As I'm working my final edits for A Murder of Mages, I'm of course thinking about its sequel, which currently has the provisional title The Little East. And with my plans for that, I'm getting to go deeper into an idea I had already been presenting for the city of Maradaine.
Fantasy, by its nature, tends to find Old World influences. Western European being one of the biggest.* The rest of the world, of course, gets a share of the representation, and even on occasion we see New World-- the Americas-- have an influence on fantasy worldbuilding. But, of course, I'm talking about the pre-Columbian Americas there, up until 1491.
You don't see too much fantasy that draws influence from a more modern America-- and I'm talking secondary world fantasy, not urban fantasy.
Specifically, I'm talking about melting-pot cities, or at least cities where influences and enclaves from many places congregate and affect the primary culture. The Little East works directly with that idea, as Maradaine is a highly cosmopolitan city, including sub-neighborhoods that are entirely peopled by foreigners and recent transplants. Places where the culture is very different, and my main characters are essentially foreigners in their own city. It also widens the amount of diversity I can have in Maradaine, instead of having it be just, in essence, all western-European types.
In addition, it gives me the opportunity to do the opposite of a travelogue-fantasy story. Instead of having characters go different places to see the different cultures... those cultures have come to the characters. Plus, it lets me have those cultures interact with each other, and with the city, all on a micro scale. Of course, to do that, a city must be well-defined. You have to know the various neighborhoods, and who lives there, to include these foreign enclaves.
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*- Maradaine is no exception. You'll see plenty of British and French in there. That's not ALL you'll see, but it's clear where the primary cultural influences come from.
Showing posts with label Maradaine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maradaine. Show all posts
Monday, June 16, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Worldbuilding: Archduchy of Maradaine
The Archduchy of Maradaine has three regions: the coastal lowlands called the Sharain, the rolling hill country of Toren, and the wide plains of Itasa. This archduchy might be considered the standard of Druthal from which the others deviate. The terrain consists of mostly wide, rolling plains of fertile land. The biggest use of the land is for sheep ranching, as well as farms, which are primarily devoted to wheat. Wool from these sheep are greatly valued commodities, as it is of the highest quality. The people of the archduchy of Maradaine are, for the most part, friendly, open and honest, and somewhat conservative in their concern for propriety.
The city of Maradaine is officially in this archduchy, although the south half of would be in Sauriya. As it is the capital of Druthal, Maradaine is a city of tremendous activity, being the last major city on the Maradaine River before it reaches the ocean.
The largest city in Sharain is Ressinar, which is also the official seat of power for the Archduke of Maradaine*. The primary industry of Sharain is sheep ranching, with Sharain wool being a valued good throughout Druthal and the rest of the world. Sharain is also known for its vineyards, one of the few regions in all of Druthal to produce quality vintages.
Key foods in Sharain, besides lamb, are potatoes, onions and white beans, and wheat to a lesser degree. Duck is very popular as well, as they are plentiful in the region. The most common seasonings of the region are rosemary and mustard. A wide variety of mustard seeds are cultivated in Sharain, and many towns have their own special blends.
Traditional dishes include Lamb Sharain, stewed with potatoes, seasoned with wine, onions, rosemary and mustard, or Lamb Sausages and Crisp-- potatoes and onions fried in duck fat.
To the east, in Toren, there are less sheep ranches and more farms, growing wheat, barley and other grains. Ducks and other game birds are favored there, and bird hunting is a noted sport in the country around the city of Delikan. Toren wines are uncommon and unremarkable, but Toren beers are spectacular.
In Toren, neither onions or potatoes are popular, though they can grow well in the region. Cabbages and mustards are the preferred secondary crops. Thus any Torenite dish will typically be stewed in cabbage and beer, with lamb-and-duck sausages being one of the most common choices.
Further east in Itasa, the true "bread basket" region of the Archduchy. Here most of the wheat the supplies the city of Maradaine is grown. While Itasan breads are known to be hearty and yeasty, most of the rest of their cuisine is not noteworthy. Lamb stews with barley, or roasted birds with bread (chickens or ducks, mostly) are the common traditional dishes in Itasa.
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*- Archduke Kellen Hare, Eleventh Archduke of Maradaine. The Hares of Ressinar claim to be one of the oldest noble lines in Druthal.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Worldbuilding: Laws, Rights and the Wheels of Justice
Yesterday, I was summoned for jury duty. This meant I arrived as required, along with twenty-three other people, sat around for a bit, and then had a clerk, a judge and a prosecuting attorney all tell us what a good and important service we were providing. After a series of asking-the-whole group vague questions from the prosecutor, the jury of six was selected from the twenty-four, and the rest of us went on our way.
All this, mind you, for a speeding ticket.
Which made the whole exercise a fascinating bit of theatre of the absurd.
Because while you have the right to a trial-by-jury even for a speeding ticket, it's a right that most people would never exercise, because-- it's a speeding ticket. Forcing it to go to trial-by-jury is probably a massive waste of time and resources.
And yet, we do it. We go through the whole dance for small matters to demonstrate why it's so important for larger ones.
To bring that around to worldbuilding-- how the laws and rights your cultures enact, as well as how they are enforced and enshrined, says a lot about how that culture operates. For example, when someone is accused of a crime, is it the burden of the state to prove their guilt, or the burden of the accused to prove their innocence? And what will guilt or innocence mean? In the world of Maradaine, the Kieran Empire is a true plutocracy, to the point where all crimes are punished with a fine. If someone cannot afford their fine, they are sentenced to a slave work camp to earn it off. So the rich can afford to do whatever they want, for all intents.
