (probably fine for teens)

Stephen R. Lawhead’s Taliesan (First in a series. I highly recommend Lawhead for those who like historical style fantasy, but he isn’t meant for pre-teens and younger teens. Sixteen and up should be okay for most of his stuff.)

Jack Whyte’s Uther (Probably not good for kids.)

Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (If you enjoy humor, you’ll really like this one.)

*Nancy Springer’s I Am Mordred

Saturday Setup: Magic – Establishing Rules

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

This week’s discussion is about magic. What good would any discussion of fantasy do if you didn’t go over magic? Since most sub-genres of fantasy include magic to one degree or another, this is an important thing to cover. We’ll begin our discussion with a talk about establishing rules, and next week, we’ll go over different systems of magic.

Why Bother with Rules?

The first obvious reason for this is to avoid chaos. If a spell does one thing today and another tomorrow, you might have material for a hilarious comedy, but nothing would ever work out according to plan. Your characters could never really learn magic because nothing is ever the same on any given day. 

But there’s a larger reason. While it might be amusing to have a magic system that has no rules and where anything could happen at any time, readers expect stability. They expect writers to lay down the rules. Of course, you won’t just say right up front what those rules are, but gradually, as they see more and more use of magic in your story, they will figure out what is and is not possible. 

This, of course, means that you need to know the rules.

Establishing Rules

Now that we’ve covered the reason you need rules, let’s talk about establishing them. It pays to go through a little bit of planning before you start writing. Now, you don’t have to go crazy with it before you start writing. If you really love worldbuilding, then feel free to go through an extensive, in-depth process to create your magic system prior to writing, but if you’re the sort who isn’t keen on spending months or even weeks on this, don’t stress. You don’t have to. Don’t believe the lie that you need to put countless hours into this or any other aspect of world-buillding prior to writing. It simply isn’t the case.

However, you should take some time to think through the basic rules. How does the magic work? Is it a spell-based system? Do people inherently have an ability? Is it a combination of both? For example, on Alcardia where the Pathways series takes place, the system allows for both. Some people are born with magic inherently. These people can use on of a few areas of magic and only a very specific portion of it. Ie: a water mage might be able to manipulate water or he might be able to create it, not both. But there are also those who can’t use magic inherently at all, and these individuals use spells to remain competitive with those who can use magic. So you’re not locked into one way of doing things, but you do need to have a system, and you need to know what can and can’t happen in that system.

For example, if we take Alcardia’s system, I would need to have a very good reason for why someone would have an ability that isn’t related to earth, water, air, fire, mental, or physical magic. (As an aside, I do in fact have those who can wield darkness and light, so I had to have an explanation for it.) If I had a character who could do more than one thing with his element (such as create and manipulate water), I would have to have a really good explanation for it because that isn’t how the system works.

This will help to prevent you from going insane trying to remember all the things you’ve already done and trying to figure out where to go next in an unpredictable system. It gives you clear boundaries, and if you go outside of them, it forces you to have a good reason. As in, a very, very good reason because neither your story nor your reader can accept random breaks in the system rules just to accommodate what you think would be cool. That kind of addition is best saved for other magic systems based around that exception or for fiction pieces you wrote for your enjoyment with no intention of letting them see the light of day.

Consequences

Another point here, when you’re establishing rules, is to avoid creating a system with no give and take. Nothing is free. If your hero could use magic to solve every problem with no fear of consequences, then why wouldn’t he? And when he does, you lose your story or risk making it entirely unbelievable. So, every action should have some sort of consequence to it. That could be that if they try to go beyond a certain amount of energy, they tap into their life force and may die. Or maybe it’s that if they use it, it could take something away from them, something that they’ll never be able to choice for themselves. This could be anything from losing memories to losing something or someone they care about very deeply. But there has to be some consequence or risk that keeps the individuals in the story (at least, the good guys) from using magic to surmount every obstacle with ease.

An Important Note

Please notice that I haven’t told you how you should build your rules or what rules you can and can’t have. This is fantasy. As long as the system remains true to itself, you can do just about anything. The point I want to get across here is that if you’re using magic in your fantasy novel, you absolutely must have established rules to govern it. 

Conclusion

Magic is often an integral part of fantasy, so making sure that you have a system that works and has clear structure is an important part of planning and world-building for any fantasy novel that includes it. Take some time to think about how you might be able to limit and structure your world’s ability to use magic. Make sure you write it down though because you don’t want to lose it or forget what you set out for the system, particularly if the book is the beginning of a series or an entire saga of books that requires the use that system.

