 Fantasy: July 15, 2009 Issue [#3161] |
  Fantasy
This week: Edited by: shaara
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As one of your Fantasy editors, my goal is to challenge you to think outside the
KNOWN and to help you inject your tales with fascinating facts while jagging left and right
through troublesome frolics and teethe-writhing dilemmas.
Perhaps we can help each other to safely jog through these twisty turns of
radical thought, alternate viewpoint, and dynamic detail. Come! Let’s head down the Path of
Dimensions, untextured by any earthly array.
In other words,
let’s drop out of reality for awhile.
Shall we?
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Innocence, Sweetness, and All Things Nice
Is innocence an old-fashioned idea? Do we view sweet-faced maidens as females of the Middle Ages? (After all, it wasn’t like they had a choice with a chastity belt wrapped round parts that are sometimes called “unmentionables.”) Has the virgin’s place in history, in fantasy, and science fiction now zoomed away into that space ship called
long ago
It is said that a unicorn requires such persons, but what difference would it make for a unicorn, I wonder. Yet, it’s nice to believe that someone still cherishes innocence, sweetness, and all things nice.
Has the unicorn adapted to our modern world’s values yet -- or is his refusal to do so the reason why he's now extinct?
The villains we used to boo and hiss also preferred chaste heroines. Perhaps true melodrama would lose its sanctity if the heroine weren’t virtuous. Would we still jeer the criminal mind if it chose a modern girl, one more than amply practiced and experienced in the volumes of love or in baseness and vulgarity?
Would white wedding dresses or Chinese red be as prized in a world where purity and virtue had completely lost all blushes?
Yet ithis is progress, one hears. Things change. My friends have informed me that the modern day heroine and hero must be conquering heroes/heroines who have climbed the golden ladder of goals and opportunities. These stars of fantasy and sci/fi must cast off their inexperience and give battle against whatever sharp-tinged arrows of life assault them. Such a battle provides characters with a new air of confidence and a kind of grit-teethed toughness that shows the merits of their valor. Think of Princess Leah or Laura Craft. Neither is renowned for virtuousness. In fact, they are “with-it” ladies, free with their charms and sophisticated far beyond innocence.
If my friends are correct, has modern society then journeyed forward into a world where worth is measured by courage and tenacity, not Goodness and Purity of mind and deed?
I’m not sure that is a bad move, exactly. I want a hero/heroine that rises up from passivity and who struggles to achieve. I’ve always been a fan of the Ayn Rand kind of character, one who bucks the system -- whether he or she can win or not. But . . .
Is there nowhere left for the unicorn? Can't downcast eyes of Innocence quake (a bit) when meeting the ogre of modern society? Can a damsel never blush when a man’s eyes are brazen or when his mouth drips four-letter words soaked in innuendos that would make a rabbit bolt to its burrow? Can’t a lad who marches out on his first brave mission faint once or twice?
Is innocence completely dead?
Does the unicorn now weep?
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Some women (and men) have turned away from modern day fiction. They escape into the Victorian age where men once ruled the roost and strutted about like roosters crowing over barnyard deeds. In Victorian novels Goodness still is golden. It shines -- which is how one can recognize the brave, untarnished hero from the wicked and cruel “creep.”
Likewise, there are stories from our own Wild West where the women rise above their time period yet still drape themselves in morality and upright indignity. Each time the villain dares to suggest that one of these pure women should reveal an inch of petticoat, the girl blushes. The maiden school teacher, the daughter, the chaste shop clerk are all to be protected from such burly, vulgar no-goods. In Westerns even the females who spit and slug down several bottles of whiskey often spend their days curtseying and swooning at the dangers about them. True, they may pack a pistol and use it with aplomb whenever a rattlesnake invades the kitchen or slithers too near their dainty toes, but these women are still pure as filtered water.
However, in today's world, from what I’m observing, the battle of purity and innocence doesn't remain only between the borders female/male relationships. In “Labyrinth” the fairies bite and sting. A horror movie portrays the leprechaun so horrifically that my second graders now fear these traditional protectors of rainbows. “Michael” shows us an angel who farts and scratches his privates. Even Santa Claus has fallen from his perch of perfection. Soon Hollywood may make a movie where the Easter Bunny munches on human fingers, the tooth fairy rips teeth out of mouths, or Cinderella carries an axe to revenge herself against her stepsisters.
Deep within me lies the dream that we novelists and story tellers will one day stem this malevolence. We will step aside from the sophisticated and tarry in forests where Innocence still lives. We will stand against those who say that Goodness is dated. We will push the button that flushes wickedness.
Is that a fantasy or a sci/fi future? I believe the choice is ours -- in each story, each novel, each breath we breathe into the worlds of our fiction. We could continue to twist Good into evil and turn the pure of heart into valueless, empty husks
if we wanted to. . .