Druthal, and the city of Maradaine, has a system of more complex laws and enshrined rights. Their justice system is very much based on the presumption of innocence and keeping law enforcement in check. This comes as a reaction to the period in their history shortly before a total overhaul and reformation of the government, where agents of law enforcement had nearly unlimited power to arrest and incarcerate at whim. So the "modern" Druthal defined its laws under the premise that preventing those abuses is the paramount concern for continued freedom of the populace. Even their equivalent of the Right to Bear Arms is predicated on the notion that a person has the right to defend themselves if being arrested unjustly.
I did all this because, in part, I wanted something different from the top-down of the standard fantasy situation where the king has unchecked power, and being king makes one the absolute authority. I also did it because I wanted A Murder of Mages to be a story in which the constabulary are bound by rules of what they can and cannot do. Without their authority in check, the characters could take whatever action they saw fit, without limitation. That wouldn't be an interesting story.
All this, mind you, for a speeding ticket.
Which made the whole exercise a fascinating bit of theatre of the absurd.
Because while you have the right to a trial-by-jury even for a speeding ticket, it's a right that most people would never exercise, because-- it's a speeding ticket. Forcing it to go to trial-by-jury is probably a massive waste of time and resources.
And yet, we do it. We go through the whole dance for small matters to demonstrate why it's so important for larger ones.
To bring that around to worldbuilding-- how the laws and rights your cultures enact, as well as how they are enforced and enshrined, says a lot about how that culture operates. For example, when someone is accused of a crime, is it the burden of the state to prove their guilt, or the burden of the accused to prove their innocence? And what will guilt or innocence mean? In the world of Maradaine, the Kieran Empire is a true plutocracy, to the point where all crimes are punished with a fine. If someone cannot afford their fine, they are sentenced to a slave work camp to earn it off. So the rich can afford to do whatever they want, for all intents.
Druthal, and the city of Maradaine, has a system of more complex laws and enshrined rights. Their justice system is very much based on the presumption of innocence and keeping law enforcement in check. This comes as a reaction to the period in their history shortly before a total overhaul and reformation of the government, where agents of law enforcement had nearly unlimited power to arrest and incarcerate at whim. So the "modern" Druthal defined its laws under the premise that preventing those abuses is the paramount concern for continued freedom of the populace. Even their equivalent of the Right to Bear Arms is predicated on the notion that a person has the right to defend themselves if being arrested unjustly.
I did all this because, in part, I wanted something different from the top-down of the standard fantasy situation where the king has unchecked power, and being king makes one the absolute authority. I also did it because I wanted A Murder of Mages to be a story in which the constabulary are bound by rules of what they can and cannot do. Without their authority in check, the characters could take whatever action they saw fit, without limitation. That wouldn't be an interesting story.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Worldbuilding: The Broad Strokes and the Fine Details
I've made little secret of the fact that I'm a worldbuilding completist, though even I have a limit of what "completist"would actually mean. For example, in my Banshee setting, that meant having a strong sense of what was going on within 30ly of Earth, a solid framework of 100ly from Earth, and a rough sense of 150ly from Earth.
In the world of Thorn of Dentonhill, I at least don't have to deal with the infinite vastness of space. One planet is a simple enough limitation, at least in terms of continents and oceans. Draw out a world map, and you've defined the scope, and then place the cultures in them.
On this level, I've worked out the general concepts behind each nation and culture, and on a map level, the breakdown of districts/provinces and cities. However, for a lot of the areas that aren't Druthal, that's the limit of what I've done.
For example, while the history of Druthal is a 25,000 word document*, over in the eastern areas of Xonaca or the Tyzanian continent, I have just a bullet-point outline of the history. Can I delve into greater details there? If I need it. Right now, at the very least, I don't need that at all, and at a certain point that degree of worldbuilding is more distraction that purposeful.
After all the stories I'm writing, at least right now, take place in Druthal, specifically in the city of Maradaine. Now, I've built Maradaine as a cosmopolitan city, a place where people from all over the nation, as well as the world as a whole, might end up. So it was important to have a sense of the whole country, and how the finer details could affect the city. This was especially true in the case of Way of the Shield, which deals with Maradaine as a capitol city. With Parliament members from Acora, Monim or Linjar, I need a strong sense of what being from those places mean.
But even knowing all that, the thing I really needed to know was the city of Maradaine itself. Just as you wouldn't try to write a book about New York City without having a sense of what you were really saying when you mention Soho or the Upper West Side, I needed to know the city itself, and understand what it would mean to live in Aventil or Dentonhill or Seleth or High River. Every neighborhood has its own sense, and to a degree, its own minute history. I wouldn't work out other major Druth cities like Fencal, Yoleanne or Lacanja with the same level of detail, because, again, I don't need that at this point in time. Maybe I will never need it. So, again, even for a worldbuilding completist, it would be more a waste of time a distraction from the writing itself.
Now, of course, what I really needed to do-- what all stories need from the worldbuilding-- is how it works on a personal level. Some of this is micro-managing the geography, which is a level I personally felt I needed to do. I have to admit, I've got a certain pet peeve in fantasy books where cities-- sprawling metropolises-- are little more than towns with no street names, and districts that are more on-the-nose descriptions than actual names. Honestly, when I see that sort of thing, it highlights that the writer simply didn't do their worldbuilding work, which makes me feel like the work as a whole is going to be sloppy. As I said, there are plenty of details that don't need to be done, but the ones closest to the story itself should feel full, vibrant and detailed. That way, the story you write in it feels like it's in a living place, rather than a vague template of a generic setting.
Because, after all, who would be interested in reading about that?
---
*- For my own sense of verisimilitude. In no way will the reading of Thorn or Murder of Mages make you feel like there will be a quiz at the end.
On this level, I've worked out the general concepts behind each nation and culture, and on a map level, the breakdown of districts/provinces and cities. However, for a lot of the areas that aren't Druthal, that's the limit of what I've done.