Sunday Sub-Genres: Assassin Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Assassin fantasy is quite an interesting sub-genre of fantasy. This sub-genre is another one that can get quite dark, but this generally occurs more in the world or setting than anything, and the grey morality an assassin brings to the stage can be quite helpful. The genre itself is relatively easy to understand because the name says it all, but let’s go through some of the finer points.

Defining Assassin Fantasy

Like I said earlier, this one’s pretty straightforward. Assassin fantasy is about an assassin and is set in a fantasy world. The complicated parts of the story fall more in the characterization and the plotline than they do in what the genre is. Unlike weird and grimdark fantasy, this one is pretty easily defined, and no one debates the definition. The assassin archetype has been around in fiction for quite some time, though assassin fantasy itself has only become popular in the recent years. With that definition down, let’s look at writing the sub-genre.

Writing Assassin Fantasy

Focus

First of all, assassin fantasy varies widely in its focus. Some assassin fantasy focuses heavily on character development. These stories don’t focus on and really don’t care much about the politics and morality of what’s going on. It’s just about how the character grows and develops through the course of the story. If that happens to include some sort of moral ultimatum or debate, so be it. If not, no one’s losing any sleep. The other side of this, of course, is assassin fantasy that’s all about the politics and morality of the story and its characters. Authors writing this sort of assassin fantasy may go into great detail about the political system or what constitutes right and wrong and why.

Magic

Again, this is another area where the sub-genre doesn’t have one consistent rule. Some books may have a high level of magic while others may have none at all or very little. In some assassin fantasy, the assassin may wield the magic, while in others, he or she could be the one hunting those who use it. It all depends on the angle the author wishes to approach the sub-genre from.

Characterization

This one leaves no question whatsoever. Assassin fantasy is extremely character-driven. You must have this element. Without it, your story will fall short of readers’ expectations for the sub-genre. This means that knowing your character inside and out isn’t negotiable. It’s a must. That may mean that this sub-genre is more difficult for some writers who tend toward less characterization and more thematic or world-focused writing. But, whatever the case may be, this is one element where assassin fantasy won’t waver.

Plot

This one is another area where the lines are well-drawn. The level of complexity in the stories of this sub-genre are very high. These are the types of stories where anyone could stab you in the back, and no one is as they seem. Twists and turns with revelations that make the plot even more complicated are common within the genre. If you as a writer aren’t fond of writing stories with lots of surprises and unexpected situations that make things more complex, this probably isn’t the genre for you. 

Of course, chances are high that you already know whether or not this sub-genre is for you. Because it’s so well-defined, people are usually on one side of the fence or the other about it. It has a lot of violence and many grey areas, so most people have an opinion. If it isn’t something you like reading, it probably won’t be something you like writing. That’s fine, but you should acknowledge that and move on.

Conclusion

This genre can offer some very unique opportunities to explore the greyer and darker areas of life. However, it can also be a bit of a disturbing read or project for some readers and writers because the content is dark and usually violent. If you’re not comfortable with those things, this isn’t the genre for you. As usual, I’ve included a list of books in the genre for those looking to do some extra reading. Due to the nature of the sub-genre, I wouldn’t personally recommend these for anyone younger than 16 or 17.

Additional Resources and Books

Eve Forward’s Villains by Necessity

Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy

Brent Week’s Night Angel Trilogy (I have read the first one in the series and found that I did enjoy it immensely. It had some minor issues in the writing and grammar, but I liked the plot. Other readers’ reviews of it were mixed, but at some point, I hope to put my own review up on the review section of the blog to give another perspective on it.)

Kage Baker’s The Anvil of the World

Cornelia Funke’s Thief Lord (This one is actually intended for children and was a good read.)

Saturday Setups: Resources

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Resources are an important part of worldbuilding. Most cities are built near commonly needed resources like large bodies of water or places with rich fields for farming. Civilization doesn’t get far if there isn’t enough resource-rich land to support a growing metropolis. This has held true in history, and it still holds true in fantasy or any other type of world-building. So, let’s take a look at some of the resources your civilization might build up around.

Water

This one is a bit of an obvious one, but most cities don’t build where there isn’t an accessible water source. This might be a river, a major oasis, or a place with rich places to build wells. But a city must have water to survive, so no city will grow up to be a major metropolis without water to support its people.

