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Creating Believable Magic o Is the axial tilt and orbit the same -- i.e.

the axial tilt and orbit the same -- i.e., does the world d animals, and
by Tina Morgan have the same seasons and same length of year as formation of soil.
What sets fantasy apart from other genres? Earth? As a result, it
A. determines what
It can use the same setting as a modern day mystery or a historical romance so why isn't it o In which geographical areas will the story take place? crops can and
either of these things? First, the tone or emphasis of a fantasy story isn't on romance or mystery How much ground will the story cover? What are can't be grown,
though it can contain strong elements of both. The majority of fantasy works are going to the most striking features of landscape, climate, what animals can
contain some element of magic, be it inherent to the setting or the characters or something that animals, etc. in thisarea? How will these features and can't live in
can be manipulated. affect travel time, communication, etc.? an area, what
The first step in deciding how to add magic to your world is who or what will have or use it. o If there are non-human inhabitants, are there any areas clothes must be
Will it be everyone or just a select few? Will it be accepted and commonplace or feared and they particularly claim as their own (e.g., dwarves worn to cope
outlawed? Will it be part of the inhabitants themselves? traditionally live underground, usually in with the weather,
Who uses or possesses magic in your world will greatly affect your plot and characterization. If mountains)? and how houses
magic is limited to a select few (Harry Potter) how will the rest of the world respond? WillClimate
a and Geography are built. Winter
magic user be ostracized or persecuted? Consider the opposite extreme. In the first Xanth book, o Have human activities affected climate, landscape, etc. freezing and
Bink was exiled for not possessing a magical talent. Your world can hold either view or be in various regions? How? (Example: Sahara thawing may
anywhere in between. The Harry Potter series is actually a mix of the two: in the "real" world, Desert growth has been increased by over- change travel
few hold magical talents and those talents are kept secret, but in the magical community, those farming.) If this is an alternate earth, will the patterns, as
who are born without magic are treated with pity and/or contempt. "alternate" part change existing effects? (If there waterways freeze
Most fantasy stories limit the magic available to the characters for a very important reason: are no people in N. Africa, desert growth is or flood and
conflict. If everyone possesses unlimited magic then where is the potential for conflict? If a probably slower.) passes close.
wizard can blast all of his enemies into dust at the first sign of trouble then it becomes next to o How do differences from Earth (multiple suns, moons, Weather also
impossible to build tension. The wizard (good or bad) needs the potential to lose or the etc.) affect the climate in various areas? affects available
suspense <http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/createconflict.html> is lost. How much land is in each of the equatorial, temperate, and polar zones? sports, like
Consistency is a major concern when developing magical systems. If Wizard Ickabette N skiing. Are all
suddenly remembers on page 400 that she can annihilate her enemies with a thought then the o these things
world you've created loses its believability. t consistent with
Many writers mistake consistency with inflexibility and feel there's no room for growth or e what you say the
change. This isn't true. A character that on page 3 has problems lighting a candle can still : climate is like in
incinerate an entire city on page 300 IF the story supports that change by giving the reader the particular areas?
impression that the character is growing in power and ability. At no time should a character's c o Where are major mountain ranges? Rivers and lakes?
abilities miraculously change to solve the story's final conflict. l Deserts? Forests, tropical and otherwise? Grasslands
In Lois Bujold's Curse of Chalion <http://www.fictionfactor.com/reviews/chalion.html> the i and plains?
main character does perform a miracle, but Bujold has built her world around the five m o If there are imaginary animals (dragons, unicorns, etc.), how
god/goddesses and their history of granting their chosen few miraculous powers. The story a do they fit into the ecology? What do they eat? How
builds masterfully to this conclusion and the reader isn't left feeling that the writer "cheated". t much habitat do they require? Can they live anywhere,
Source: e or do they prefer or need specific kinds of climate or
Where the magic in your world comes from can be vitally important. It can be a universal terrain? Are they intelligent and/or capable of working
power (the Force), God/deity given (myths from around the world often use this form), nature a spells, talking, etc.?
based (Tolkien's elves), or life force derived (Holly Lisle's Secret Text Trilogy is an excellent f Natural Resources
example). f o Which areas are the most fertile farmland? Where are
e mineral resources located?
Technique: c o Which animals, birds, fish, and other wildlife are commonly
If your wizards, mages or sorceresses need special ingredients and herbs to work their magic t found in which areas? If there are imaginary animals
then where will they find these ingredients? If magic is openly used can they find what they s such as dragons, where do they live?
need in shops and in the market? If magic is feared or outlawed what lengths will they have to o Which natural resources, if any, have been depleted in which
go to in order to obtain the required components? l areas over time?
Katherine Kurtz uses ritual magic in her Deryni series with the Catholic church as her a o Which resources (e.g., coal, oil, iron ore, gold, diamonds,
inspiration. The amount of detail you use to show your reader how the magic works in your n limestone, etc.) are particularly abundant, and in which
world will depend on your style of writing. Kurtz builds tension slowly and a good deal of the d areas? Which are scarce? Are there places where there
conflict in the first trilogy takes place within the characters and not externally. While Tolkien s are rich deposits that haven't been discovered yet, or
also moves the Lord of the Rings trilogy at a slower pace than some fantasy novels, he does not c where they haven't been fully exploited?
spend a lot of time explaining how his wizards use their power. Occasionally there are words a o How much conflict has been or might be caused by these
spoken (ie: Gandalf on the bridge opposing the balrog) but often the magic is as simple as a p imbalances in resources? How much active, peaceful
wave of a staff. e trade?
Power: o What water resources available, and for what uses (a mill
The amount of power a wizard possesses will depend a great deal on the plot of your story and t wheel requires flowing water, i.e., river or stream;
your wizard's role in that plot. Many stories favor puberty as being the moment of 'awakening' h irrigation needs a large, dependable water source like a
for magical talents or a time of extreme growth in talent. The reason for this is the inability of a r lake or large river; etc.)?
young child or baby to understand the consequences of their actions (This is the reason we o World History
don't give pre-teens the right to drive cars in our own world). u o How far back are there records or tales of historical events?
No matter how your characters use their magic or how it interacts with other creatures and g How widely known are these stories?
forces, it needs to follow a set of rules. Consistency is invaluable in the magical universe. h o Do average people believe old tales, or do they dismiss some
Without that, magic becomes the miracle elixir that rives wounded plots and rescues poorly that have a basis in fact (e.g., Troy)?
developed worlds. e o How long have there been people on this world? Did they
Patricia Wrede has an excellent list of questions to consider when building your world and r evolve, were they created by the gods, or did they
deciding how magic will work in your story. The list of questions is quite extensive but you do o migrate from somewhere else? If there are non-humans,
not have to answer every single one before beginning your story. The questions are there to s how long have they been around and where did they
guide and inspire: <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm> i come from?
A. o o How similar is the history and culture of an alternate earth to
o Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same n real history and culture? Why is it similar/different?
as in real life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in? o Where did civilization begin? What directions did it spread?
o Is this generally an earth-like world? Is it an "alternate Earth"? a How was its development affected by the presence of
o Are there different human races, whether or not there are non-humans like elves or n magic? The presence of non-human races, if any? The
dwarves? How does the cultural and ethnic diversity of this world compare to the d actions or direct interventions of the gods?
real world? o Which peoples/countries/races have traditionally fought,
o How long have there been people on this world? Did they evolve, or did they migrate w allied, traded, or been rivals? Where are there still hard
from somewhere/when else? e feelings about old events?
o How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with world a o Which peoples/countries/races have been in conflict in the
population? What is considered a small town/large town/city in terms of number of t recent past? Why? When and why was the most recent
people? h war? Who won?
o Where does magic power come from: the gods, the "mana" of the world (as in Larry e o Which peoples/etc. are considered the most civilized? Which
Niven's "Warlock" stories), the personal willpower or life force of the magician, r are most technologically advanced? Which are most
somewhere else? Is magic an exhaustible resource? If a magician must feed his i magically advanced? Least advanced? Why?
spells with his own willpower, life-force, or sanity, what long-term effects will this n o Is there a single, generally accepted calendar (including time
have on the health and/or stability of the magician? Do different races/species have g measurements), or do different countries or peoples or
different sources for their magic, or does everybody use the same one? ; races have different ones?
lternate Earth o How many languages are there? Which ones are related (e.g.,
o Are there non-human inhabitants of this planet (elves, dwarves, aliens)? If so, how t the Romance languages) and why? Which languages
numerous? How openly present? What areas do they occupy (examples: dwarves h borrow words or phrases from other languages? Which
in mountains or caves, elves in forests, etc.)? e is likely to be most widely spoken?
o How similar are the history and culture of the alternate earth to real history and culture? o Is there a "trade language" that facilitates commerce between
Why is it so similar/different? d countries that don't speak the same tongue? Is there a
o Is there a specific historical point where this world split off from ours (e.g., Napoleon i "universal language" spoken by educated or noble
won at Waterloo)? If so, what was it? How long ago was it? How much has s persons, as Latin was in the Middle Ages?
changed and will continue to change as a result? Is the split in history a result of the t Specific Country(s) History
presence of magic, or is the change the thing that made workable magic a r o How accessible is this area? What natural features mark the
possibility? i borders? Who are the neighboring countries/peoples
o If there is no specific point of divergence, what are the differences between this b and what are they like?