After all the stories I'm writing, at least right now, take place in Druthal, specifically in the city of Maradaine. Now, I've built Maradaine as a cosmopolitan city, a place where people from all over the nation, as well as the world as a whole, might end up. So it was important to have a sense of the whole country, and how the finer details could affect the city. This was especially true in the case of Way of the Shield, which deals with Maradaine as a capitol city. With Parliament members from Acora, Monim or Linjar, I need a strong sense of what being from those places mean.
Because, after all, who would be interested in reading about that?
---
*- For my own sense of verisimilitude. In no way will the reading of Thorn or Murder of Mages make you feel like there will be a quiz at the end.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Future Worldbuilding: Choosing the Future
I've now switched gears, in earnest, with my "primary" writing project. I've written four books in Maradaine and the world around it (six if you also count the two trunked novels), and while I'm not at all bored of it*, a palate-cleansing switch is due. So I'm now (finally) writing the project that I've been calling Banshee for some time, which is pure space-opera.
The setting of this book is something I've been cooking for some time. I've done a fair amount of worldbuilding here, with regards to future history, alien species and technology.
Now, trying to predict the future, especially in broad strokes for the next four hundred years, is pretty much a fool's errand. You're not going to get it right. So, you need to just embrace what the future you're creating is going to be, and jump in at the deep end.
The way I see it, you need to ask yourself three Big Idea Questions:
The third question is about establishing what your setting isn't, which is just as vital and necessary thing to think about when building sci-fi in the future. For example, is genetic engineering of people common? To what extent? And if it isn't being used to the fullest possible extent, why not? Cybernetics, nanotech, cloning, brain-taping? Artificial Intelligence? Have these been fully embraced as part of normal life? Or have they been shunned? If so, why?
For example, the future humanity in Banshee do not have artificially intelligent computers, and any form of cybernetic replacement of limbs or organs is done in a very controlled way (or on the black market). Partly because, as a writer, these were cans of worms I didn't want to open and had little to do with the future I wanted to explore. But I felt I couldn't just ignore it, pretend that such sciences didn't exist. So I've included in the history a point where humanity achieves Artificial Intelligence, and it goes horribly badly; a bloody war against the machines where AIs try to take over, and people with cybernetic implants are unwilling meat-soldiers used against the rest of mankind. Humanity wins out, but the cost is high, and the result is the feelings behind never do that again are quite strong.
So, with that worked out, I'm diving into tomorrow. See you there.
---
*- In fact, I've got specific outlines for Books Two and Three for each of those four books, and a rough plan for more beyond that, which all really excite me.
The setting of this book is something I've been cooking for some time. I've done a fair amount of worldbuilding here, with regards to future history, alien species and technology.
Now, trying to predict the future, especially in broad strokes for the next four hundred years, is pretty much a fool's errand. You're not going to get it right. So, you need to just embrace what the future you're creating is going to be, and jump in at the deep end.
The way I see it, you need to ask yourself three Big Idea Questions:
- Where are we?
- How did we get there?
- Why aren't we over there instead?
The third question is about establishing what your setting isn't, which is just as vital and necessary thing to think about when building sci-fi in the future. For example, is genetic engineering of people common? To what extent? And if it isn't being used to the fullest possible extent, why not? Cybernetics, nanotech, cloning, brain-taping? Artificial Intelligence? Have these been fully embraced as part of normal life? Or have they been shunned? If so, why?
For example, the future humanity in Banshee do not have artificially intelligent computers, and any form of cybernetic replacement of limbs or organs is done in a very controlled way (or on the black market). Partly because, as a writer, these were cans of worms I didn't want to open and had little to do with the future I wanted to explore. But I felt I couldn't just ignore it, pretend that such sciences didn't exist. So I've included in the history a point where humanity achieves Artificial Intelligence, and it goes horribly badly; a bloody war against the machines where AIs try to take over, and people with cybernetic implants are unwilling meat-soldiers used against the rest of mankind. Humanity wins out, but the cost is high, and the result is the feelings behind never do that again are quite strong.
So, with that worked out, I'm diving into tomorrow. See you there.
---
*- In fact, I've got specific outlines for Books Two and Three for each of those four books, and a rough plan for more beyond that, which all really excite me.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
WorldCon Bound and other milestones
WorldCon / LoneStarCon starts today. I won't be going down until tomorrow afternoon, unfortunately, but I'm very excited. A little nervous, as this is my first "big" con, but I think it's important to keep stepping things up. I made myself a little pledge a few years ago to keep doing new things-- convention and career-wise-- that scare me a little. Two years ago that was being on panels and a Writers' Workshop teacher at ArmadilloCon. Last year it was giving a reading. This year, I think WorldCon, in and of itself, is sufficient.
I'm not an official participant, which is fine, given my current status as a writer. I will be an unofficial participant in one thing, however:
Furthermore, with Rayguns now released, I believe my eligibility for the Campbell Award starts today. If I'm wrong about that, someone let me know.
In other news, I've now sent a polished draft of Way of the Shield to my esteemed agent. I've also updated the excerpt over on my webpage, so go and check that out. This novel was particularly challenging to write, certainly more so than the other three books set in Maradaine. It definitely was the one where the original outline survived the least in the writing process. My original concept was more of a mystery/thriller, with a plot involving figuring out who was killing members of Parliament. That didn't really fit the themes I was working with, and also made things feel a bit too close to what I had already done with Maradaine Constabulary. The end result is much stronger, I think. We'll see if the agent agrees.
I'm not an official participant, which is fine, given my current status as a writer. I will be an unofficial participant in one thing, however:
Rayguns Over Texas Group Reading/SigningEven though I've mentioned it before, it bears repeating that I am immensely pleased to be included in Rayguns. From what I've seen of the preview excerpts, everything in it is great.