Precious Metals

This one isn’t as obvious, but cities may build up around places where mining for precious metals and ore can be done. This gives them a good trading resource, and it also gives them the ability to make their own currency. As a result, this is a resource that civilizations founding new cities may look for. Even if they started out as just a settlement in an area with a vein of precious metal ore, the presence of that resource often results in growth later on. 

Precious Stones

Similarly, precious stones can be another reason a place becomes home to a city. People are willing to pay a great deal to gain precious stones for any purpose from jewelry to currency for big ticket items. They can be used to trade, and in fantasy worlds, they may even be able to hold some sort of special magical ability. As this is the case, depending on what uses the world as a whole has for this resource, cities can grow up around it quite easily.

Salt

This one is another less-than-intuitive option, but some cities can grow up around salt flats because salt is a commodity and also essential for preserving food in societies with no way of refrigerating. And if you have a world where witchcraft is a thing, then maybe salt is a special ingredient for them too. It all depends. The possibilities open to you with this resource are endless, and the more uses this resource has, the more likely it is someone will want to build a city near a location with salt flats.

Wood

Another important resource is wood. Building in an area that has lots of forest offers the opportunity to build structures that might be impossible to build without it. It also allows for carving and craftsmanship that couldn’t be accomplished with other materials. It allows for the creation of paper as well, if the people living there are advanced enough to know the process for creating it with trees. Regardless, at any stage, building a city in or near a forest can provide the city with valuable resources they might not be able to access otherwise.

Wild Game

If your civilization is a hunting community, this one is especially important. The presence of various types of animals provides them with both food and furs and pelts to trade. As can be seen in American history, the fur trade can be quite lucrative, so even if your civilization isn’t mainly hunter-gatherer-based, it may still grow around the fur trading capacities the location offers.

Farmable Land

This is a big one for civilizations that are settling down and trying to stay in one place. Often, the need for land that’s arid and good for crops leads to destruction of the forests in those areas so that farmers can plant their crops. This also offers a huge area of trade because farmable land allows people to grow so many different things. If that city or small kingdom owns most of the farmable land, they may become quite wealthy by trading their crops for other things neighboring cities and kingdoms have that they can’t produce for themselves. The other good thing about farmable land, of course, is that it provides a way to keep various herd animals, which can go a long way toward sustaining the civilization.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many resources available, of course. However, they’re some of the common ones that cities and kingdoms may grow up around, so they’re worth mentioning. Have one you’d like to add? Feel free to leave it in the comments below!  

Sunday Sub-Genres: Grimdark Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

While we’ve examined some very dark, gritty versions of fantasy, this sub-genre is one of the darkest. It is considered a sub-genre of fantasy that is notorious for its grittiness and darkness. However, whatever the views people have of it, the genre has become more popular since George R.R. Martin’s wildly successful book A Song of Ice and Fire. So let’s take a look.

Defining Grimdark Fantasy

Pinning down a definition for grimdark fantasy is difficult. For some, it is a byword for fantasy that is unnecessarily dark. For those who enjoy the genre, they would openly admit that grimdark fantasy is both grim and dark with a lot of grit, but not necessarily without reason. Many times, grimdark is meant to explore the psychology behind those sword-toting heroes and the dark, harsh reality of the world. As a result of showing the grittier side of life, the stories get a bad rap for being brutal, dark, and sometimes depraved. While that may be true of some grimdark, the genre does not require writers to include unnecessary gore or wickedness in order to be grimdark. For those of you who want to remain sensitive to the sensibilities of others while still being true to the reality of life, grimdark can still hold a place for you. The genre is more focused on showing the truth about reality in a fantasy setting and showing that real people don’t always do things for the right moral reason, even when their action may be good in the eyes of others. This is reality, and the fact that you’re writing fantasy doesn’t necessitate keeping everything fairy-tale sparkly (well, Disney version of the fairytales, anyway. The real ones can, themselves, be more grimdark in style than you’d expect.).

Writing Grimdark Fantasy

Since it’s a bit difficult to pin down what grimdark is, let’s take a look at what readers of the genre look for in grimdark.  These are elements commonly found in grimdark that you can use to give your book the sub-genre’s unique flavor for readers of the sub-genre.

Morally Ambiguous Characters

In real life, while there are some things that are morally clear as right or wrong, there are things that aren’t so clear. And even if some things are morally black and white, some people may not see them that way even if they should. Grimdark is all about characters who struggle to figure out what moral black and white are in their situations. This manifests in the question of “why” they did what they did. Why did the knight save the princess? Did he do it because it was the right thing to do or because he wanted something out of it? Was it struggle to decide what to do and whether or not it was worth risking life and limb for this woman? That’s just one example of how moral ambiguity can manifest itself, but the main point is that your characters are just like real people: they struggle to know what is morally right and wrong throughout the novel. Not on every issue, perhaps, but they’ll have their moments.