imaginary world and the real one? How obvious are they in everyday life? If magic u o Why did people settle in this country in the first place --
exists but history is more or less the same, why has it had no effect? If magic t strategic location, trade route, water transport, minerals,
works, elves exist, etc., but most people don't know it, how and why has this been i good farming, etc.? Have things changed much since, or
kept secret? o do they still depend on whatever brought them in the
o If magic is known to exist, which historical events have changed and which are the n first place?
same? How have organized religions reacted? Governments? Ordinary people? o How do the weapons of this country compare with those of
What laws and/or professions are different? What effect will the general and o surrounding cities and countries? Have there been
specific differences have on the social questions below? f recent innovations that may upset the balance of power,
ot Earth at All or is everyone more or less equal?
o How does this world differ physically from earth? Is it the same size (same density, p o Who are the rivals or enemies of this country? How close are
same gravity), same ratio of land/water, same atmosphere, etc.? Does it have more l they physically? How powerful?
than one sun or moon? Rings? Are there spectacular constellations/comets, etc. a o Who are the heroes and villains of each country's history
visible at night or by day? n (e.g., Washington and Lincoln in the U.S.; Henry V in
o Are there non-human inhabitants of this planet (elves, dwarves, aliens)? If so, how t England, etc.)? Why are they heroes/villains and what
numerous? How openly present? What areas do they occupy? s do this say about the country and the people who
o How are the continents laid out? If there is more than one moon/sun, how does this admire them?
affect winds, tides, and weather generally? a
o How much land is there, and how much of it is habitable? n
o How many people are there in this country? How does this compare rain for local farmers? What's a wizard's job o Are magical weapons available? Can magic be used in warfare? In what
with world population? What is considered a small town/large market like? What's a wizard's average income, ways? Are spells fast enough to be useful in hand-to-hand combat, or is
town/city in terms of number of people? relative to the rest of society? magic more of a siege weapon, used only for long, slow things?
o How diverse is the population of this country -- how many different o Are magicians a force in politics, or are they above it? o How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? Can magic
races (human or non-human), creeds, etc. normally live in various Are there national politics that revolve around make weapons more effective? Do you have to do anything special to
cities and towns in this country? In what percentages? magic/wizards (i.e., trying to outlaw, protect, or walls, armor, or weapons to make them better able to resist enemy
o Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to promote certain kinds of magic, trying to draft spells?
coast, etc.? Why -- invasion, plague, gold rush, etc.? What effects wizards into a ruler's army, licensing of magicians, o How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? Can an
has this had on the places being left? The places gaining people? etc.)? Do wizards have a lobby? Do they need ordinary, non-weapon-type object be enchanted to make it extremely
o Is magic legal here? All magic, or only some types? Do laws vary widely one? lethal (the Frying Pan of Death) or will this work properly only on
from country to country, or is the attitude generally similar? o Does it require a license to be a wizard? If so, is it things that are already weapons? Can ordinary objects be enchanted to
o What does this country import? Export? How important is trade to the more like a driver's license (something nearly make them (or their user) supremely good at something (the Frying
economy? How is currency exchange handled, and by whom? everyone in our culture gets upon coming of age) Pan of Ultimate Gourmet Cooking, the Comb of No Bad Hair Days
What is the system of coinage, and who mints it? or like a doctor's license (something only a small Ever)? How common and useful are such enchantments?
o Which peoples/countries/races have been in conflict in the recent past? percentage of the population will ever get)? Who o To what degree does the presence of magic, magical objects, and wizards
Why? When and why was the most recent war? Who won? certifies wizards: government, wizard's replace technology (for example, a chest that is enchanted to keep its
o Which peoples/countries/races fought, allied, traded, or were traditional guild/AMA, local priests? contents cold could replace the refrigerator)? Duplicate technology?
rivals? Where are there still hard feelings about old events? o How do local people view wizards? Are they good Supplement technology?
o How much of the country is farmland? Forest? Desert? Mountains? guys, bad guys, Clint Eastwood (call in only to o Can spells and/or magical items be mass-produced? Are there magic carpet
Plains? get rid of dragons), regular working stiffs, ivory- factories and boutiques selling magic rings?
o What are the primary crops (e.g., potatoes, cotton, tobacco, coffee, rice, tower academics, nuisances who make it rain o Can spells and/or magical items be used to increase the efficiency of
peanuts, wheat, sugarcane, etc.)? Are any grown mainly for export? when you're plowing, dangerous folks to stay manufacturing or mass production? Do businesses keep a wizard on
What crops can not be grown here because of the soil, climate, or away from? retainer, as modern businesses might keep a lawyer or efficiency
for other reasons? o How do you get to be a wizard/magician? Does it expert? What, exactly, are they paying for?
o What water resources available, and for what uses (a mill wheel requires require inborn talent, study and hard work, Miscellaneous Magic Questions
flowing water, i.e., river or stream; irrigation needs a large, practice, or all of the above? o Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world (to
dependable water source like a lake or large river: etc.)? o Are wizards barred from certain kinds of government accommodate magic), or are they the same as in real life? How does
o What wild animals, actual or imaginary, live in this area? Are any of them jobs or offices? Do some government jobs require magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?
potentially useful -- e.g., for fur, whale oil, hides, magical that their holder be a wizard? o If there are imaginary animals (dragons, unicorns, etc.), how do they fit into
ingredients, hat feathers? o If magic requires study, where do you go to learn the ecology? What do they eat? How much habitat do they require?
o Which animals, actual or imaginary, are commonly domesticated in this about it? How do people fund their training? Is Are they intelligent and/or capable of working spells, talking, etc.?
area? Which aren't here, but are elsewhere? (Example: water buffalo there an apprenticeship system, or are there o Where did civilization begin? What directions did it spread? How was its
in India vs. oxen in Europe vs. camels in desert areas.) wizard schools, or is it one-on-one development affected by the presence of magic? The presence of non-
o How do most of the citizens make their living -- farming, fishing, trade, tutoring/mentoring? Is an untrained wizard human races, if any? The direct or indirect action of the gods?
manufacturing? Do non-humans tend to take up different trades dangerous, or just an ordinary person? o In what ways can magic or spells be abused? How often does this happen?
from humans? Are they legally limited to certain trades? o Do wizards have a special language that is used for o Which peoples/races/cultures are considered the most civilized? Which are
A. magic? If so, where do they learn it? Is it safe to most technologically advanced? Which are most magically advanced?
o What things can magic not do? What are the limits to magical power? How do chat in this language, or is everything said in it Least advanced?
magicians try to get around these limits? automatically a spell? If so, how can it safely be o Is magic legal? All magic, or only some types? Do laws vary widely from
o What is the price magicians must pay in order to be magicians -- years of study, taught to new students? country to country, or is the attitude generally similar?
permanent celibacy, using up bits of their life or memory with each spell, etc.? o Is magic considered a science, or are scientists and o What wild animals, actual or imaginary, live in this area? Are any of them
Does anyone ever try to get around the price of magic? wizards enemies or rivals? Are magic and science potentially useful -- e.g., for fur, whale oil, hides, magical ingredients,
o Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished? compatible? To what degree does the presence of hat feathers?
o Where does magic power come from: the gods, the "mana" of the world, the personal magic, magical objects, and wizards replace o Are there magical beasts, like dragons and unicorns? If so, which ones?
willpower of the magician? Is magic an exhaustible resource? If a magician must technology (for example, a chest that is enchanted How many? Are they common, or are some endangered species? Have
feed his spells with his own willpower, life-force, or sanity, what long-term effects to keep its contents cold could replace the any been domesticated?
will this have on the health and/or stability of the magician? Do different refrigerator)? Duplicate technology? Supplement o Are there magical artifacts (rings, swords, etc.)? If so, who makes them and
races/species have different sources for their magic, or does everybody use the technology? how? Are the spells permanent, or do they wear off after a while?
same one? o Are wizards above or below the law -- I.e., do they o Where is scientific and/or magical research done -- universities, private labs,
o How does a magician tap his/her magic power? Does becoming a magician require have full rights as citizens, no rights, or can they under the auspices of the ruler/government, etc.?
some rite of passage (investing one's power in an object, being chosen by the gods, do as they like without regard to anyone else's o Given the magical/technological level of this society, what is an appropriate
constructing or being given a permanent link to the source of power) or does it just rights? ration of farmers or food producers to urban residents? If farm
happen naturally, as a gradual result of much study or as a part of growing up? o Is the relative power of a country or ruler usually production is based on magic, how many urban residents are going to
o What do you need to do to cast a spell -- design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mix measured by the size of the army, the number and starve if the spells supporting farming (weather, land fertility, etc.) fail
the right ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a ability of his wizards, or the amount of money at suddenly?
crystal ball, that are necessary to have before casting spells? If so, where and how his disposal? o What are the major political factions at present? How long have they been
do new wizards get these things? Do they make them, buy them from craftsmen, o Can two or more wizards combine their power to cast around? Which factions are allies, which enemies? Are there any
inherit them from their teachers, or order them from Wizardry Supplies, Inc.? a stronger spell, or is magic done only by potential new forces on the political scene (e.g., a rising middle class, a
o Is there a numerical limit to the number of wizards in the world? What is it? Why? individuals? What makes a powerful magician? university gaining unexpected power because of certain magical
o How long does it take to cast a spell? Can spells be stored for later, instant use? Does o What do you need to do to cast a spell -- design an discoveries, etc.)