Saturday 1700-1900
007A (Convention Center)
Furthermore, with Rayguns now released, I believe my eligibility for the Campbell Award starts today. If I'm wrong about that, someone let me know.
In other news, I've now sent a polished draft of Way of the Shield to my esteemed agent. I've also updated the excerpt over on my webpage, so go and check that out. This novel was particularly challenging to write, certainly more so than the other three books set in Maradaine. It definitely was the one where the original outline survived the least in the writing process. My original concept was more of a mystery/thriller, with a plot involving figuring out who was killing members of Parliament. That didn't really fit the themes I was working with, and also made things feel a bit too close to what I had already done with Maradaine Constabulary. The end result is much stronger, I think. We'll see if the agent agrees.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Worldbuilding: Cultural Rituals and Coming of Age
I just turned 40, and my son just turned 13, which has me thinking of significant milestones and coming of age. We make a big deal out of turning 40, of course, and 13 is considered at least a gateway into adulthood.
When I was 13, I went to several bar- and bat-mitzvahs (and one b'nai mitzvah), and I always found the highly ritualized element of "and now you are an adult" fascinating. Of course, in that case, it was partly fascinating because, on many levels, it was just about the ritual. My friends weren't expected to get their own apartments and get jobs, after all: they were only 13.
How a culture deals with that transition into adulthood can be a fun bit of worldbuilding. It can be something very specialized and ritualized, or it can be a casual observance. Here in North America, the tradition of a Sweet Sixteen/Quinceñera party is more the latter, but it says the same thing: you are (nominally) an adult now.
In Druthal, it's not much of an observance at all. Druths tend to be a practical, unsentimental people, so it's mostly understood that at 15 you start some sort of work or higher schooling. In Thorn, Veranix is 17 and is in his third year at the University of Maradaine. In Maradaine Constabulary, one of Minox's younger brothers is 15, and he's just started as page in the constabulary-- the traditional form of apprenticeship before becoming a proper patrolman.
Other cultures on that world have more specialized methods of marking their coming of age. In Acseria, a theocratic state, there is the Rite of Declaration, where a young adult commits themselves to one of the specific sects of the church, as well as claiming their "adult" name. These two choices are, of course, deeply personal, and represent the child's readiness to be their own adult person.
Another culture with a highly ritualized coming-of-age process is the Bardinæ, who are divided into clans. Clan affiliation is not finalized until the age of thirteen, when children and their clan-guardians take a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jaukmeira, and each child is allowed-- for the only time in their life-- to touch the Jaukmeir, the great sacrosanct obelisk in the center of the city. From touching the Jaukmeir, they then declare to either join their clan or be one of the Yja, the clanless holy men. If they choose their clan, then the mark of that clan is tattooed onto their face.*
However, my favorite tradition comes from the Bürgin, a culture of loose city-states. Bürgin is the farther southern part of its continent, close to the antarctic circle, and it's filled with nearly-frozen rivers. These rivers are the life-blood of the culture: the source of food, trade and power. So if you're a child the community believes is ready to be considered an adult, the ritual is very simple: they throw you in the river.
If you manage to survive and swim to shore: congratulations. You're an adult. If not, you weren't ready. Too bad.
--
*- Since children aren't marked as being in a clan, it is a tradition amongst the Bardinæ to kidnap children from rival clans, and then deliver them to the Jaukmeir as their own.
When I was 13, I went to several bar- and bat-mitzvahs (and one b'nai mitzvah), and I always found the highly ritualized element of "and now you are an adult" fascinating. Of course, in that case, it was partly fascinating because, on many levels, it was just about the ritual. My friends weren't expected to get their own apartments and get jobs, after all: they were only 13.
How a culture deals with that transition into adulthood can be a fun bit of worldbuilding. It can be something very specialized and ritualized, or it can be a casual observance. Here in North America, the tradition of a Sweet Sixteen/Quinceñera party is more the latter, but it says the same thing: you are (nominally) an adult now.
In Druthal, it's not much of an observance at all. Druths tend to be a practical, unsentimental people, so it's mostly understood that at 15 you start some sort of work or higher schooling. In Thorn, Veranix is 17 and is in his third year at the University of Maradaine. In Maradaine Constabulary, one of Minox's younger brothers is 15, and he's just started as page in the constabulary-- the traditional form of apprenticeship before becoming a proper patrolman.
Other cultures on that world have more specialized methods of marking their coming of age. In Acseria, a theocratic state, there is the Rite of Declaration, where a young adult commits themselves to one of the specific sects of the church, as well as claiming their "adult" name. These two choices are, of course, deeply personal, and represent the child's readiness to be their own adult person.
Another culture with a highly ritualized coming-of-age process is the Bardinæ, who are divided into clans. Clan affiliation is not finalized until the age of thirteen, when children and their clan-guardians take a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jaukmeira, and each child is allowed-- for the only time in their life-- to touch the Jaukmeir, the great sacrosanct obelisk in the center of the city. From touching the Jaukmeir, they then declare to either join their clan or be one of the Yja, the clanless holy men. If they choose their clan, then the mark of that clan is tattooed onto their face.*
However, my favorite tradition comes from the Bürgin, a culture of loose city-states. Bürgin is the farther southern part of its continent, close to the antarctic circle, and it's filled with nearly-frozen rivers. These rivers are the life-blood of the culture: the source of food, trade and power. So if you're a child the community believes is ready to be considered an adult, the ritual is very simple: they throw you in the river.If you manage to survive and swim to shore: congratulations. You're an adult. If not, you weren't ready. Too bad.