Messed Up Characters

This one is not necessarily a must for grimdark, but it’s certainly common. Not to be confused with morally confused characters, the messed up characters are the ones who truly are on the side of immorality. They aren’t making mistakes, and they’re probably not confused about how evil what they’re doing is. They act in their own interests every time, and if they leads to a “good” act, great. But you can rest assured that, if they look like a saint, it’s only because it benefits them somehow. They’re wolves in sheep’s clothing. Be aware that if you have a main character like this, which isn’t unheard of in this sub-genre, readers may feel betrayed when they discover the MC isn’t who they assumed he was. This means that you have to be careful in how you reveal the character’s true nature. However, this has been done with great effect and without losing readers, so I wouldn’t say this should discourage you from trying.

Pure Naturalism

With this one, we go back to the motivations we were discussing. Many times, grimdark uses emotional drivers or goals of the characters to drive action. People do all sorts of the things in the name of emotion or a goal they want badly enough. The actions themselves can look good or bad, but the motivations underneath them may not match the appearance of the behavior. Most often, selfishness is a motivation in grimdark fantasy. In this style of grimdark, there is no right or wrong, good or evil. Only what gets the character closer to what they want. This isn’t a requirement to write grimdark. You could just as easily flip this around and have a character motivated by a good goal who does awful things trying to achieve it instead of a character motivated by pure selfishness. Either way, a character following this motto of grimdark will act purely on what will get him closer to the goal, not based on whether the action itself is good or bad.

Tight Narrative Voice

This is one aspect of grimdark that really is a must. A tight narrative voice allows the reader to experience the world through the eyes of the viewpoint character. They don’t get a broad view with an impartial narrator because grimdark is all about the character and his characterization, so naturally, the focus will be with the character. This means that using deep point-of-view, which we will discuss next week on Thursday Technicalities, is a really great writing technique to use for grimdark fantasy.

Plot Complexity and Characterization

These two generally go together in this sub-genre because the plot is moderately complex by itself, but highly complex when you start introducing morally ambiguous, manipulative characters. Grimdark is a sub-genre that is focused mostly on the characters. The plot may be action-oriented, but there will be many twists and turns that you wouldn’t find in other action-oriented plots simply because the characters are capable of anything, just as humans are in real life.

Which leads to another point on the characterization. Grimdark often gets a bad rap because anything goes, no matter how dark and depraved. But here’s the reason why that’s the case: grimdark writers know that humanity is capable of unspeakable evil, and they’re bent on making the reader face a flawed humanity. In some ways, they have a more realistic view of humanity in their writing than those writing high fantasy with sparkly clean characters do. While I don’t advocate gratuitous violence, grimdark definitely has an aspect to it that’s raw and real, which I do advocate in characterization. However, this sort of characterization that forces the reader to view humanity as inherently flawed, is not popular in the lighter sub-genres of fantasy. It has, instead, found its home in grimdark fantasy, which is the grittiest of the fantasy sub-genres. There are no knights in shining armor here, or if there are, they’ve got an unbelievable number of skeletons hidden away in their closets. There is no hero to sweep in and save the day because everyone is flawed, and no one is truly a hero.

Dystopian Setting

This one sort of speaks for itself. Most grimdark fantasy is written in a dystopian setting. The degree to which it is dystopian can vary, but the setting must be dystopian for the book to really fit in with grimdark fantasy. This is actually a fairly common thread through most of the darker sub-genres of fantasy. Not all, of course. But many of them feature dystopian settings because the settings work so well with the content.

Dark Endings

Finally, grimdark doesn’t have good or happy endings. If things work out in the favor of one character or another, you can bet that someone somewhere isn’t happy, and that’s the cue for more bloodshed and violence in most cases. So, really, the books are highly unpredictable. You never know what will happen, and the only thing you can guarantee is that everyone will end the story unhappy for one reason or another. Given this and the bleak sense of humor the sub-genre often employs, it isn’t for everyone. If you like happy endings more, this is not a genre you are going to enjoy reading, and since you have to read it to write it well, you should probably steer clear of it.