working spells take lots of long ritual, or is magic a "point and shoot" affair? elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mix the right o Are magicians a force in politics, or are they above it? Are there national
o Can two or more wizards combine their power to cast a stronger spell, or is magic done ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a politics that revolve around magic/wizards (i.e., trying to outlaw,
only by individuals? What makes one wizard more powerful than another -- wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that are necessary protect, or promote certain kinds of magic, trying to draft wizards into a
knowledge of more spells, ability to handle greater levels of power, having a more to have before casting spells? If so, where and ruler's army, licensing of magicians, etc.)? Do wizards have a lobby?
powerful god as patron, etc.? how do new wizards get these things? Do they Do they need one?
o Does practicing magic have any detrimental effect on the magician (such as becoming make them, buy them from craftsmen, inherit o How much has the presence of magic affected strategy and tactics in
addictive, fomenting insanity, or shortening life-span)? If so, is there any way to them from their teachers, or order them from general? Is magic used primarily for intelligence gathering (spells of
prevent these effects? Are the effects inevitable to all magicians, or do they affect Wizardry Supplies, Inc.? invisibility, scrying, etc.), or are there spells that are of use on the
only those with some sort of predisposition? Do they progress at the same rate in o Where does magic power come from: the gods, the battlefield (summoning a demon to attack the enemy, casting fire
everyone? Are they universal in all species, or are some races (dwarves, elves, "mana" of the world, the personal willpower of storms at them, etc.)? If battlefield magic is possible, how can it be
whoever) immune to these detrimental effects? the magician? Is magic an exhaustible resource? If defended against?
o How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what a magician must feed his spells with his own o Is healing generally a magical process? If so, how does the magical healing
is commonly known is wrong (e.g., Aristotle's ideas about human anatomy, which willpower, life-force, or sanity, what long-term talent work? Does a magical healer have to consciously direct the
were wrong but accepted for centuries)? effects will this have on the health and/or stability healing process (meaning that lots of knowledge of anatomy, etc.,
o What general varieties of magic are practiced (e.g., herbal potions, ritual magic, of the magician? Do different races/species have would be required), or does magical healing simply speed up the
alchemical magic, demonology, necromancy, etc.)? Do any work better than others, different sources for their magic, or does normal, unconscious healing process in the patient? Is there more than
or does only one variety actually work? everybody use the same one? one kind of magical healer (as there are surgeons, eye doctors, etc.)?
o Are certain kinds of magic practiced solely or chiefly by one sex or the other? By one o How does a magician tap his/her magic power? Does Are there both magical and non-magical healers, and if so, are they
race or another? Is this because of inborn ability, natural preferences, or legislation? becoming a magician require some rite of passage rivals or simply different specialties?
o Does a magician's magical ability or power change over time -- e.g., growing stronger or (investing one's power in an object, being chosen o What level is medicine at? Who are the healers? Do you have to have a
weaker during puberty, or with increasing age? Can a magician "use up" all of by the gods, constructing or being given a talent to heal, or just training? Who trains healers, herbalists,
his/her magic, thus ceasing to be a magician? If this happens, what does the ex- permanent link to the source of power) or does it apothecaries, surgeons, magical vs. nonmagical healers, etc.?
magician do -- die, retire, take up teaching, go into a second career, start a freelance just happen naturally as part of growing up, like o Is forensic magic possible? Commonly used? Used only for certain types of
consulting business? puberty? crimes (and if so, what)? Are the results of forensic spells admissible in
o Can the ability to do magic be lost? If so, how -- overdoing it, "burning out," brain o Does a magician's magical ability or power change court as evidence? Is it something any wizard can do, or do you have
damage due to fever or a blow, etc.? over time -- e.g., growing stronger or weaker to specialize?
o Can the ability to work magic be taken away? If so, how and by whom? (Traditional during puberty, or with increasing age? Can a o Are there separate civil and criminal courts? Human and non-human
example: certain spells that can only be worked by virgins; raping such a witch magician "use up" all of his/her magic, thus courts? Is there a separate court or procedure for magical crimes? What
robbed her of her powers.) ceasing to be a magician? If this happens, what is different about each type of court? Are judges or other court officials
Wizards does the ex-magician do -- die, retire, take up required/forbidden to know magic? Is evidence obtained by magic
o Does practicing magic have any detrimental effect on the magician (such as becoming teaching, go into a second career, start a freelance acceptable in court? Is evidence obtained by magic considered more
addictive, fomenting insanity, or shortening life-span)? If so, is there any way to consulting business? reliable or less reliable than physical evidence or eyewitness accounts?
prevent these effects? Are the effects inevitable to all magicians, or do they affect o Is a magician's lifetime normally longer or shorter than o Can magic be used in the arts, and if so, how -- paint that glows, pictures
only those with some sort of predisposition? Do they progress at the same rate in average? Why? Does this vary for different that move, flutes that play themselves, etc.? How do "normal" artists
everyone? Are they universal in all species, or are some races (dwarves, elves, races/species? Are there races/species all of whose feel about this? Is there a separate branch of purely magical art, such as
whoever) immune to these detrimental effects? members are magicians? illusion?
o What is the price magicians must pay in order to be magicians -- years of study, o Are there fashions/fads in magic -- are herbal spells A.
permanent celibacy, using up bits of their life or memory with each spell, etc.? "in" this year and ritual spells "out," or vice versa? o Do average people believe old tales, or do they dismiss some that have a
Does anyone ever try to get around the price of magic? o Are certain spells (as opposed to magic generally) basis in fact (e.g., Troy)?
o How do various religions,if any, view magic? Do any forbid it? Why or why not? Do illegal? Why -- because of the effect of the spell, o Do wild and rebellious young people dress any differently from anyone
any require priests/priestesses to be magicians? Do any forbid magicians from or because of the ingredients or procedures else? Are they allowed to?
holding some or all religious offices? needed to cast it, or what? If so, how would a o How do most people make a living here?
o How long does it take to learn magic? criminal magician be detected? Apprehended? Customs
o Is magic a profession, an art, or just a job? What is the status accorded to magicians in Punished? Is catching and punishing illegal o Does the weather or climate contribute any habits or customs, such as the
this society? Are they the equivalent of shyster lawyers, politicians, and used car magicians the responsibility of the magician's mid-afternoon siesta in hot countries?
salesmen, or are they considered average working stiffs, or are they looked up to guild, or do the ordinary courts have to handle it? o What is considered a normal family unit? How extended is an extended
and admired? Magic and Technology family? How important are family connections and responsibilities?
o Are wizards organized? How? What hierarchy, if any, do they recognize? What happens o Are there magical means of transportation (teleport o What are the rites of passage in this culture? Are they formalized rituals,
if the person/people at the top get killed? Who takes over? How soon? spells, magic carpets, dragon-riding)? How do such as being dubbed a knight, or are they informal? Are they different
o Can anyone become a wizard, or does one need to be born with some special talent or they compare in speed, safety and expense to for men and women? For nobility and peasants?
gift? non-magical means? Are there any drawbacks to o What customs surround a birth and the introduction of a new child to the
o Are different races/intelligent species good at different types of magic? If so, what types magical travel (for example, teleport sickness)? family? Is the mother sequestered for some period? Is the child? Is
are associated with what races/species? Are there species that use magic more or How commonly are they used, and for what there a formal presentation of the new child to parents, grandparents,
less unconsciously -- for instance, dragons using magic to fly without being purposes (industrial shipping vs. travel for fun)? overlord, priest? Is a feast and celebration declared, or does everyone
consciously aware of it, or werewolves using magic to change? o Are there magical means of rapid communication? keep a low profile to keep from attracting demons or bad luck?
o Can you make a living practicing magic, or do you have to have independent means? If How commonly are they used? For what o Who is normally present for births? Is it strictly a matter for women, or are
you can make a living, what are you doing -- making magic swords, or making it purposes? men involved, or is the only woman present the expectant mother?
o Who raises the children? At what age do they begin to be educated or trained? By o What things would the people of this culture not have o Who are this culture's historic heroes and villains (e.g., Washington and
whom? Are they considered mini-adults? Do they dress differently from adults? If a name for, or have one word that covers Lincoln in the U.S.; Henry V in England, etc.)? Why are they admired
so, when do they change to adult dress? numerous variations? What do they consider too as heroes/villains and what does this say about the people who admire
o What customs surround death and burial? Is there a special class of people (doctors, unimportant to name? How does this affect the them?
priests, funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead bodies? What things way they see the world? o What is the ideal life that people aspire to? Do people mostly want to retire
must be done and why (burn hair to free spirit, burn body to prevent necromancy, o Are there words that must never be spoken except at to a little house in the country, buy the most "toys," serve in the
coins on eyes for ferryman, etc.)? Are the dead feared, revered, or ignored? particular times, in ceremonies, or under particular army/navy?
o What personal weapons are available to anyone who can afford them? Are some circumstances? Are there words that must not be o What kinds of people are the rebels and outcasts of this society? How does
considered "for nobles only" either by custom or by law? Are there laws forbidding spoken in polite company? Do these words differ society deal with them? What actions or ideas will get you made an
certain classes from being armed at all? from culture to culture or race to race? official outcast/exile? What happens to people who don't fit the
ating o What will people swear a binding oath by? What do accepted social order -- do they have their own sections of town, or are
o Do men and women, parents and children, servants and master, eat separately, or does people use as curse words? they invisible ("in the closet"), or do they get kicked out of the country
everyone eat together? How is status displayed at the table (seating above or below o How many languages are there? Which ones are altogether?