--
*- Since children aren't marked as being in a clan, it is a tradition amongst the Bardinæ to kidnap children from rival clans, and then deliver them to the Jaukmeir as their own.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Perils of the Writer: Balancing the Gender Imbalance
So, in the past month I finally got around to reading the Hunger Games trilogy. As I've said before, I don't read as much as I should, or more to the point, I don't get a chance to sit down and read for long stretches as much as I would like. But once I finished, I went digging around on the internet for commentary that I had been avoiding for the past several years, and stumbled across this gem of a reviewlet:
Especially in sci-fi and fantasy, writing female characters can be a minefield. I honestly don't know if it's more of one for male writers or female writers. However, I do know when female writers write books with female leads, there are bound to be accusations that what they are really writing is a Romance. And you get reactions like the one above-- that essentially a book by a woman that is about a woman is only for women. But a book by a man about a man is for everyone.
For male writers, the minefield is very different. Here, it's a matter of doing it wrong, if it's done at all. On one hand-- especially in fantasy-- there's the danger of having one's female characters be little more than wives or prostitutes. I'll confess, when I first wrote out the outline for Holver Alley Crew, I didn't have any female characters, save Verci's wife. This was problematic, to say the least. So when I was actually writing it, I made several of the main characters female. Hopefully, I did a good job in making them dynamic and interesting.
The other minefield is, of course, overcorrecting. By which I mean writing fantasy, set in some sort of pseudo-Renaissance or such, but with enlightened, modern attitudes regarding women's roles in society, or sexuality, or equality. Enlightened attitudes that are hardly universal or mastered today. So then you have an idealized fantasy world where such issues just plain don't exist. I'm not one for writing fantasy all grim-and-gritty, but I think a degree of reality along those lines makes for more interesting reading.
What I attempted to do with Maradaine Constabulary was find that balance. Here I had my heroine, Satrine, joining the constabulary force as an inspector. She's not the only woman on the force, she's not even the first one to make inspector. But these changes in Druth society are still in their nascent stages. So Satrine faces several challenges.
Did I get it right? Again, I hope so. We'll have to see what the critics say.
I would have liked it if I was a girl, but since I'm not a girl, it just made me mad.I just stared at this for fifteen minutes in shock. Like, what does that even mean? Because the more I look at it, the more astounded I am. The most charitable parsing of this that I can think of is, "If Katniss had been a boy, I would have liked it more."
Especially in sci-fi and fantasy, writing female characters can be a minefield. I honestly don't know if it's more of one for male writers or female writers. However, I do know when female writers write books with female leads, there are bound to be accusations that what they are really writing is a Romance. And you get reactions like the one above-- that essentially a book by a woman that is about a woman is only for women. But a book by a man about a man is for everyone.
For male writers, the minefield is very different. Here, it's a matter of doing it wrong, if it's done at all. On one hand-- especially in fantasy-- there's the danger of having one's female characters be little more than wives or prostitutes. I'll confess, when I first wrote out the outline for Holver Alley Crew, I didn't have any female characters, save Verci's wife. This was problematic, to say the least. So when I was actually writing it, I made several of the main characters female. Hopefully, I did a good job in making them dynamic and interesting.
The other minefield is, of course, overcorrecting. By which I mean writing fantasy, set in some sort of pseudo-Renaissance or such, but with enlightened, modern attitudes regarding women's roles in society, or sexuality, or equality. Enlightened attitudes that are hardly universal or mastered today. So then you have an idealized fantasy world where such issues just plain don't exist. I'm not one for writing fantasy all grim-and-gritty, but I think a degree of reality along those lines makes for more interesting reading.
What I attempted to do with Maradaine Constabulary was find that balance. Here I had my heroine, Satrine, joining the constabulary force as an inspector. She's not the only woman on the force, she's not even the first one to make inspector. But these changes in Druth society are still in their nascent stages. So Satrine faces several challenges.
Did I get it right? Again, I hope so. We'll have to see what the critics say.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Worldbuilding: Art and Culture in the Fantasy World
The most fundamental way to define a culture is through its art. Geography, food, religion, technology and government are critical as well, of course, but none of those quite get to the soul of a people in the same way. With fantasy fiction, we're mostly dealing with forms of art of limited technology: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, poetry, literature and theater.
Music tends to be the way many fantasy writers go, to the point of cliché. Especially with songs. This is probably one of the quirks of genre that we inherited from Tolkien. Let's face it, Tolkien loved his songs. Personally, when I was reading him, whenever I saw indented, italicized text, I knew it was time to skip ahead a bit. The same thing with poetry. Now, part of the reason why these parts of a book seem so disposable is because the writers are not the poets/songsmiths of the ages that the work purports them to be. It's one thing to say that a poem is a soulcrushing work of rhyme and meter that drives men to tears; it's another to actually write it. I could do without it, personally. I could also do without mention of lutes or mandolins.*
Painting, sculpture and architecture, I'll admit, are a little out of my ken. Especially architecture. For painting and sculpture, I tend to go in the direction of what they depict, rather than how they're depicted. That's a nice way to drop a little worldbuilding history into the mix without it being as much of an infodump. At the very least, having your characters seeing a painting or statue of a former king gives a slightly more organic way to drop in some background.
Literature and theater are my favorite, though I tend to again go for what such pieces are about (and what that says about the culture) over trying to come up with excerpts. In Thorn of Dentonhill, I have a snippet of dialogue from Three Men and Two Wives, which is going on in the background while Veranix is searching for someone in the public square. Three Men and Two Wives is one of the ribald comedies of Darren Whit, a playwright from the previous century that I occasionally mention that is the Druth equivalent of Shakespeare**. At a different point, I have Kaiana quoting from one of Whit's history plays, Queen Mara. But, again, only snippets. And in Holver Alley Crew, there's mention of the banned play The Marriage of the Jester, which is being performed in an especially shabby part of town. While Three Men and Two Wives is a lusty, romantic farce (filled with crossdressing and confused identity), The Marriage of the Jester is little more than smut, presented to give the audience a cheap thrill, or for a little more coin, the opportunity to join in.