Conclusion

Grimdark fantasy is a tough sub-genre to write and to read. Its audience is smaller because of the gritty, violent, and depressing nature of the writing. However, for those looking for fiction that takes a real, hard look at what humanity is like underneath all of the various facades it puts up, grimdark is a great place to start. While it may have an overly cynical view of humanity sometimes, readers and writers will come away from it with an understand of just how flawed humanity is.

Additional Reading and Resources

**Because of the nature of grimdark fantasy and how few of these books I have actually looked at in any detail, I do not recommend any of this reading material for children under the age of 18. Please exercise discretion on the books for this. The articles are intended for writers of the genre, so those, with the exception of some language, should be safe enough for teens to read.**

Matt Larkin’s article on grimdark

Mythic Scribes’ article on grimdark fantasy for writers and readers

George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones

Steven Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon

Mark Lawrence’s Prince of Fools

Luke Scull’s The Grim Company

Saturday Setups: Government

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Next up in our discussion on world building is government. Governmental systems impact daily life in so many ways it would be impossible to cover everything, but here I’ll go over some of the major considerations and how different choices will impact your story. Depending on your choice, the differences in how life goes for your characters in your novel and how life could’ve been for them will be great.

Types of Governmental Systems

Before we talk about how governmental systems impact daily life, let’s discuss what kinds of systems are available to you. There are quite a few options, and each has different features, though in some cases, certain structures may share some features.

Monarchy

This one is one of the most common systems for fantasy. With a monarchy, there is only one ruler, though sometimes that ruler may have a spouse who shares that power with them. Either way, the ultimate power is vested in one individual. This individual writes the law, and in many cases, this ruler is the law. Which it is depends on the motto of the person in power. Some monarchies may have some kind of parliament, but how much power they hold is up to the monarch.

Oligarchy

This one is less commonly known or seen in fantasy, but it still bears note. In an oligarchy, multiple people are in charge. This could be a parliamentary system with no monarch or a ruler who is mostly a figurehead. It could also simply be a group of men and women who have all of the power. Perhaps the high-ranking nobility are running the show or members of the military are in charge sharing the power amongst themselves.  Either way, an oligarchy centers the power on a couple of very powerful individuals who stay in power by running everything.

Democracy

A democracy is much different from the previous two systems. With this system, it is the people as a whole who decide. Majority rules, and the interests of society are determined by the popular opinion. This system rarely works well on any large scale because once a lot of people are introduced to the system, voting becomes next to impossible if everyone is to have a say on every decision. Nonetheless, it is a system of government that can be employed in smaller communities.

Constitutional Republic

This system, which is the one the States employ, combines the popular opinion with some sort of structure. It does so by having the people elect officials to represent them. The particulars, of course, on how to make the representation work, when to have elections, and how to ensure everyone has a voice through that representation all depends on the people building the system from the beginning. This system allows the idea of democracy to function on a large scale because the people still have the power, but they aren’t required to vote on everything pertaining to the governance of their society. This, of course, is a good thing when you consider how many decisions have to be made for an entire nation.

Dictatorship

This one is one of the better known structures since we’ve seen plenty of examples. In this governmental structure, one individual is in charge and keeps power by controlling the people through military and state power. While in some cases a dictator may be benevolent, this is usually not the case. Dictators are often overthrown in favor of a democracy or some other form of government as a result of their cruelty and selfishness.

Governmental Structure’s Impact on Society

While there are other governmental structures, I listed the major ones above for your reference. Now that we’ve gone through them, let’s look at how this will impact daily life for your societies under the rulership of these various systems and their authorities.

Monarchy

In a monarchy, life can vary greatly depending on the king or queen in charge. Some may do what is best for the country and love their people dearly while others may rule with selfishness and a heavy hand. How this plays out is also determined by who is on the advisory board or council and who is in their senate/parliament, if they have one. Depending on how much power is given to the parliament or senate in the monarchy, they may have the ability to check the monarch if they see poor decisions being made, but in most cases, the monarch will set the tone for everyone as he is the sole party responsible for the laws. As a writer, your job is to determine what sort of monarch your monarchy has at the point of your story as well as how much power they have. Once this has been decided, you can work from there to determine what life will be like for your people underneath this form of government.

Oligarchy

Again, how life works out for your character depends largely upon who is in charge. This system does offer a bit more in the way of checks and balances because multiple people have to agree with one another. The problem is that most oligarchies are going to be constructed of like-minded individuals, and they aren’t chosen by the people. This leaves the people in a situation where their lives can be made easier or harder based upon who is in power from year to year. Historically, both monarchies and oligarchies have led to a mix of prosperity and extreme poverty. 