the salt, near or far from the head, etc.)? related (e.g., the Romance languages) and why? o Who are the arbiters of ethics (as opposed to law)? How did they get to be
o What dishes are considered holiday food? What foods/drinks are associated with Which languages borrow words or phrases from arbiters? Who are the social arbiters? Ditto, ditto.
particular holidays, events (e.g., funerals, weddings) or times of the year? other languages? Which is likely to be most o Which ethical/moral decisions are considered the province of religion, and
o What distinguishes a formal, high-court dinner from an ordinary meal, besides quantity widely spoken? which are not?
and variety of food? How do high-court manners differ from everyday ones? o Are there different languages for different races Religion and the Gods
o What eating utensils are used, if any? Forks, eating knife, spoons, chopsticks? (dwarves, elves, etc.), or is language based more o How do various religions, if any, view magic? Do any forbid it? Why or
o What is the order of a typical upper-class meal -- do they start with wine, then a sweet, on geography than race/species? Is there a special why not? Do any require priests/priestesses to be magicians? Do any
then a stew, then a salad, or do they bring everything in at once? language you need to learn in order to talk to forbid it?
o Are special arrangements necessary for entertaining guests of different races/species -- dragons or other magical beasts? o Are there actual gods/godlike beings? If so, do they take an active role in a)
taller chairs for dwarves, raw meat for werewolves, perches for harpies, etc.? How o Do wizards have a special language that is used for the temples, churches, and religions that worship them, or b) the lives
do the eating customs of different races reflect their cultures and biology? How magic? If so, where do they learn it? Is it safe to of everyday people? Why or why not? How many gods are there, and
difficult does this make social interaction among the races? chat in this language, or is everything said in it is there a hierarchy among them? Which ones are good or evil, or is
o Is sanitation good enough for untreated water to be safe to drink? If not, what do people automatically a spell? If so, how can it safely be this meaningless when speaking of gods?
drink instead? taught to new students? o How do various religions view non-believers? Foreigners? Non-humans?
o What shapes are tables/eating areas (round, oblong, square, rectangular, etc.)? Where isEthics and Values Which support the state/ruler/government, and which are interested
the "place of honor" for a guest? Where do the important members of the o What will people swear a binding oath by? What do mainly in ordinary people?
household sit/recline/whatever? people use as curse words? o What customs surround a birth and the introduction of a new child to the
o What things, while edible, are never eaten (what's not kosher)? Why? Are some o What is the most desired/most valuable stuff in this family? Is the mother sequestered for some period? Is the child? Is
common human foods poisonous to dwarves or elves (or vice versa)? society -- gold, jewels, drugs, money, furs, there a formal presentation of the new child to parents, grandparents,
o What types of food or seasoning are characteristic of different races? Different cultures? reindeer, etc.? Why is it desired/valued? Do overlord, priest, the gods? Is a feast and celebration declared, or does
Different countries? different races value different things? Is there a everyone keep a low profile to keep from attracting demons or bad
reeting and Meeting race/culture for whom non-material things luck?
o When meeting someone, how are they greeted -- wave, handshake, bow, some other (information, time) are the most valuable things? o What customs surround death and burial? Is there a special class of people
gesture? How did the greeting gesture originate (example: shaking hands to prove How did they get that way? (doctors, priests, funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead
one's weapon hand was empty)? Is there a special I-am-not-armed gesture for o What things are considered normal and acceptable in bodies? What things must be done and why (burn hair to free spirit,
wizards? this society that would not be considered normal burn body to prevent necromancy, coins on eyes for ferryman, etc.)?
o Is there a difference between the greeting offered to an equal and that offered to a or acceptable in yours? (Examples: dueling, Are the dead feared, revered, or ignored?
superior or inferior? Is there a difference between the greeting offered a man or a drugs, open homosexuality, polygamy, o Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they
woman? Human/non-human? infanticide.) distinguished?
o Is there a way of changing a greeting gesture to make it insulting? o What things are considered shocking in this society o Is there tension, rivalry, or outright hostility between any of the actual gods?
o How are two people who have never met normally introduced to each other? What is that are not considered shocking in yours -- e.g., How does this affect church politics? People's everyday lives?
the order of precedence when there are several people of differing sex or social showing a woman's ankles, eating left-handed, o Where does religion fit into this society? Is there a state church? Is freedom
status present, all of whom need to be introduced to each other? reading in public? What would be the reaction of of religion the norm? Do people generally think of the
o Are there classes of people/beings who are never introduced to other classes of an ordinary person who sees someone doing one temples/churches as parasites or as a useful part of society?
people/beings? Are "true names" significant, and if so, under what circumstances of these things -- to turn away, call the cops, draw o Which ethical/moral decisions are considered the province of religion, and
would someone be given another person/being's true name? a sword and challenge the offender to a duel, etc.? which are not? Do the gods care how people behave? Why or why
o Are there customs involving the way in which someone is named when being o What are the acceptable limits to honor and/or honesty not?
introduced (for example: giving all of a person's names and titles at the first in this society? Are "white lies" acceptable o If there are actual, demonstrable gods, what part does faith play in their
meeting, but never repeating them afterward, so that he's always referred to as socially, or is lying in any form considered worship? What are their various rites like, and why? What offerings are
"George" even though he's introduced as the Duke George Edward Canterbury beyond the pall? Is thievery an accepted, if considered good, better, best? Are people supposed to pick one or more
Gorden de la Suis-Foule, Marquis of Horsham, Whitewater and Framingham, Earl disreputable, occupation, or is it a crime? gods to worship and ignore the others, or does everybody officially
of St. Peter's Close, and Vicount of Abernathy)? o Is a binding oath unbreakable no matter what, or can worship everyone? How do people decide whom to worship? How do
o Is there any difference in the way you greet someone you already know, compared to you get out of it if the other party turns out to be they decide which temple to be affiliated with?
greeting a stranger (or does everybody just always hug or shake hands or evil scum or if you weren't fully informed? What o How much of a part do various religions and philosophies play in public
whatever)? How does someone acknowledge seeing an acquaintance at a distance is considered the right thing to do if two oaths and private life? Are philosophers and theologians considered ivory-
(passing on the other side of the street) -- by a nod, tipping the hat, wave, smile, or come into conflict -- do you have to decide as tower academics, or do they debate in the marketplace, like Socrates?
not at all? best you can, hold to the most recent oath, hold to How much influence do their theories have on the way people actually
estures the oath to the most/least powerful person, behave?
o When meeting someone, how are they greeted -- wave, handshake, bow, some other commit suicide? o Are priests and philosophers full-time workers, or do they need day jobs? If
gesture? How did the greeting gesture originate (example: shaking hands to prove o What are attitudes toward ownership? What they are full-time, who supports them -- the congregation, a wealthy
one's weapon hand was empty)? constitutes "theft" and what can be stolen -- gems, patron, the temple's investment fund, the god they serve?
o Are gestures and body language in this society generally subtle or not? Do people talk gold, someone's good name or reputation? Are o Why are the gods interested in people? Are they like the Greek pantheon
with their hands, or is that considered vulgar? thieves independent criminals, members of an (quarrelsome, larger-than-life humans), or are they transcendent and
o Is there a way of changing a greeting gesture to make it insulting? illegal guild, business people licensed by law, or incomprehensible? Do the gods have limits to what they can do? To
o What is a comfortable and polite speaking distance for people in this culture? Other what? what they will do? Can the gods make mistakes?
cultures/countries/races? How aware are people of these differences? o Who is considered a citizen, with the rights and o How do the various temples and philosophies explain the classic "problem
o What gestures are insulting? What do they mean? Do some gestures differ in meaning privileges thereof? What are those rights and of evil"? Do they think bad things are always a just punishment for
depending on the culture, race, or time (example: the American "V"-for-victory privileges (voting, protection from thieves, the some transgression, a character-building exercise, the result of an evil
sign, which became the peace sign, and which is/was highly insulting in Europe)? right to a hearing in Rome) and what antagonist (Satan, Loki) or just something the gods can't prevent?
o How do gestures and body language differ between countries? Between species? Are responsibilities go along with them (jury duty, Population
there things that don't matter in one area that are mortal insults in another (eating providing funds or knights for the lord's army? o How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with
with the left hand, etc.)? o Are there certain classes of people (wizards, foreigners, world population? What is considered a small town/large town/city in
o What are the ways of showing respect (bowing, saluting, etc.)? To whom is one children, peasants, women) who have fewer legal terms of number of people?
expected to show such respect -- one's elders, superiors in rank, teachers, priests, rights or less recourse than full citizens? Why? o How diverse is the population of this country -- how many different races
etc.? Are they considered mentally or morally deficient, (human or non-human), creeds, etc. normally live in various cities and
isits a danger to the state, or is there some other towns in this country? In what percentages?
o Are there questions that must be asked or avoided (how's the family, how's the rationale? o Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to
business, never talk politics or religion, etc.)? Are there topics that can only be o Is there a group of people who do not have full rights coast, etc.? Why -- invasion, plague, gold rush, job opportunities, etc.?