But I ask:
Do we really want to bring about the
extinction
of
Innocence?
I’d like to believe that Virtue will continue to reveal its sweet smile in our works.
I WANT to trust in the nature of a gentler realm.
Perhaps that’s why many of us chase
rain bo ws
into
S P A C E
or
T I M E
or
A L T E R N A T E W O R L D S,
we who dwell in the genres of fantasy and science fiction.
We authors have the Power of the Pen to allow Goodness to shine like a golden light.
We authors can bring the unicorn trotting back,
his horn lowered,
and his eyes agleam with humble love
because Innocence has returned again.
How do you feel about Innocence, sweetness, and all things nice?
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Are you longing to gallop astride the unicorn?
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Shaara,
I thoroughly enjoyed your letter on reviewing, it is certainly something i do not enjoy to do and i am happy to know i am not the only one! You made some very good points, and it will help me when i review my own work, Thank you! I really enjoy this newsletter, Keep up the good work! Krystxn * WorkingOnStargazer ! 
Thank you for your comments. Actually, when I dip into the review of a piece, I really dissolve myself more fully into the story. Adding the sensory makes me transport myself there, which is kind of fun. So, why do we still fight “going under”?
I really liked this newsletter. You are very right it is so hard to edit your work, i believe it is the worst part of writing. The lack of refinement is, I think, my downfall. My work, that could be otherwise relatively ok ends up bland and lacking because of my inability to look over my work and edit it. Thank you very much for this newsletter. aino28
The best way to edit, I think, is to leave a piece in the ditch, so to speak. Then in a week or so, I find I can go back and flesh it out. Does that work for you?
Good Newsletter! And I love the end with the spaceship. I could almost feel the ground quiver from the impact. RainRaven Windwalker
Thank you so much! I am so happy you liked my spaceship!
Your comments on the use of words is not only appropriate for fantasy, but every genre. I have had elusive words take flight, and not come to rest until the third or even eleventh revision. Thanks for the great help. (just4him)
The eleventh revision? Oh, my! My heart just dropped down on the floor and lay there quivering. Eleventh? What a poetic way to put it, however. Sigh.
Dragonsssssss!!!! Awsome newsletter. [e:bigsmile} Angelica Weatherby- Grateful28 
Thank you!
I thought this was a GREAT newsletter, one of the better - probably i'm just to this point, where i have to go back and rewrite everything :So. Ah well, great stuff! Write on! Aaron Aaron - Stormwielder
Thank you! Good luck on your revisions.
Happy Thoughts!
Hi Shaara,
Thank you for the great article. I am the Tadpole in writing purgatory. I have actually written very little new stuff since joining WDC because I keep coming across things that I need to learn – or worse – to apply. You guys just know too much!
Before joining this wonderful community, I was able to happily write a trilogy (which more than twenty people read and enjoyed) and 60,000 words of my next novel. Now, woe is me, I am considering rewriting both. Imagine the words going through my mind – no, scratch that.
Put the man (woman?) in chains who invented “show, don’t tell.” Whip the person who said to avoid the passive voice. Why does everyone have an allergy to adjectives and adverbs? Someone save me please.
Am I through complaining yet? Maybe I should be. I thoroughly enjoyed your article.
Keep Writing!
The Tadpole in writing purgatory Tadpole1 
Yes, I agree. It can be so discouraging to really like what you’ve written and then go back and see its lack. However, you’ve done the creative part. You know where your story is going, so now you only have to pump it up with the sensory to make it LIVE.
A really delightful newsletter that was very informative to boot! As to poets taking hours to select the right word, I've heard of some that take months! No wonder they have such a high suicide rate. Seriously, your article made me think more seriously about word choice in respect to the mood of the story, the setting, the era, the character, etc. I have read some good Sword and Sorcerer stories that take place in Medieval times and have read some laughable phrases such as "one o'clock" , or "no way!" These minor slips took me out the story instantly. It's not laziness on the author's part, it's just not thinking about every aspect of word choice. I've no doubt been guilty of such slips myself, but I will be aware of the importance of the best choice from now on. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Gunny Gunny
Thank you for sharing your appreciation. You and the other commentators have made my efforts worthwhile.
Hey, i was just reading the Fantasy newsletter and i figured i should inform you that "The Golden Compass" is a book that was made into a movie. I've seen the movie and understand the comments made about it, but i've yet to read the book but can imagine that it delves deeper into the main character's personality and mind. Figured i should tell you since you didn't seem to be aware when you responded to that comment. Thanks. Sean Conklin
I still haven’t been able to read that book. Ack! Where does the time go?
