  Fantasy
This week: Specific Settings in Fantasy - The Woods Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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A Fantasy Newsletter by Elf
Specific Settings is a series looking at particular places often found in fantasy. The woods is up first with elves, witches, magic and the occasional poisoned apple. |
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Quick Intro: Welcome to my attempt at a series of newsletters. Since I follow logic and all, figured why not start a set of common used settings within speculative fiction. Cause the one who writes 165k+ of a fantasy novel with minimal setting described is the perfect one for the job. Right? Logic. For real, though, here is one of a series that will be every couple of months where I discussed a particular setting found in speculative fiction.
Specific Setting # 1 - The Woods
Fairy tales, epics that span 12+ books and even the occasional science fiction story all have used the woods or woodlands as a type of setting. We see it in many different stories ranging from Cinderella to Lord of the Rings to umm whatever science fiction one you know of since I haven't read any in the last year... Still, it's common and probably because the setting has some great qualities for the genres.
What qualifies as "the woods" for a story setting?
A woodland is defined, as found on a couple of different sites, as a low-density forest that includes open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. A transition to shrubs may form under drier conditions or during early stages of primary or secondary succession. Higher density areas of trees with a largely closed canopy that often includes continuous shade are referred to as forests.
I am interchanging the two, I will admit. Woods and Woodland as the woods can often be seen as a version of woodlands. It may also be a little between a slightly more open woodland and the closed canopy of a full forest. Some stories call an area "the woods" when the setting qualifies as a forest, so the level of pickiness towards specificity may vary.
What makes it work as a setting?
There are a few reasons, so I will just touch bases on a couple. One main useful feature of the woods and woodland areas is just the general layout and atmosphere. There is the foliage, some shadiness involved but also enough light to give movement options and space for some of that action which might be harder to achieve in a full forest. Depending on weather and words chosen for the description the woods can be very light and happy or even down right scary. It's all on how it's written, with this particular place having many options available for the writer's imagination to develop.
Another factor is the possible characters as so many in the genres have been found in the woods and woodlands. Some potential wood-living characters include: a Woodsman, Elves, Dwarves, Woodland Creatures, Fae, Witches, Ents, and many others. Maybe even the occasional robot... I bet someone could draw a neat steampunk like robot going for a stroll out in the woods. Would like to see that one of these days.
Plus, there is a common used connection between nature and magic.
On the other hand, it is one of the more used settings in fantasy (maybe not as much in sci-fi so might work a little more if you get creative on that side), which might make it harder to have the setting seem a little more original compared to some other locations. Not that any setting hasn't been used before, but the woods are quite common so that is a minor factor.
The woods and woodlands are still great settings for speculative fiction. Whether it's Snow White meeting the dwarves or a wood fae trying to make his way home, there are many stories to be told within this specific setting. Question is: how will you use it in your story?
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What do you think makes the woods work as a setting in fantasy?
Last month I talked about starting new stories. Here is the comment sent in by Quick-Quill  on the topic:
I have plots in progress. My plan is to rewrite the detective novel I wrote back in the '80's. I find that as I read, I have all the facts. the guys are going through the leads and moving toward the goal. What I realized is they don't do anything else. I didn't add enough LIVING there isn't too much backstory except to tell the reader the MC's family was killed by the mob in a drive by shooting. Just after the Police dept was cleaned of dirty cops. His partner is there just to hold up a wall. I'm really having to do a lot of thinking on this story. Its fiction based on fact. An unsolved murder. Then I have a Christian romance that has been stabbing me to get written. What to do?
- I know the feeling. It's hard to pick at times. I'm in the middle of 3 YA novels and others are itching to be written, then I see a contest prompt and go "ooo." Just got to make a decision and stick it out while keeping some thought and interest on the others until it's their time to shine.
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Fantasy: February 03, 2016 Issue [#7459]
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