raised by the host? The guest? in this culture? Why not? Are they considered What effects has this had on the places being left? The places gaining
o How seriously does the culture take the responsibilities of host and guest? What rules mentally or morally deficient, a danger to the people?
define when someone becomes a host or guest (e.g., in mid-eastern countries, state, or is there some other rational? o Given the magical/technological level of this society, what is an appropriate
giving bread and salt to someone makes the person your guest; giving a 5-course o What are the controversial subjects in this culture? ration of farmers or food producers to urban residents? If farm
meal without bread or salt doesn't)? What things can you start a friendly argument production is based on magic, how many urban residents are going to
o What things are considered courteous to offer a guest: food, reading material, personal about in any bar? What things will automatically starve if the spells supporting farming (weather, land fertility, etc.) fail
guards or attendants, music/entertainment, a person of the opposite sex to sleep start an unfriendly argument? suddenly?
with? o What are the social taboos -- what things are "not o Is there much immigration into or out of various countries? Why? To or
o What is considered a courteous response to a host's offer? Are there things it is done," like wearing a bathing suit to the office? from what other areas?
considered rude to accept? Rude to turn down? Rude to ask for? Rude not to ask What things are not talked about? What would o Which geographical areas are most heavily populated? Least? Are certain
for? happen if someone did? How do these taboos areas or terrains more popular with certain races that with others?
o When a guest arrives, is food or drink offered immediately, after an interval, or only on vary among the different races? Why?
request? Is there a particular food or drink that is customary to offer a newly o What are the biggest social faux pas -- burping loudly A.
arrived guest? at a formal banquet, drawing steel in the presence o Where is scientific and/or magical research done -- universities, private labs,
o How do different eating customs of the various cultures and races interact and conflict? of a queen/noble, asking a dwarf whether it's male under the auspices of the ruler/government, etc.?
Example: a person from a culture that considers it impolite to refuse an offer of or female? What subjects or actions cause o Does it require a license to be a wizard? If so, is it more like a driver's license
food being the guest of someone whose culture considers it impolite to stop embarrassment or discomfort? (something nearly everyone in our culture gets upon coming of age) or
offering food until the guest says "when." o What are the society's mores regarding courtship, like a doctor's license (something only a small percentage of the
anguage marriage and family? Is marriage primarily a civil population will ever get)? Who certifies wizards: government, wizard's
o Is there a "trade language" that facilitates commerce between countries that don't speak or a religious institution? guild/AMA, local priests?
the same tongue? Is there a "universal language" spoken by educated or noble o Who are the persons or groups to which one o What are the various ranks and titles and proper forms of address for the
persons, as Latin was in the Middle Ages? automatically has a duty simply by being born -- aristocracy/nobility? Is everybody "my lord" and "my lady," or are
o Are some or all people bilingual? Is there a common second language many people one's family, one's town/city, one's country, one's there more distinctions (your grace, your highness, your majesty, your
know? ruler/president, the gods? What is the hierarchy of holiness)?
o Are there "secret" languages or codes known only by priests, soldiers, wizards, guild duty among them -- is it considered more noble to o What occupations are respected? Looked down on? Why?
members, etc.? Why were they developed? follow your mother's teaching or to follow your o How many levels are there in this society: peasant, bourgeoisie, warrior,
o What are the variations in speech patterns, syntax, and slang from one social class to emperor's orders? noble? How difficult is it to rise or fall from one social level to another?
another? One occupation to another? One region to another? One race to another? o What are the standards of beauty for people? Paintings How firm are the divisions between social classes -- is it disgraceful for
o What areas do local slang phrases come out of? (Example: in a fishing town, referring to and sculpture? Clothes and furniture? How do a noble to engage in trade or for a warrior to help with the harvest?
good luck as "a good catch," while people in a farming town refer to it as "an they differ from the standards in your culture o How difficult is it to rise or fall from one social level to another? How much
unexpected harvest".) What kinds of colorful turns of phrase do people use? (example: a country which considers fatness a social mobility is there? How much do people think there is?
o What things in this culture would their language have many specific words for (e.g., highly desirable beauty trait)? How do standard of o What are the standards of beauty for people? Paintings and sculpture?
Inuit languages that have 14+ words for different kinds of snow)? What do the beauty reflect the physical traits of the various Clothes and furniture? How do they differ from the standards in your
people in this culture consider important enough to name? What does this say races (examples: dwarves might consider culture (example: a country which considers fatness a highly desirable
about the way they look at the world? excessive height unattractive; werewolves might beauty trait)? How do standard of beauty reflect the physical traits of
be attracted by long teeth or a particular scent)?
the various races (examples: dwarves might consider excessive height unattractive; If so, how would a criminal magician be detected? (summoning a demon to attack the enemy, casting fire storms at them,
werewolves might be attracted by long teeth or a particular scent)? Apprehended? Punished? Is catching and etc.)? If battlefield magic is possible, how can it be defended against?
overnment punishing illegal magicians the responsibility of o How are armies usually structured? Is there a formal, independent
o How has the presence of magic and magicians affected law and government? Are the magician's guild, or do the ordinary courts command structure, or is everybody officially under the command of
wizards barred from certain kinds of government jobs or offices? Do some have to handle it? whoever brought them to join the ruler's army, or what? If there is a
government jobs require that their holder be a wizard? o Are there separate civil and criminal courts? Human formal structure, what are the various ranks and titles used?
o What is the basic style of government: feudal, aristocratic, oligarchy, absolute ruler, and non-human courts? Is there a separate court o Is weapon usage restricted according to social class, such as only knights
democracy, what? What forms are used in neighboring countries, and why are they or procedure for magical crimes? What is different being allowed to use sword and armor, yeomen using bows and staffs,
the same or different? about each type of court? Are judges or other peasants using whatever scythes, hammers, etc. are available? Are there
o What services does the government or head of state provide: schools, wells, courts, an court officials required/forbidden to know magic? restrictions, either legal, customary, or biological, on the types of
army to protect people from the Vikings? What services are provided locally or Is evidence obtained by magic acceptable in weapons different races or magical beings can use (e.g., elves not being
privately? court? Is evidence obtained by magic considered able to wield weapons made of cold iron)?
o Who has the right to levy taxes? For what? On what or whom? Can taxes be paid in more reliable or less reliable than physical o Are battlefield commissions or knighthoods possible during wartime, or
kind, or do certain things require money? evidence or eyewitness accounts? must such promotions wait on formal ceremonies? Do normal social
o Who provides support services for the head of state? What are they called: King's o What things are considered truly serious crimes and restrictions apply during times of war, or is everyone equal on the
Counselors, Cabinet Ministers, Secretary of State, Good Ol' Girls? Are they why? (E.g., in a trade-oriented culture, battlefield?
hereditary offices, civil servants, appointees, military, elected? counterfeiting might be a death-penalty crime, o Who can call up men for an army, and how? Does the ruler ask the nobility
o Is the relative power of a country or ruler usually measured by the size of its army, the while in a place where life is cheap, murder might for men, who in turn draft their peasants, or can the ruler go straight to
number and ability of its wizards, or the amount of money/trade flowing through be something you pay a small fine for.) the bottom?
it? o What are the normal punishments for serious vs. o Are there professional soldiers/mercenaries? Is a career in the army
o Who is considered a citizen, with the rights and privileges thereof? What are those rights minor crimes? Are there prisons, or are people possible, or would you have to become a mercenary or sell-sword in
and privileges (voting, protection from thieves, the right to a hearing in Rome) and punished and released? Are there degrees of order to make a living as a soldier? Does the army accept volunteers, or
what responsibilities go along with them (jury duty, providing funds or knights for punishment -- branding vs. cutting off ears vs. only draftees? Can you rise to officer level by displaying courage and
the lord's army? cutting off a hand vs. decapitation -- or do they merit on the battlefield, or are officer positions reserved for a particular
o Are there certain classes of people (wizards, foreigners, children, peasants, women) who just hang everybody? type of person only -- people who bought commissions, people who
have fewer legal rights or less recourse than full citizens? Why? Are they o Who is responsible for catching criminals? Who pays graduated from military school, sons of famous warriors, etc.?
considered mentally or morally deficient, a danger to the state, or is there some the crook-catchers -- the ruler, the city o How large is a typical army? What percentage of the soldiers in it will be
other rationale? government, a consortium of merchants, trained (knights, professional soldiers, guards, mercenaries) and what
o What are the easiest/most common ways to advance in status -- amass more money, somebody else? How are they organized -- into percentage will be untrained recruits? Are recruits given training, or are
marry well, get the ruler's eye, etc.? How much resistance is there to someone independent police precincts, or into overlapping they expected to learn on the job (i.e., in battle)?
advancing in social status? districts, or just according to whoever wants to o How is the army supplied? Are soldiers allowed to live off the peasantry, or
o Who will take over running the government if the current head of state is incapacitated? hire them? Are they full-time, part-time, or do they pay for what they take? What happens if the supply caravan
How is this determined? Is there an heir apparent (either actual or political)? What volunteers? Private or public? What sort of gets lost or captured? How are supplies handled during long
happens if the heir is a minor? Who gives orders? How are they picked? facilities do they have? What arms are the allowed campaigns? How many days' worth of supplies can the army haul
o Who is responsible for protecting the head of state? His personal guard, the Secret to carry? along with them? (Ref. Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the
Service, an elite group affiliated with the regular military? What safeguards have o Are there lawyers or advocates? Who can afford Macedonian Army for the math on how much a horse can carry, how
they got against assassins, poisoning, direct assault, magical attack? them? Who trains/certifies them? much it needs to eat, etc.)