I have to admit, I have fun just brainstorming potential play titles.
I intend to include a little bit of loftier theatre in Way of the Shield-- perhaps even an opera, if I can make it work. Amanda Downum's The Bone Palace has a nice bit where her main characters go to the opera, and it's the blood-soaked tragedy kind.
The other element I'm interested in adding to the mix is the use of magic in creating art. I've hinted around that in Way of the Shield as well. Still pondering that. It's something I'd like to do, but at the same time, I don't want to stop the story dead in its tracks just to include it.
---
*- Yes, historical, but they also come off as Fantasy Clichés.
**- I also have some equivalents to Jonson, Marlowe and Webster. Definitely Webster. The Druth do so love a blood-soaked tragedy. Especially since Whit was rarely a tragedist.
Music tends to be the way many fantasy writers go, to the point of cliché. Especially with songs. This is probably one of the quirks of genre that we inherited from Tolkien. Let's face it, Tolkien loved his songs. Personally, when I was reading him, whenever I saw indented, italicized text, I knew it was time to skip ahead a bit. The same thing with poetry. Now, part of the reason why these parts of a book seem so disposable is because the writers are not the poets/songsmiths of the ages that the work purports them to be. It's one thing to say that a poem is a soulcrushing work of rhyme and meter that drives men to tears; it's another to actually write it. I could do without it, personally. I could also do without mention of lutes or mandolins.*
Painting, sculpture and architecture, I'll admit, are a little out of my ken. Especially architecture. For painting and sculpture, I tend to go in the direction of what they depict, rather than how they're depicted. That's a nice way to drop a little worldbuilding history into the mix without it being as much of an infodump. At the very least, having your characters seeing a painting or statue of a former king gives a slightly more organic way to drop in some background.
Literature and theater are my favorite, though I tend to again go for what such pieces are about (and what that says about the culture) over trying to come up with excerpts. In Thorn of Dentonhill, I have a snippet of dialogue from Three Men and Two Wives, which is going on in the background while Veranix is searching for someone in the public square. Three Men and Two Wives is one of the ribald comedies of Darren Whit, a playwright from the previous century that I occasionally mention that is the Druth equivalent of Shakespeare**. At a different point, I have Kaiana quoting from one of Whit's history plays, Queen Mara. But, again, only snippets. And in Holver Alley Crew, there's mention of the banned play The Marriage of the Jester, which is being performed in an especially shabby part of town. While Three Men and Two Wives is a lusty, romantic farce (filled with crossdressing and confused identity), The Marriage of the Jester is little more than smut, presented to give the audience a cheap thrill, or for a little more coin, the opportunity to join in.
I have to admit, I have fun just brainstorming potential play titles.
I intend to include a little bit of loftier theatre in Way of the Shield-- perhaps even an opera, if I can make it work. Amanda Downum's The Bone Palace has a nice bit where her main characters go to the opera, and it's the blood-soaked tragedy kind.
The other element I'm interested in adding to the mix is the use of magic in creating art. I've hinted around that in Way of the Shield as well. Still pondering that. It's something I'd like to do, but at the same time, I don't want to stop the story dead in its tracks just to include it.
---
*- Yes, historical, but they also come off as Fantasy Clichés.
**- I also have some equivalents to Jonson, Marlowe and Webster. Definitely Webster. The Druth do so love a blood-soaked tragedy. Especially since Whit was rarely a tragedist.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Goals for the Coming Year
So, from my clock, 2012 has a mere 13 hours and change left to it. 2013 is coming, so its high time to set some unrealistic goals for the year:
1. Book deals for Thorn of Dentonhill, Holver Alley Crew, and Maradaine Constabulary. If we're really aiming pie-in-the-sky, this deal will involve the same publisher and all three at once. That would be very nice, indeed, Universe. But in the case of all three, I think I've really done what I can do, and it's past time to be focused on the Next Project.
2. Finish Rough Draft of Way of the Shield. I should have finished this last year, but between various rewrites of the other three, a hectic summer and a few other things on my plate, it didn't come together. Part of that was due to a flawed outline, which I think I've got a handle on now. I understand why it wasn't working, which is a big hurdle to clear. Time to drive it forward.
3. Finish Rough Draft of Banshee. This is a project that's gone through significant conceptual changes over the years (you may notice that it's no longer USS Banshee, which is one major shift), but I've finally found an angle that combines character, plot and worldbuilding in a way that works pretty well, at least so far.
4. Attend my first Worldcon. It's in San Antonio, it's literally taking the place of ArmadilloCon this year, so it's what I'm doing. Hopefully I'll have something good to do there. (See point 1)
5. Have a good reason to start second books of Thorn, Holver Alley or Constabulary. See point 1.
6. Hash out some of these random ideas into usable outlines. Because if I accomplish 2 & 3 before I accomplish 1, I'll have no good reason to do 5. So I'll need a new "new project", as it were.
7. Never give up. But this one's a given.
1. Book deals for Thorn of Dentonhill, Holver Alley Crew, and Maradaine Constabulary. If we're really aiming pie-in-the-sky, this deal will involve the same publisher and all three at once. That would be very nice, indeed, Universe. But in the case of all three, I think I've really done what I can do, and it's past time to be focused on the Next Project.