Keep in mind that when one or a few people are in charge, this can lead to religious and class persecution depending on how strongly the ruler(s) holds to one opinion or another. (An example of this in history, for instance, would be the Pilgrims leaving England due to intense religious persecution and violation of conscience as England’s king demanded they go to a state church that didn’t fit with Scripture. This, of course, is only one of many examples in our history.) This may leave you with an interesting avenue for conflict as a result of dissonance between the government and a certain set of people who believe differently or are in a hated class of people.

Democracy

Unless your government is only legislating for a very small group of people, democracy is going to make life very difficult for at least some group of people. Essentially, democracy always leads to mob rule. Whoever has the loudest voice and the most backing gets their way, leaving the minorities left out and often facing extreme hardship as a result of what the majority decided without them. Be careful in using this system because, unless you want a society where mob rule is the order of the day, this system may leave your character in one of the groups who is on the fringe and facing extreme difficulties. This could, again, provide an interesting backdrop for a story, but it’s important for you to understand how hard this could make things for your characters.

Constitutional Republic

This system of government is, historically, more likely to raise the living conditions of everyone in the country. While not everyone will get what they want all of the time, it offers a real chance for the public to be involved in their government with a voice that can be heard. Because of this, on the whole, the citizens of countries with this kind of governmental system feel more empowered to get involved and may be more informed on what is going on within legislative bodies. It also results in, typically, a much higher standard of living and higher prosperity within a country. If you want a highly stable form of government that will give your character a background in an affluent part of your world, this is a very good governmental model to consider. (Monarchies can also, in some cases, sustain the kind of wealth needed for this background, but usually only the nobility and royalty had access to that kind of power or wealth.)

Dictatorship

This one almost guarantees that your society will have a low level of affluence, difficulties in even the most basic parts of life, and a poverty level that is astounding. While this isn’t always the case, the pattern in history has been that dictatorships are unstable, lead to rebellions, and result in a great deal of suffering for the people underneath the dictator. This is an important thing to keep in mind about this form of government. If you want a character who has lived in the worst of conditions or been the one to perpetrate those living conditions on others, this is a great form of government to fit those needs.

Conclusion

Obviously, this is just an overview of government and how it affects day-to-day life and living conditions. Do you have other ways that these systems of government can affect life? If so, feel free to share in the comments! Because government is such a big part of how we live our lives, it’s an essential part of planning your world. The more thought you can give to how your world’s governments will work and impact your story, the better this portion of your story will be.

That’s it for this week, everyone! Have a great weekend!

Sunday Sub-Genres: Dark and Gothic Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

This week’s study of fantasy sub-genres is all about gothic or dark fantasy. This genre can be quite interesting since the definitions of it vary depending on who is defining it. However, there are some common points in the definitions, so we’ll go over how it can be commonly defined and what elements you need in the writing to make it gothic or dark fantasy.

Defining Gothic/Dark Fantasy

To start off with, gothic or dark fantasy is not horror. It may contain some elements that are reminiscent of or common to the genre of horror, but horror is written with the intent to scare while gothic and dark fantasy is written with more of an intent to explore a topic that looks at the darker side of life. To that end, then, gothic and dark fantasy aren’t horror.

They do, however, typically deal with the darker side of life and human nature. Commonly, the stories may be written from the monster’s perspective or from a villain’s point-of-view. This isn’t a necessity, however. Just one popular option. Whoever the lead character is, the books classified as dark or gothic fantasy will deal with darker themes. They aren’t horror, but they also won’t shy away from gritty, gory topics.

This usually means that dark and gothic fantasy is not where you’re going to find your knights in shining armor being pristine, upstanding citizens or your villains being pure evil with no good quality to them. While dark and gothic fantasy may not blur the lines between right and wrong, necessarily, it certainly examines the fact that our nature is not one-sided. Those who do what we would say is good may not do it for good reasons, and those who do what we term evil may do it with the best intentions. It doesn’t change what is right or wrong, of course, but it means that the novel may be more subtle in its presentation of good versus evil compared to novels of other sub-genres.

Writing Gothic and Dark Fantasy

When it comes to writing Gothic or dark fantasy, the rules are similar to writing weird fantasy. This is because, often, Gothic and dark fantasy are similar to the weird fantasy genre. However, the two aren’t exactly the same, so let’s look at some elements of Gothic and dark fantasy that you can use to make that distinction in your writing.