o Who can give orders (to military, to tax collectors, to servants, to ordinary folks on the o Are people guilty until proven innocent, innocent until o What are the accepted conventions of making war (e.g., only fight in winter
street)? How are such people chosen? proven guilty, or does it depend on the mood the when nobody is busy with crops; don't make war on civilians; only
o Who is responsible for coinage: the ruler, local barons, someone else (merchant guilds)? lord is in when they bring the case before him? certain kinds of weapons are available, etc.)? Do they differ from race
Are there generally acceptable standards? How easy/common is counterfeiting? o Are there judges other than the ruler, lord, or to race?
o Is there an organized system of education? If so, who provides it: government, landowner? If so, how are they chosen, how are o How does the presence of non-humans (dwarves, vampires, etc.) affect
churches, private persons? How is it supported? they paid, and who pays them? Are appeals strategy, tactics, and battles generally? Are special weapons required if
o Who can call up men for an army, and how? Does the ruler ask the nobility for men, possible, and if so, to whom? How often are an army is facing certain kinds of non-human armies? How could non-
who in turn draft their peasants, or can the ruler go straight to the bottom? outlying areas likely to see a judge? Is "mob human soldiers turn their physical differences from humans to their
o How much formal spying and intelligence gathering is normally done by governments? justice" common or uncommon? Approved of or advantage?
The military? Merchant guilds and wealthy tradesmen? Are there actual disapproved of? o Are particular non-human races traditionally better with certain weapons
organizations, or is spying done by diplomats and/or freelance agents? How o Are there sumptuary laws regulating what different (e.g., dwarves with axes, elves with bows)? Why -- because they have
effective is it currently? classes/races may wear? Do judges and lawyers greater strength, better eyesight, more manual dexterity, etc.?
o Do relations between countries depend mainly on the relations between the heads of wear special clothes (robes, wigs) to indicate their o Do relations between countries depend mainly on the relations between the
state, or can two rulers hate each other's guts without being able to just declare war calling? heads of state, or can two rulers hate each other's guts without being
and drag their countries into it? o Are wizards above or below the law -- i.e., do they able to just declare war and drag their countries into it?
o Are there times when people are expected to fast, or feast (e.g., before solstice, after the have full rights as citizens, no rights, or can they o If there's a long-term war in progress, how has the home front been
birth of a child, during Lent or Ramadan, after the death of a ruler, etc.)? Are there do as they like without regard to anyone else's affected? Are people being drafted much younger/older than they used
occasions when the ruler is expected to provide a celebration or spectacle for the rights? to be? Have people been forced to step into nontraditional roles --
people to enjoy, (e.g., the Roman gladiatorial games)? o Are highwaymen, muggers, and pirates common or peasants managing a business, women shoeing horses, children making
olitics rare? What sorts of crimes is the average citizen bullets, etc.? How have these changes affected society? How will they
o Is magic a profession, an art, or just a job? What is the status accorded to magicians in likely to run across during his/her lifetime? affect relationships between races/clans/sexes/social classes when the
this society? Are they forbidden overt political action, or are wizards and the o Who can make or repeal laws -- a group (an elected war is over?
wizard's guild knee-deep in court intrigue? Senate, an appointed Council, or an hereditary o Is the army integrated (i.e., men, women, elves, dwarves, purple people, and
o Are magicians a force in politics, or are they above it? Are there national politics that House of Lords), or only the ruler or head of green ones, all serving together)? How does this affect battle
revolve around magic/wizards (i.e., trying to outlaw, protect, or promote certain state? How much can the nobility, middle class formations? Strategies? Are certain races or groups isolated in particular
kinds of magic, trying to draft wizards into a ruler's army, licensing of magicians, tradesmen, etc. influence the laws that are made? units? If so, are those units considered elite troops or the most
etc.)? Do wizards have a lobby? Do they need one? o How are alleged criminals treated before and after their expendable soldiers on the battlefield? How do these attitudes affect
o Is there tension, rivalry, or outright hostility between any of the actual gods? How does convictions? Do the police/military/city guard strategy?
this affect church politics? People's everyday lives? make a practice of roughing up suspects, or is this o Has science or magic been advanced in general by specific developments in
o Does the level of technological advancement match the level of social and political frowned upon? the fields of weaponry, tactics, or strategy?
advancement? Foreign Relations o Are there natural or imposed limitations prohibiting the development or use
o Is the relative power of a country or ruler usually measured by the size of its army, the o Does this country have formal relationships with other of certain types of weapons (e.g., only muscle-powered weapons
number and ability of its wizards, or the amount of money/trade flowing through countries? If so, who can be an ambassador? Are because the "laws of physics" in this world don't allow the combustion
it? there standing embassies and consulates, or are of gunpowder)?
o What are the easiest/most common ways to advance in status -- amass more money, special envoys sent only when something comes o To what degree has technology changed the face of war? Are there internal
marry well, get the ruler's eye, etc.? How much resistance is there to someone up? combustion engines useable for large troop movements, or steam
advancing in social status? o How are treaties arranged? Are there any significant powered ships?
o What are the major political factions at present? How long have they been around? ones currently in force or coming up for signing? Weapons
Which factions are allies, which enemies? Are there any potential new forces on the o How much do official attitudes toward other countries o How do the weapons of this country compare with those of surrounding
political scene (e.g., a rising middle class, a university gaining unexpected power affect commerce and trade? Do merchants pretty cities and countries? Have there been recent innovations that may upset
because of certain magical discoveries, etc.) much ignore tensions between government as the balance of power, or is everyone more or less equal?
o What are the controversial political issues of this day/time/country? What positions on long as they can make a profit, or will this get o Are magical weapons available? Can magic be used in warfare? In what
these issues are considered conservative? Liberal? Unthinkable? them into trouble? Are there Customs inspectors ways? Are spells fast enough to be useful in hand-to-hand combat, or is
o How much influence do "special interest groups" such as merchants, wizards, or various or their equivalents at border crossings? Is the magic more of a siege weapon, used only for long, slow things?
religions, have on court politics? How do they exercise their influence -- indirectly export/import of some o How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? Can magic
(by talking nobility or council members into taking their sides) or directly (by technologies/magics/commodities regulated by make weapons more effective? Do you have to do anything special to
bribery, coercion, having their own representatives on the council)? the government, or by non-governmental cartels? walls, armor, or weapons to make them better able to resist enemy
o Are there any shaky political alliances between disparate groups? Why were they How does this affect political relationships spells?
formed? How long is it likely to be before they fall apart? When they do, what will between countries? o How much has the presence of magic affected strategy and tactics in
the effects be? o How much formal spying and intelligence gathering is general? Is magic used primarily for intelligence gathering (spells of
o What ancient rivalries and hatreds still affect current attitudes and political positions normally done by governments? The military? invisibility, scrying, etc.), or are there spells that are of use on the
(examples: Scottish and Welsh separatist groups; Catholics vs. Protestants vs. Merchant guilds and wealthy tradesmen? Are battlefield (summoning a demon to attack the enemy, casting fire
Muslims; dwarves vs. elves; Hatfields vs. McCoys)? there actual organizations, or is spying done by storms at them, etc.)? If battlefield magic is possible, how can it be
o What kinds of people are likely to face prejudice: dwarves, werewolves, merchants, diplomats and/or freelance agents? How effective defended against?
women, undertakers? Is this institutionalized (i.e., a matter of law) or is it mostly a is it currently? o How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? Can an
matter of public attitude? Is the ruler powerful enough to defy this prejudice and o Which countries/races are traditional allies? Which are ordinary, non-weapon-type object be enchanted to make it extremely
appoint a dwarf as Chief Councilor or Secretary of Defense and make it work? traditional rivals? How do these traditions affect lethal (the Frying Pan of Death) or will this work properly only on
o Who will take over running the government if the current head of state is incapacitated? present-day relations between countries and things that are already weapons? Can ordinary objects be enchanted to
How is this determined? Is there an heir apparent (either actual or political)? What races? make them (or their user) supremely good at something (the Frying
happens if the heir is a minor? o Which heads of state are related by blood or marriage, Pan of Ultimate Gourmet Cooking, the Comb of No Bad Hair Days
o Are there people who have great influence on government/politics, but who do not hold and how important is this in determining foreign Ever)? How common and useful are such enchantments?
any official position? Who are they? Why do they have influence? Is this policy? o What personal weapons are available to anyone who can afford them? Are
considered a normal thing, or a bad thing? Waging War some considered "for nobles only" either by custom or by law? Are
rime and the Legal System o Which peoples/countries/races have been in conflict in there laws forbidding certain classes from being armed at all?
o How has the presence of magic and magicians affected law and government? Are the recent past? Why? When and why was the o What is the level of weapons technology? Are there guns, and if so, how
wizards barred from certain kinds of government jobs or offices (judge, jury, most recent war? Who won? Who is still mad sophisticated (flintlock, matchlock, rifle, Uzi)?
police)? Do some government jobs require that their holder be a wizard? about that? o What major weapons of war are available (e.g., siege towers, catapults,
o What are considered normal and legal ways of gathering evidence and determining o What major weapons of war are available (e.g., siege cannon, A-bombs)?