2. Finish Rough Draft of Way of the Shield. I should have finished this last year, but between various rewrites of the other three, a hectic summer and a few other things on my plate, it didn't come together. Part of that was due to a flawed outline, which I think I've got a handle on now. I understand why it wasn't working, which is a big hurdle to clear. Time to drive it forward.
3. Finish Rough Draft of Banshee. This is a project that's gone through significant conceptual changes over the years (you may notice that it's no longer USS Banshee, which is one major shift), but I've finally found an angle that combines character, plot and worldbuilding in a way that works pretty well, at least so far.
4. Attend my first Worldcon. It's in San Antonio, it's literally taking the place of ArmadilloCon this year, so it's what I'm doing. Hopefully I'll have something good to do there. (See point 1)
5. Have a good reason to start second books of Thorn, Holver Alley or Constabulary. See point 1.
6. Hash out some of these random ideas into usable outlines. Because if I accomplish 2 & 3 before I accomplish 1, I'll have no good reason to do 5. So I'll need a new "new project", as it were.
7. Never give up. But this one's a given.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Riding the Muse Where it Takes You
Sometimes it just doesn't come together. And that's okay.
I'm in a strange position, writing-wise. Three novels are out there, shopping at various publishing houses. Any or all could hit tomorrow, or in a month or six months or never.* If and when that happens, I need to be ready to shift focus to the Needs of Publication-- including and not limited to starting the Book II of whatever series hits.
But until that happens, it behooves me to continue to produce more first-of-a-series novels, which is where Way of the Shield comes in. It ties to the other three novels, in that they are all set in the same city at around the same time**, but it is not necessary to the other novels (as they aren't necessary to each other). While it would be ideal for me to have Way of the Shield done, and get a deal in which all four books are published in rapid succession, that's not necessary either.***
This is all a rather long-winded way of me saying that no one, with the possible exception of my agent, is really asking for Way of the Shield to be written right now. And I'd be willing to bet if I sent him something else, say something space-opera, my agent wouldn't complain.
Which is good, because The Muse, as it were, has been muttering Space Opera and aliens and interstellar politics and how Lt. Samantha Kengle of the Terran Stellar Fleet wants people to know that the hairless monkeys from Sol III are not to be trifled with.****
And that's what you have to do sometimes: listen to the Muse, and figure out where it's taking you. Ignoring it, frankly, just makes everything work slower. And that doesn't mean one project is dead because focus is shifted onto another. Quite the opposite. It's getting a chance to breathe.
---
*- Personally, I'm hoping more in the tomorrow-to-a-month range, myself.
**- Strictly speaking, Way of the Shield takes place about a week after the end of Holver Alley Crew, which itself starts about a week after Maradaine Constabulary, which starts three days after the events of Thorn of Dentonhill. Yes, I have a whole calendar. Yes, I am that obsessively detail oriented about these things.
***- In fact, that's pretty damn pie-in-the-sky.
****- Her language is a bit coarser on the subject. Sailor's mouth on that one.
I'm in a strange position, writing-wise. Three novels are out there, shopping at various publishing houses. Any or all could hit tomorrow, or in a month or six months or never.* If and when that happens, I need to be ready to shift focus to the Needs of Publication-- including and not limited to starting the Book II of whatever series hits.
But until that happens, it behooves me to continue to produce more first-of-a-series novels, which is where Way of the Shield comes in. It ties to the other three novels, in that they are all set in the same city at around the same time**, but it is not necessary to the other novels (as they aren't necessary to each other). While it would be ideal for me to have Way of the Shield done, and get a deal in which all four books are published in rapid succession, that's not necessary either.***
This is all a rather long-winded way of me saying that no one, with the possible exception of my agent, is really asking for Way of the Shield to be written right now. And I'd be willing to bet if I sent him something else, say something space-opera, my agent wouldn't complain.
Which is good, because The Muse, as it were, has been muttering Space Opera and aliens and interstellar politics and how Lt. Samantha Kengle of the Terran Stellar Fleet wants people to know that the hairless monkeys from Sol III are not to be trifled with.****
And that's what you have to do sometimes: listen to the Muse, and figure out where it's taking you. Ignoring it, frankly, just makes everything work slower. And that doesn't mean one project is dead because focus is shifted onto another. Quite the opposite. It's getting a chance to breathe.
---
*- Personally, I'm hoping more in the tomorrow-to-a-month range, myself.
**- Strictly speaking, Way of the Shield takes place about a week after the end of Holver Alley Crew, which itself starts about a week after Maradaine Constabulary, which starts three days after the events of Thorn of Dentonhill. Yes, I have a whole calendar. Yes, I am that obsessively detail oriented about these things.
***- In fact, that's pretty damn pie-in-the-sky.
****- Her language is a bit coarser on the subject. Sailor's mouth on that one.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Next Big Thing
Rebecca Schwartz tagged me in her Next Big Thing entry. So here are my answers:
1. What is the title of your Work in Progress?
It's called The Way of the Shield, though the title itself is a work in progress. I've also got a short story brewing that, right now, I'm calling "Hard Vacuum Coyote", but that's still in its nascent stages.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
That's actually a complex question. The main drive of it was to explore a place where traditional fantasy-- kings and knights in armor and such-- and modern, complex social structure overlap and clash. There is an old order of traditional warriors, and young men who still want to be a part of it-- but in a setting that has more in common with 19th Century London or Boston. What role can that old order have-- as well as the traditional nobility-- in a society with a standing army, city constabulary and elected officials?
3. What genre does your book fall under?
It's fantasy, though I'm not sure of the subgenre. Political/action fantasy?
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
You know, I never like thinking in terms of actors-- certainly not famous ones. Because more often than not, the best choice is someone who doesn't bring too much baggage to the table. I mean, if you asked Suzanne Collins when she was writing Hunger Games, I doubt she would have even been aware of Jennifer Lawrence.
