  Fantasy
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"It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
-Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
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Thank goodness for friends, folks, because if it wasn't for Bob DeFrank  , I'm not sure what would have happened to my newsletter this month! Bob has very kindly donated an article he wrote concerning the importance of backstory. I am in the midst of NaNoWriMo craziness (check out www.nanowrimo.org if you're scratching your heads and wondering what I'm rambling about) so anything I wrote for this newsletter would have been short and probably incomprehensible. Don't worry, though, I should be back in December fully recuperated from my NaNo experience.
What is it that makes a character real to a reader? His thoughts? Her feelings? Their actions and their dire situations? Yes, but where do those things come from?
The same place they come from in real life: the past. Their roots.
The backstory.
Look at "The Lord of the Rings." Almost the entire trilogy takes place in - what, a year? - but it's the climax of three entire Ages of history. One could even say that LOTR, and to a lesser extent "The Hobbit," were basically guided tours of Middle Earth, complete with a tour guide (in most cases Gandalf or else Tolkein himself when he lapsed into narrative voice).
Backstory plays a part in every narrative, but especially in fantasy books, which are traditionally based on myth and where events of the past echo into the present in the most spectacular ways.
As with everything else, the best way to learn about backstory is to look at the methods of those people who have done it right, and the two most obvious examples are J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin.
It's no accident that two of the most successful relative newcomers to the fantasy scene are also masters of crafting fictional histories, both for their individual characters and their created worlds. In both the Harry Potter series and "A Song of Ice and Fire" there is almost as much excitement in looking back as there is in going forward.
Observe some of their methods.
1) Deal it out piecemeal and try to spread the bits of information throughout the story. If you have a big "Council of Elrond" type scene at some point in the book, then just keep to the high points and summarize the rest, that way you'll still have stuff to reveal later on. And if the wise-old-wizard character decides to keep some things from the hero, make sure he or she has a good reason.
2) When revealing a piece of backstory, always hook it onto a relevant event in the current storyline. A situation could remind character or another event or a story he or she has heard, which they ponder for a moment before going back to the matter at hand. This also keeps the backstory firmly in the BACK of the story.
3) Make history a part of your world. If a dragon attacked a castle in prior years you might mention some of the scorched and broken towers. If the towers have been rebuilt, mention that the towers look new or that they use a different style of arcitecture (this lines up with rule 2). Names of persons or places, old legends, even tavern songs are other ways to integrate the past with the present.
To cite an example from the real world, the Ohio Valley's long coal-mining history is writ on the very hills. There are high walls, mineral ponds and depressed communities left over after the industry moved on. You don't need a lecture to convey this, just some descriptive language.
4) Consider multiple POVs. In Martin's books, characters in different parts of the world often turn up pieces of information about the backstory without understanding its significance. The reader, though, is aware of all the pieces and is aware of things the characters don't know about. This can really involve the reader in the story as he or she hopes that the heroes will learn the truth before it's too late. It's a tough juggling act, but if you can manage it then go for it.
5) When dishing out details, remember that less is more. Don't bog the reader down in a history lesson, make them use their imaginations.
Some final thoughts.
There are certain fun techniques to inventing a world's history. First of all, remember that history is shaped by the perceptions of those who right it. What is held to be true in your world need not be the literal truth. Case in point: certain beliefs about Sirius Black are put forward as true in "Prisoner of Azkaban," but by the end of the book the reader knows a completely different story.
In Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," a certain character is depicted as pretty much evil incarnate in the first book, but certain facts are revealed to the reader in the third book that cast him in an entirely different light. Ironically, the reader sees the same thing happening with this character's younger brother: he is demonized in the public opinion, but the reader knows certain other facts that knows him to be a true hero.
Another point of interest: Tolkein and Frank Herbert both wrote Appendixes to their books. They're fascinating reading, and I found Tolkein's "Silmarillion" as good as the LOTR trilogy. If you feel your world can compete with Middle Earth, or the Dune universe then by all means write a history book for it.
For my own work, I'm not so confident.
The epic poets of the past would often start out their stories by describing events of the past in order to set the scene. The most famous modern-day equivalent is the scrolling introduction to the Star Wars movies. Jacqueline Carey's introduction to "Banewreaker" is also a good example. It takes a certain tone of voice to catch the right mythic feel. If you can pull it off, try it.
In his Otherland books, Tad Williams would begin each chapter with a news clip that showed a glimpse of the history and the state of his distopian world. Very funny.
Finally, remember that individuals and societies are both shaped by history. When the same is true for your characters the reader WILL notice. Your world will have deep roots, and your story will come to life. |
 Erin's Fantasy Book Pick of the Month
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[[ Product review #107918 does not exist. ]] is a unique take on the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. |
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From: Izkata  
Nice naming section ^.^ (My name, Daniel, means "to judge" or something like that.. and "Izkata", my online name, is something like "drop out")
I completely forgot the mean reason I started typing this, but here's something slightly interesting: Names in Japanese manga all mean something. Dragon Ball Z characters were all named off of vegetables, I believe, for example. And from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Mokuba means Wooden Horse, and his older brother's name, Kaiba, means Seahorse. ("Horse" family? - kinda an interesting idea)
Oh yeah, now I remember - I was wondering, are these newsletters saved as statics on Writing.com?
Not statics, but usually in book items.
 "Newsletters: Fantasy" has a lot of old ones.