The Dark Side

First off, weird fantasy’s focus in on what is weird and unusual. Gothic and dark fantasy may look at that too, but it isn’t the focus. Instead, your focus in writing Gothic and dark fantasy is on the darker side of life. This could include exploring the darker aspects of human nature, human psychology, or the world as a whole. Really, anything that is a darker aspect of the world could be your focus, but the stories in the Gothic and dark fantasy sub-genre must focus on the dark side.

Complicated Characters

I’m not saying that characters in other sub-genres aren’t complex. They are. But in dark and Gothic fantasy, these characters are a little bit more complex in another way. For example, you might have a character who is an assassin but only kills those who have displayed behavior that warrants their death. Or, you may have the knight who is supposedly very altruistic but is really only doing the right things because he wants power and control or he wants to be in a position to force a girl to marry him. Any number of things could be a part of why the character is complex, but dark and Gothic fantasy usually involve characters who look all good or all evil on the surface when in fact the truth is something quite different. This is part of exploring the darker nature of humanity and our psychology, and it manifests itself most clearly in the characters and their complex psychological side.

The World

It’s a given that any fantasy sub-genre is going to have aspects of the fantastical or supernatural involved. It wouldn’t be fantasy without it. But with dark and Gothic fantasy, these elements are blended with horror-like elements to produce something truly dark and uncanny. Now, this is done, again, with the intent of exploring some darker theme or reflection, not with the intent to horrify. But the key here is that the world and setting used for dark and Gothic fantasy isn’t going to be pretty. It will reflect the same darkness and, in many cases, straight up twisted wickedness of the people whose hearts will be explored or exposed in the exploration of the dark side we discussed earlier. This doesn’t mean everything has to be shown or has to be allowable or approved. While some authors may choose to blur lines, that isn’t a requirement. It just means that the author can’t create a perfect fairy-tale world where everything dark is swept under the rug out of the readers’ sight. No. It will be visible in varying levels of darkness and uncannyness, depending on the author’s preference. Whether or not that darkness is shown as being wrong, right, or grey area-material is dependent entirely on the author’s worldview and preferences.

Conclusion

Hopefully this has given you a strong starting point for writing Gothic and dark fantasy. If you’ve already been writing it but haven’t been sure what your work would actually be considered, I hope this has helped to clarify the issue for you.

You can find the further reading and resources below as always. A note of caution here is that I wouldn’t recommend any of these books for children, whether I’ve read them or not, because usually the subject matter of dark and Gothic fantasy makes it too mature for younger teens and children. Doesn’t mean the books are bad. It just means the intended audience is rarely children.

Have questions or more suggestions for writing Gothic and dark fantasy? Feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to get back to any questions promptly. Have a great week, everyone!

Further Reading and Resources

Neil Gaiman’s Coraline

Gothic Fantasy’s Short Story Compilations

Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Jewel of Seven Stars (This is an exception to my general recommendation not to give these books to children. Teens can read these books without a problem, but they likely need a strong constitution and shouldn’t read them before bed unless they’re not easily scared.)

Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat

Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Grey Woman and Other Tales

Saturday Setup: Building Societies – Rank and Gender Factors

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Last week, we discussed how language factors into your society. Now we’re going to talk about how rank and gender can play a role. There are many different ways societies deal with these two things. Just look around at the cultures around the world, and you’ll see that. So let’s take a look at some options you have.

Rank-based Societies

Rank based societies can be set up in a lot of different ways. It could be that the society is similar to Asian societies where elders and family authority figures are to be highly respected and obeyed (as a general rule of thumb). Or, perhaps, it is more a caste system like India has. The options vary and can result in a multitude of arrangements.

Once this is decided, of course, it affects all kinds of things about relationships with people. Since we talked about it last week, languages can be affected by rank. Some languages, like Japanese, use honorifics or have more formal versions of the same word to indicate great respect for those high above you in rank. This also can be done in a variety of ways, such as using prefixes or suffixes on names or using polite tenses. These are just a few options.

In the end, rank-based societies will focus entirely on whatever hierarchy has been set into place, and their rules will tend to center on it too. Many things end up being affected, so you have to consider how rank might affect your society if you choose this option.

Gender-Based Societies

On this one, it isn’t so much rank as it is which gender one is that determines honor, privilege, and part in society. This might manifest in a manner both patriarchal or matriarchal. Or, perhaps there is no organized patriarch or matriarch structure, but perhaps instead women and men have gender-specific roles and don’t step out of them.