(That said, at 6'3" with a puppy-dog honest face, Liam Hemsworth from Hunger Games wouldn't be a terrible match for Dayne.)
5. What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
Disgraced warrior returns home to find himself neck-deep in political scandal, assassination plots and revolution.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Agency.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Again, a complicated question. I first conceived of the book back in 2008-- when I also came up with Thorn of Dentonhill, Holver Alley Crew and Maradaine Constabulary. All four are in the same setting, but as separate "book one of a series" concepts. I wrote Thorn first, with the idea that I would do Shield second. But then Holver Alley felt right as the second, and the Constabulary as the third, with Shield getting pushed back each time. I didn't get properly started on it until March 2012, and even then, it's been in fits and starts, as other things (such as minor rewrites of the other three) took some of my attention. But it's still being drafted, hopefully finishing the rough draft by the end of the year.
8. What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
I'm not sure. In genre, the closest thing I can think of would be David Eddings's The Elenium-- for the knightly orders and the politics. But there are a lot of out-of-genre influences, so it ends up being the small junction in a Venn diagram of The Elenium, Les Miserables and The Pelican Brief. That's a strange combination. I'm sure there's a spot-on in-genre comparison that I'm ignorant of.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Daniel J. Fawcett has been my long-term brainstorming partner, and so a great deal of my inspiration comes from hashing out core ideas of the fantasy genre and worldbuilding with him. Pure and simple, the city of Maradaine (and the rest of the world around it), as well as the characters that inhabit it in all four books, would not be what they are without his input and influence.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I'm challenging myself on this one with my first attempt at a solid romantic subplot. So if that's the sort of thing you need in your fantasy books, it'll be there. But if you need guys with swords hitting each other, there's that as well.
1. What is the title of your Work in Progress?
It's called The Way of the Shield, though the title itself is a work in progress. I've also got a short story brewing that, right now, I'm calling "Hard Vacuum Coyote", but that's still in its nascent stages.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
That's actually a complex question. The main drive of it was to explore a place where traditional fantasy-- kings and knights in armor and such-- and modern, complex social structure overlap and clash. There is an old order of traditional warriors, and young men who still want to be a part of it-- but in a setting that has more in common with 19th Century London or Boston. What role can that old order have-- as well as the traditional nobility-- in a society with a standing army, city constabulary and elected officials?
3. What genre does your book fall under?
It's fantasy, though I'm not sure of the subgenre. Political/action fantasy?
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
You know, I never like thinking in terms of actors-- certainly not famous ones. Because more often than not, the best choice is someone who doesn't bring too much baggage to the table. I mean, if you asked Suzanne Collins when she was writing Hunger Games, I doubt she would have even been aware of Jennifer Lawrence.
(That said, at 6'3" with a puppy-dog honest face, Liam Hemsworth from Hunger Games wouldn't be a terrible match for Dayne.)
5. What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
Disgraced warrior returns home to find himself neck-deep in political scandal, assassination plots and revolution.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Agency.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Again, a complicated question. I first conceived of the book back in 2008-- when I also came up with Thorn of Dentonhill, Holver Alley Crew and Maradaine Constabulary. All four are in the same setting, but as separate "book one of a series" concepts. I wrote Thorn first, with the idea that I would do Shield second. But then Holver Alley felt right as the second, and the Constabulary as the third, with Shield getting pushed back each time. I didn't get properly started on it until March 2012, and even then, it's been in fits and starts, as other things (such as minor rewrites of the other three) took some of my attention. But it's still being drafted, hopefully finishing the rough draft by the end of the year.
8. What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
I'm not sure. In genre, the closest thing I can think of would be David Eddings's The Elenium-- for the knightly orders and the politics. But there are a lot of out-of-genre influences, so it ends up being the small junction in a Venn diagram of The Elenium, Les Miserables and The Pelican Brief. That's a strange combination. I'm sure there's a spot-on in-genre comparison that I'm ignorant of.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Daniel J. Fawcett has been my long-term brainstorming partner, and so a great deal of my inspiration comes from hashing out core ideas of the fantasy genre and worldbuilding with him. Pure and simple, the city of Maradaine (and the rest of the world around it), as well as the characters that inhabit it in all four books, would not be what they are without his input and influence.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I'm challenging myself on this one with my first attempt at a solid romantic subplot. So if that's the sort of thing you need in your fantasy books, it'll be there. But if you need guys with swords hitting each other, there's that as well.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Visual Influences and the Failure of Words
Every writer has their weak points. Visual descriptions is definitely one of mine, I'll own that. I can muddle my way through describing people and clothing all right. In those cases, it's mostly a matter of feeling unnatural to me, the process of writing those descriptions. I know how do to it, I'm just not happy with the results a lot of the time.
But the one that really fails me? Architecture. Here because I lack the instinctive vocabulary. Yes, I can look things up, research, etc., but when it comes down to it, I don't know, on a gut level, how to describe buildings. skylines, etc.
Let's take the City of Maradaine, for example. I know, deep in my subconscious, what it looks like. Had I drawing skills, I could show it that way. But I don't. All I have is words, and the words fail me in this instance.
Now, I could just cheat it. A few buzzwords to give the sense of Dickensian London (or worse, Renaissance Faire town)-- but that's not really right. Closer comparison come to looking at old neighborhoods of cities like Boston, Montreal or Mexico City. Look at these, trying to see past the cars and powerlines to the bones of what's there.
There's still a certain use of keywords to get my points across: "cobblestone" is a big one. "Brick" is another.
So that's an area that I still need to work on. Build up that vocabulary. Strengthen those writing muscles.And then I'll be able to paint a clear picture of the city, without resorting to adding a bunch of pictures....
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