My past newsletters "Invalid Item"
Other editors often archive their own newsletters too, so whenever you read a fantasy newsletter, click on the editor's portfolio and you'll probably find a collection there  . I hope that helps you out!
From: wolfshadow
Great newsletter! I don't know how everyone else goes about finding names but I have a method I'm very fond of myself. . . I have this one baby name site that's superb. You type in a meaning such as loyal, dark, goddess and the search engine provides male or female names from dozens of nationalities.
Here's one of my favorite sites. http://www.babynamesworld.com/
From: Walkinbird 3 Jan 1892
I agree that certain rules of thumb be expressed about naming fantasy characters. The best usually fall back on ancient language. I think our subconscious mind accepts names from simple roots more readily. Thanks for the bonus Item link in this issue as well! Jessiebelle's Expertise Directory to come from the forum imput should be great.
From: scribbler
names names names! I just love names! For me the most exciting part of creating a story is naming the characters and in most cases I come across a name I love and then create a character around it. And interesting names are my favourite. Said..say it with me, not said as in she said but Say-ed. The name of a character in a poem of mine. And take me name for instance. "eothyne" of course is not my real name but one I created for myself. Ay-oh-thine. AAnd a helpful hint, try babying naming site for unusual but REAL names. They're a life saver.
Thanks again for a wonderful newsletter.
From: vivacious
Thanks for the insights on naming. I usually type in whatever pops into my head, or play around with letters until I type something that looks and sounds good. But using other languages and searching name origins is a terrific idea!
From: Maimai J Saves for Upgrade
Hey Erin, nice NL. Learned a lot from it, and no matter how much I love LOTR, I'll try real hard not to use variations of their names. Haha. Nice job and more power!
From: Leger~ 
Hi rose_shadow
This newsletter on names was a great topic. It's always interesting to see what people choose for character names or even their usernames.
Well done!
From: ladypoetry
I really don't know what to say, besides that fact I really like that article on names, you have inspired me to believe a characters names make the story more important.----SiSi
From: schipperke
Thank you for an excellent newsletter. I think names are important no matter what type of genre you are writing. My real name is hebrew for 'bitter'. Hmm..
From: StephBee 
I agree - names are EVERYTHING when writing a story. For my story, "Twilight Over Moldavia" I used Stefan because I needed a very strong Romanian sounding name and Caroline for classical princess name. I chose "Viktor" because that had an evil ring to it. A name gives a character flavor and that's what helps to make the story stand out!
Steph
(b}From: Faery ~needs longer days
Erin, great NL on names. I'm an avid fantasy reader, and sometimes the lack (or too much) thought writers put into the character's names is horrifying. My name is Rachel, which is Hebrew for innocence or ewe. Its is a name which has haunted my personality since the day I was presented with it. So, in my writing, it has been my ambition to come up with creative, yet understandible names. Good luck to everyone out there in thier similar attempts!
From: megsie2584
Good point. Names do have a lot of meaning.
My mom had two older brothers, and really wanted a sister. She asked her mother if she was going to have more kids. The answer was no, but if a girl was born, her name would be Megan. From then on, my mom thought about the sister/friend/daughter that I would be. :^)
Megan
From: deek
Thanks for the rundown of names. I've often noticed in reading Robert Jordan - yes, I am one of the suckers that started and the beginning and I can't seem to stop buying the books no matter how bad they get. For instance Rand al'Thor - Authur Egwene al'Vere - Guinivere, Morgase, Moraine, Lan, etc. all resemble the names of the Authurian Legends so closely and the Celtic, Welsh and Old Britania folklore. Glad to see I am not the only one that notices that. I was beginning to think I was a bit too - observant?
From: Ivy Frozen/Rater Moon
Awesome newsletter;) Names do have to fit the characters and storyin some way. *::is currently experiencing trouble on picking the right name for one of her characters, and is thus thrilled that someone else pays attention to names too.::* I've also struggled through some of those names...
I have a question a little unrelated to fantasy, but how do you do the amazon book links?
Keep up the great work, ~*~Ivy~*~
Writing ML code for the Amazon links are {amazon:0849917905} . The number is the ASIN number which you can see when you look at any product review. The small "item" like code is the {pr:108219} and that number you can find right under the ASIN.
Hope that helps!
From: rosalba
Yes! Finally, an article on the importance of names. I read a lot of fantasy, and I shudder at some of the names that authors inflict upon their unsuspecting readers. Please, folks, follow the K.I.S.S. principle. Fancy, multi-syllable names usually sound good in only one place - the author's mind. The rest of us cringe whenever we have to read them. There are lots of wonderful websites out there to help you find the perfect name for your character. Two of the most popular fantasy books of today - The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter - use names taken from mythology, old languages, and everyday life (Ok, Tolkein may have made up a few names, but he certainly didn't create every name in his work). I would urge every author to follow the example set by these novels.
From: dusktildawn
One of my pet peeves in reading fantasy is never being able to pronounce names - or too many that sound similar (Tolkien, who is my hero, was infamous at this). Like you said, it tends to make the character distant instead of intimate, and want to know my characters as intimately as the author will allow. In my own novel, I've attempted to add uniqueness to my character's names, but also keeping in mind their pronounciations.
Many thanks for another great, informative newsletter!
Dusktildawn
From: billwilcox
Erin,
As usual you have come up with another excellent newsletter. What's in a name? I'll tell ya--you can call me William, or you can call me Will, but that don't necessarily mean you can call me Willie.
W.D. |
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Fantasy: November 16, 2005 Issue [#714]
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