guilt? Is torture allowed? Are arbitrary judgments by the lord or landowner towers, catapults, cannon, A-bombs)? o What weapons and armor are standard for armies? Mercenaries? Nobility?
allowed, or is there an independent standard of justice? o How much has the presence of magic affected strategy Your average peasant trying to defend his/her home?
o What personal weapons are available to anyone who can afford them? Are some and tactics in general? Do army commanders o Are weapons, such as swords or pistols, a standard part of dress for any/all
considered "for nobles only" either by custom or by law? Are there laws forbidding have unusual formations or techniques to deal segments of society?
certain classes from being armed at all? Are there laws requiring certain classes to with various magical attacks? How can magic be o What are the accepted conventions of making war (e.g., only fight in winter
learn particular weapon skills, as England for some centuries required yeomen to used as part of a battle plan, given various levels when nobody is busy with crops; don't make war on civilians; only
be proficient with the longbow? of technology (example: getting a weather certain kinds of weapons are available, etc.)?
o Is forensic magic possible? Commonly used? Used only for certain types of crimes (and magician to make it rain so that enemy cannons A.
if so, what)? Are the results of forensic spells admissible in court as evidence? Is it will be harder to maneuver in the mud)? o Which peoples/countries/races fought, allied, traded, or were traditional
something any wizard can do, or do you have to specialize? o Is magic used primarily for intelligence gathering rivals? Where are there still hard feelings about old events?
Are certain spells (as opposed to magic generally) illegal? Why -- because of the effect (spells of invisibility, scrying, etc.), or are there
of the spell, or because of the ingredients or procedures needed to cast it, or what? spells that are of use on the battlefield
o Is there a "trade language" that facilitates commerce between countries that don't speakMedicine o What are the standards of beauty for people? Paintings and sculpture?
the same tongue? Is there a "universal language" spoken by educated or noble o What customs surround death and burial? Is there a Clothes and furniture? How do they differ from the standards in your
persons, as Latin was in the Middle Ages? special class of people (doctors, priests, funeral culture (example: a country which considers fatness a highly desirable
o What does this country import? Export? How important is trade to the economy? How directors, untouchables) who deal with dead beauty trait)? How do standard of beauty reflect the physical traits of
is currency exchange handled, and by whom? bodies? What things must be done and why (burn the various races (examples: dwarves might consider excessive height
o Why did people settle in this country in the first place -- strategic location, trade route, hair to free spirit, burn body to prevent unattractive; werewolves might be attracted by long teeth or a particular
water transport, minerals, good farming, etc.? necromancy, coins on eyes for ferryman, etc.)? scent)?
o Have things changed much since, or do they still depend on whatever brought them in Are the dead feared, revered, or ignored? Architecture
the first place? o How accurate is the diagnostic process? Do healers o What is the most common building material? Why is it used (availability,
o How much do official attitudes toward other countries affect commerce and trade? Do have ways of telling two diseases with similar cheapness, legal requirement)? Does it have any major drawbacks (e.g.,
merchants pretty much ignore tensions between government as long as they can symptoms apart? Do they depend on standard the Great Fire of London)?
make a profit, or will this get them into trouble? Are there Customs inspectors or physical medical tests -- reflexes, temperature, o How tall a building can be constructed at a reasonable cost and in a
their equivalents at border crossings? Is the export/import of some contracted pupils -- or do they normally use spells reasonable time?
technologies/magics/commodities regulated by the government, or by non- for diagnosis? o What are typical floor plans like -- can people afford to waste space on
governmental cartels? How does this affect political relationships between o How expensive is a healer? How available are such hallways, or do they just have a series of rooms opening into other
countries? services to ordinary people? rooms? Are buildings normally built square, triangular, domed, what?
usiness and Industry o How much is known about anatomy, physiology, o How many people usually live in a typical house? How large is a typical
o How is business organized? Are there trade unions? Guild structures? Multi-state pathology, etc.? Are treatments based on purely house?
corporations? International cartels? practical experience ("We know this works but we o What are the differences in materials and appearance between a lower-class,
o Are people able to cross-craft, I.e., learn or perform different trades? Does cross-crafting don't know why"), or do healers understand at middle-class, and upper-class type house? How do people decorate
require guild permission, a write from an overlord, or is it automatically guaranteed least some of what they are doing? buildings (e.g., carvings vs. paint vs. patterns resulting from the use of
by law? How strict are craft restrictions -- are carpenters the only people allowed to o How much training does a healer normally get? different building materials)? Are there differences in ornamentation
build houses? Where? From whom? depending on the purpose of the building (e.g., gargoyles and carvings
o What types of trades would be represented in a small town? A middle-sized town? A o Is healing generally a magical process? If so, how does of saints used mainly on cathedrals)?
large city? the magical healing talent work? Does a magical o Has technology or magic progressed to the point of making window-glass?
o Is currency and coinage standardized, or is there a system of exchange? What are healer have to consciously direct the healing If so, how expensive is it? If not, what do people use to cover windows
typical denominations? What types of currency is a traveler or merchant likely to process (meaning that lots of knowledge of necessary for ventilation and light?
carry on a trip? What are different coins called, and what are they worth? anatomy, etc., would be required), or does o How are living quarters arranged? Are bedrooms on the top floors for
o Are industrial processes (e.g., swordmaking, weaving, etc.) considered "trade secrets," magical healing simply speed up the normal, privacy or on the ground floor for convenience? Are parlors or libraries
or are they common knowledge? unconscious healing process in the patient? Is common? How are houses heated/cooled?
o What is the process a young person goes through to enter a craft or trade? An there more than one kind of magical healer (as o Are wars and insurrections common enough that castles and cities are built
apprenticeship? Four years of college? Are the craft requirements for various skill there are surgeons, eye doctors, etc.)? Are there with an eye to military defense first and appearance later, or are palaces
ranks (such as apprentice, journeyman, master, or med student, intern, doctor, both magical and non-magical healers, and if so, and wall-less towns the rule?
specialist) standardized, or does rank depend more on the good favor of a master are they rivals or simply different specialties? Urban Factors
craftsman than it does on skill? o Is there a reliable method of birth control? Who o How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with
o Do different regions/cities specialize in specific crafts, processes, or products (examples: normally handles births -- midwives or doctors? world population? What is considered a small town/large town/city in
Damascus steel, Bordeaux wines, Chinese silk, Wisconsin cheese)? Do different What is the mortality rate for pregnant ladies, new terms of number of people?
races specialize? mothers, and children? o Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to
o What regulations, if any, has the government/ruler placed on business practices? Are o What level is medicine at? Who are the healers? Do coast, etc.? Why -- invasion, plague, gold rush, etc.? What effects has
there antimonopoly laws? Anti-pollution? Are there standardized systems of you have to have a talent to heal, or just training? this had on the places being left? The places gaining people?
weights and measures, or does a merchant have to specify "a London bushel" of Who trains healers, herbalists, apothecaries, o Does city layout reflect some philosophy (religious or otherwise), such as
grain rather than "a York bushel"? How do differing systems affect shipping and surgeons, magical vs. nonmagical healers, etc.? that the "head" of the city must be at the center or at the highest point
trade? o How much need is there for healers -- how much or at the most strategic location? Or were layout considerations mainly
o Are any new industries developing? Which old ones do they compete with or make sickness, plague, injury, etc. is there in this practical? Or did most cities "just grow"?
obsolete? society? Are there enough healers to meet this o Are there public or private parks in most/any cities?
o How are records kept -- tally sticks, parchment, clay tablets, beads? need? o Are cities generally laid out on a square-grid system of streets, or do they
o Is there a merchant class? Where do they fit in society? Are there trading guilds? If so, o What kinds of treatments are available -- herbal brews, just grow? How wide are the streets and alleys?
how are they organized? How much power do they have to control trade? How vaccinations, acupuncture, spells, etc.? How o What are the landmarks in each city? Where are the interesting
much infighting is there among them? effective are they? neighborhoods, like Chinatown or the dwarvish section, and what gives
o Are there trading organizations that transcend countries (like the Hanseatic League)? o Is it possible to resurrect/resuscitate someone who has each its special character? Do the neighborhoods have names?
How large a presence do they have locally? died? If so, how long does it take before this o Where do people go to shop? To eat? To have fun? To do "touristy" things?
o Is this a money-based economy, or mostly barter? becomes impossible? Before serious brain What sorts of goods/food/entertainment are available in large cities that
o What goods are commonly available in small town markets? In large towns? In cities? damage sets in? are not available in the country?