This really doesn’t even have to be applied solely to those societies where one of the sexes is suppressed or mistreated, though it certainly could be the case. It may also apply to societies where men and women are equal but simply have different roles to play and things that their counterpart is able to do that they cannot, not because they aren’t capable but because it simply isn’t their place or concern. In this way, gender can be a basis for the society without degrading one gender or another.

Mixed Societies

Some societies may work off a system that mixes gender and rank. These societies may place the two genders into a class of jobs or roles they can play based on gender, give the genders rankings in relation to each other (ie: men outranking women or vice versa), and rank each gender against others of their own gender within the class of jobs and roles they’re filling (ie: one man outranks another within the government or a woman outranks another woman in a midwife practice.

Conclusion

Rank and gender typically do play some role in society. Even in a society that doesn’t focus on gender, rank does usually come into play because some sort of authority structure must be set up, and that necessitates having some people who have higher rank or authority than others. Taking the time to consider this aspect of your growing society will help to round everything out and give you a concrete idea of how the people in your story will interact with others around them.

Arguably, this is one of the most important things to figure out for your society because it affects your characters directly in how they will relate to people of the opposite sex, superiors, colleagues, and subordinates.

Have another way rank or gender can affect a society in world-building? Feel free to share it in the comments! If you have a question, feel free to leave that in the comments too. I hope this helps you and offers a sound place to start in determining these aspects of your society and culture.

Sunday Sub-Genres: Weird Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

This week, we’re going to talk about weird fantasy. Weird fantasy is a little bit more of an odd genre, but it’s no less popular for it. People who like fantasy and horror will likely find that they enjoy weird fantasy. So let’s take a look.

Defining Weird Fantasy

Weird fantasy is a sub-genre of speculative fiction that started with H.P. Lovecraft. Pinning down exactly what the genre is can be a bit difficult since it’s a mix of several things. Generally speaking, weird fantasy is a blend between horror, paranormal, and fantasy genres. However, it isn’t uncommon for the genre to include strange, nontraditional aliens, so science fiction can be blended in as well.

The genre typically avoids the typical players in the paranormal scene, such as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, or vastly reinvents them for the purposes of the genre. So if you’re looking for these features in the genre, you won’t find them. At least, not as you may have expected to.

It should be noted that weird fantasy is neither horror or Gothic fantasy but is instead something entirely different that cannot be classified in either genre. This is likely owing to the blending of horror, paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi.

Writing Weird Fantasy

Weird fantasy can describe a lot of things, but let’s take a look at how you can write any type of weird fiction by using the main elements and moods of weird fiction.

Main Elements of Every Weird Fantasy

Before we jump into the four types of weird fiction or fantasy, let’s cover the basic elements that are present in all of them. First, every weird fantasy must contain some aspect of underlying horror or abnormality, usually in the form of some object or entity. Second, it should contain the general effects of horror. Third, it needs an object to focus or embody the horror or abnormality with. Fourth, it should contain the appropriate fear responses to the horror. And fifth and finally, it should contain the effects of the horror on the given situation.

Mood and Focus #1

The first type is one where the mood and focus is one how the marvel or horror relates to some event, condition, or phenomenon. Usually, these types of weird fantasy work well with a mood focused on a general situation, condition, legend, or intellectual subject. It can also work well with a mood that expresses a pictorial concept.

Mood and Focus #2

The second type focuses on the actions of people in response to the marvel or phenomenon. This one works better with a mood expressing a specific feeling or a mood that expresses a specific dramatic situation or climax.

Pivotal Points of Weird Fantasy

No matter what, weird fantasy should always have a focus on the effects of the weird on the world. The truly weird cannot fail to have an impact, and if people in your novel treat it as though it doesn’t or as if it is commonplace, it ceases to be weird and becomes poorly written as a result.

Conclusion

Weird fantasy is definitely a bit of a strange genre within speculative fiction and fantasy. However, for those who enjoy clear horror aspects blended with fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi, weird fantasy is a great genre to write. If you’re thinking about experimenting with it, the aspects discussed above should be a good starting place for you to do so. So now, all that remains is to go do it.

Further Reading and Resources

Disclaimer: I don’t really read much in the way of weird fantasy, so none of the books below are ones I’m going to suggest for children since weird fantasy can get pretty dark and I haven’t read any of them.

H.P Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulu and Other Weird Stories

Arthur Machen’s The White People

Laird Barron’s The Imago Sequence