I would have to say that I found this newsletter very helpful. I have been trying to decide why the story I have been writing is not up to my standards and I expect that the culprit is word choice. eonalis
Thank you for your comments. My advice: See the scene. Feel the characters. Then show us what you see and feel.That’s the answer; I just don’t know why it’s so dog gone difficult to do! LOL
Thanks for the thoughtful analysis of word choice. It is the hardest thing we face. Do we use one word over another? Will it mean the same to the reader as it does to me? Did I use too many words, too little? It's enough to make anyone shudder and run away screaming. But it's what we have to do. I also want to point out a difficult issue. When you as the writer have chosen a word, but get reviews saying to change it. Do you change it or do you stick to your guns? Unfortunately, I have not come up with an answer for all situations. Sometimes you'll want to keep it, sometimes change it. It depends on who you are writing it for. If you are writing it for yourself then maybe you should keep the word. If it is for a particular audience then maybe change it. Even then, it comes down to maybe yes, maybe no. sarahreed
I know just what you mean about word choice. I often read a sentence with the suggested word and roll it around in my mouth. Sometimes, if I still can’t decide, I copy the piece twice, each version using different words. Then I set the selections aside and come back to them in a week or so. If I can’t decide by then, I go with my orignal wording. We, the authors, are the final arbitrators!
Another great newsletter, Shaara. I think this newsletter stands in its own genre as a 'discussion' or 'exploration,' rather than a 'how-to' or a 'philosophical analysis.' Quite enjoyable whatever category it falls into. :) Briar Rose
Thank you for your praise. I am delighted you found it helpful, no matter what it’s called. LOL
Wow!!! Fantastic article!
I also find word choices to be the one thing bothering me when I can't find another word for something that sounds pathetic...
Thanks!
~R.O.B.O.T.~ mrleopresents
Thank you for your kind words. I love the way Word allows us an on-line Thesaurus. It makes writing so much easier!
I understand what you mean when you said that talking about religion can get too "hot", I have seen people get very upset over it, and I cannot fully understand why. I guess it is because a lot of people are close minded to everyone else's beliefs, or they don't respect their beliefs, so when they hear of something they disagree with they get angry. I enjoy talking about religion with those who are more open minded and are happy to talk about a subject, even when they disagree, unfortunately not many people seem to be like this.
nebroc
I just try to remember the old rule about polite table talk. No religion, politics, or . . . what was the third? Dirty jokes? Whoops, at least I remember part of the rule. LOL
This was my first issue of the Fantasy newsletter and after reading it, I'm very glad to have signed up. This is very insightful and you addressed one of my biggest issues, one I've been struggling with for the last few hours. Word Choice. You would think having a large speaking vocabulary would entitle us to write a great piece of work without struggle but it just isn't so. I often ponder my selections until I'm too sick to look at the work anymore. Reading your newsletter has helped me remember that I do this and hopefully I can find a way to curb this habit. Less time debating over my words means more time writing. Thanks for addressing this issue and for including the external link, which is also very helpful. Keep up the great work.
Sara happy mommy
Sometimes pondering word choice stops me cold; then I can’t write. I have to first spill out a story without fear of self-slaps. Later -- only later do I go back and try to deepen the tale.
Hey, good newsletter. I like the ideas you put into it, the explanation of the different choices we have when we edit. I especially like the bit about the five senses, I can use that with writing also, to use when I'm describing things/scenes/people. It's very easy to describe what things look like, but writing about the feel, sound, smell of a scene/object will really puff out the story, make it far more real.Thank you. Lothmorwel
You’re welcome. I am delighted that my article helped you with your writing. As I said, I have the following words: see, smell, feel, taste, touch, hear bolded above my computer as my own personal reminder.
Again, I'm afraid I must find fault. Using tons of descriptive words is fine in poetry, but only a few should be in writing. Would you really want to read a book with all the sentences like "The moss-green dragon carefully amassed the discarded bloody bones into a heap"? I don't think so!! You should only sometimes use those carefully-chosen words. No need to rush out and memorize a thesaurus unless you really are writing drab sentences. Too much description is incredibly boring.
Oh, just by the way, I've heard that the Golden Compass Movie is nothing like the book. The characters in the movie may appear evil, which would go against my point. When I wrote before, I was thinking of the book.
Ertia Blan 
Thank you for your comments. Those sentences were meant as tongue and cheek. I didn't really intend any of them to offer up the directions for writing a novel. LOL However, you’re so right, and I very much want others to see your response. Actually your criticism is a point I SHOULD have made. Too much is less. Ah, there's the fodder for a future newsletter!
Awesome NL! I loved the portion on word choice. I'm going to save a link to this and share it with my group, wonderful examples. Word choice can make or break your story - excellent topic. Thank you! {suser: b.meridith}
What a delightful response. I’m so glad you found the subject beneficial!
That’s all for this month. Next month, I plan to do another “on writing” article. (Although, I really enjoy philosophizing. I think it’s how I push through all the weeds of the stubborn stuff that bothers me. Perhaps, I’m trying to locate the PURE ; in this case, the golden road of GOOD WRITING.
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