How do goods get to market? o How is insanity treated? Are there asylums or Rural Factors
o What industries -- mining, fishing, shipbuilding, lumber, farming, manufacturing, etc. -- treatment centers, or is it handled case-by-case? o Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to
are important, and in which areas? Which depend on materials from other areas (as How effective are treatments for insanity? coast, etc.? Why -- invasion, plague, gold rush, etc.? What effects has
shipbuilding on wood, or weaving on wool)? What happens if supplies are o How much do the physical differences between this had on the places being left? The places gaining people?
disrupted? humans and non-humans affect their medical o Given the magical/technological level of this society, what is an appropriate
o Who is responsible for coinage: the ruler, local barons, someone else (merchant guilds)? treatment? Are there diseases that only affect non- ration of farmers or food producers to urban residents? If farm
Are there generally acceptable standards? How easy/common is counterfeiting? humans, or only humans? Are there diseases that production is based on magic, how many urban residents are going to
o How much smuggling is there? Of what, from or to where? affect everybody, but with different degrees of starve if the spells supporting farming (weather, land fertility, etc.) fail
ransportation and Communication severity -- a mild cold in a human is galloping suddenly?
o What are the common domesticated animals used for transportation at various levels of pneumonia in a dwarf? Are some treatments lethal o Are peasants/farmers/yeomen/serfs tied to their land by law or custom, or
society -- e.g., oxen, horses, donkeys, camels, etc.? to one species but effective for others? Do doctors can they move to town if they feel like it? Can they own their farms
o Are there magical means of transportation (teleport spells, magic carpets, dragon- or healers have to specialize to do a good job of and property, or is it all "common land," or is it rented from a lord or
riding)? How do they compare in speed, safety and expense to non-magical treating non-human patients? landholder?
means? Are there any drawbacks to magical travel (for example, teleport sickness)?Arts and Entertainment o Given the state of roads and transportation, how much food is it possible to
How commonly are they used, and for what purposes (industrial shipping vs. travel o What is the status of the arts (dance, music, theater, ship to a given location before it spoils? (This limits the size of cities.)
for fun)? etc.) in this society? Are artists revered or o Are rural areas primarily farms, forests, fields for grazing, or "waste land"?
o For traveling short distances within a city, what are the alternatives? Can people hire a mistrusted? Are they considered noble or In outlying areas where there aren't many people, how many roads are
cab, a litter, a rickshaw, or do they have to walk or rely on their own servants or immoral? Who supports the arts? Which arts are there, who builds them, and who maintains them?
horses? most highly valued and why? o How reliable is the weather from year to year -- is crop production relatively
o How are messages sent when necessary? Is there a public/private postal system, or does o Are there permanent theaters or concert halls for the dependable, or do people have to cope with regular famines due to
everyone of importance have to send messengers? How fast can news get from A performing arts? If so, who owns and runs them? drought or floods?
to B? Are they profitable? Are there also traveling o What kinds of catastrophic weather are common -- tornadoes, hurricanes,
o How available is water transportation? How reliable? How dangerous? How expensive? troupes of players/musicians/dancers? How do blizzards, waterspouts, dust storms? How do people cope? How do
o How common is travel (for any reason)? Does the concept of travel "to see the world" their performances differ? non-humans cope?
or for fun, even exist? How dangerous is travel? How large a group is considered o What do people at various levels of society do for fun? o How are farming/food-producing areas divided up between
safe? How much traffic is there inside and outside the main cities? Which areas are o Can magic be used in the arts, and if so, how -- paint humans/nonhumans? What kinds of conflicts are likely to result?
best/worst? that glows, pictures that move, flutes that play (Example: Expanding human farms encroaching on a forest that
o What is the fastest means of traveling long distances over land? Over water? Which themselves, etc.? How do "normal" artists feel dragons or werewolves use for hunting.)
methods are safest? about this? Is there a separate branch of purely o Can peasants/yeomen own their own land, or does it all belong to the lord?
o What is transportation like? Are there good roads? Who built them? Who is responsible magical art, such as illusion? What kinds of rights over land, crops, game, etc. does a lord/landowner
for maintaining them? o What sports or pastimes are common (hawking, have? Is poaching a problem?
o Where would a traveler stay at night? Are there enough travelers to support inns, or do hunting, skiing, baseball)? Which ones take skill, A.
people have to stay at some equivalent of medieval monasteries? money, and/or leisure time? How do ordinary people feel about foreigners? Non-humans? How ready are
o Are some classes of people (slaves, peasants) not expected to travel at all? Are some o Is magic a profession, an art, or just a job? What is the they to accept different ideas? How cosmopolitan are they?
(heralds, messengers) expected to travel constantly? status accorded to magicians in this society? How much social mobility is there? Is it easy or hard for a person born a peasant
o How do people find out what is happening in the world -- rumor, town crier, o What games are commonly known -- chess, dice, to advance to the middle class, or a middle class person to the upper class or
newspapers, TV and radio? How slanted is the news they get this way, and in what poker? Which are common among everyone, and nobility? How much resistance would there be? Would such a person ever be
direction? Is there freedom of the press? If not, who controls/censors it and by which are limited to the peasantry or nobility? Are accepted socially?
what means? certain countries/cities known for a What items or foods or materials are luxuries -- chocolate, coffee, silk, spices,
o How are books produced? Are they common (has the printing press been invented) or passion/expertise for particular games or flush toilets? Why?
are they rare, valuable, expensive, hand-written objects? If the latter, who has the pastimes? What do people generally look like? Would a blonde (redhead, brunette) stand
time and skill to produce them? o Have paper-making and the printing press been out in a crowd? Someone 5' 10" tall? Do non-humans stand out in a crowd, or
o Where are the great libraries or collections of books/scrolls/manuscripts? How invented, or are books and scrolls rare, expensive, are there enough of them around that they're considered ordinary?
accessible are they to scholars, wizards, the general public? Who supports them? handwritten items? What are accepted norms of personal hygiene? Do most people bathe regularly,
cience and Technology o What things are considered appropriate subjects for or is bathing considered a health hazard?
o Is the level of technology in this society comparable to that of ancient Rome, the Middle representational arts such as painting and How is garbage and other waste material disposed of?
Ages, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, what? sculpture? Which are not? (Examples: some What is furniture like -- big and blocky, delicate, simple, elaborately carved,
o What important inventions or advances have been made (the wheel, gunpowder, cultures/religions forbid the painting or sculpture painted? What is it mostly made of -- cloth, wood, stone? Are certain things (like
printing, flush toilets)? Have any of them reached the point of affecting the daily of the human figure, and have abstract art; some chairs with arms) reserved for high-status individuals?
life of the average person, or are flush toilets a luxury for the nobility only? have limited painters to doing only "uplifting" In what ways does furniture design reflect the customs and lifestyle of the
o What inventions or advances have not been made that you would normally expect to religious works, etc.) people (example: beds with bed-curtains for privacy in medieval homes where
see at this stage of technological development? Which ones are about to be made? o Are there non-human races who tend to be naturally servants wandered through rooms without warning; futons that can be rolled up
o How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what talented painters, dancers, etc.? How does this and put away instead of beds in a country with little house-space)?
is commonly known is wrong (e.g., Aristotle's ideas about human anatomy, which affect human practitioners of these arts? What are the plumbing and sanitary systems like? Who builds and maintains
were wrong but accepted for centuries)? o Do non-human races have their own games and leisure them? How reliable are they, and who do you call when the drains back up?
o Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same pastimes? How do they differ from human How do they differ from city to farm?
as in real life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in? games? How do they reflect the physiology How do people cope with various disasters -- fire, floods, tornadoes or
o Where is scientific and/or magical research done -- universities, private labs, under the and/or particular magical talents of the various hurricanes, blizzards, plague, etc.? How common are such disasters?
auspices of the ruler/government, etc.? non-human races? How early do people get up in the morning in the city? Country? Are clocks
o In what areas might magic replace technology, and thus suppress its development o Are certain races/cultures considered better at some common, or do people tell time by the sun or by listening for church bells?
(example: if a spell to keep food cold is easy and cheap, there's no need to invent arts than other races/cultures? Where do the best Fashion and Dress
refrigerators)? In what areas might magic cause more rapid technological or dancers, painters, musicians, actors, etc. come What do people wear? How expensive is it? Can the material be produced
scientific development (example: common use of crystal balls might lead someone from? locally, or must some or all of it be imported?
to think of inventing the lens or the telescope sooner)? Are weapons a standard part of dress for any/all segments of society?
o Are certain clothes customary for certain occupations -- e.g., military uniforms, judges Are there any days that are considered "outside the year," horror, science fiction, fantasy, and superhero. Many of the genres
robes/wigs, sports teams uniforms, etc.? How much variation is allowed -- could a scholar like Mardi Gras or the Feast of Fools? How are these days have subgenres, such as cyberpunk or steampunk under the science
wear a day-glow green robe as long as the cut is right, or would that be too much? Is it color customarily observed? How did they originate? fiction genre, splatter and monster under the horror genre, and so
or style that is most important? No one will ask an author to make a character into a forth.
o Are the dyes for certain colors -- purple, indigo, etc. -- rare, making cloth of that color more wizard because there already are two fighters and a rogue There also exist metagenres, such as noir-we can imagine
expensive and/or reserved for nobility or other high-status people? in the party.What Gamers Need to Know About Writing westerns noir, detective noir, horror noir, and so forth. (For those
o Are there sumptuary laws, defining who can wear what? What are the penalties? Who by Elizabeth Bennett Porco unfamiliar with the term, noir works tend to be dark, brooding,
decides when changes are needed? How often are they adjusted? Players of role-playing games may want to express and filled with moral conflict.) Comedy, tragedy, and romance are
o Are there fashions/fads in things besides clothes -- styles of carriages, furniture, etc.? themselves in fiction as well as at the gaming table. However, also, arguably, metagenres.
o Are there fashions/fads in magic -- are herbal spells "in" this year and ritual spells "out," or fiction and gaming are different media and require different The intelligensia have traditionally looked down on genre
vice versa? approaches. Game masters do not produce a commercial works because they are not unique works of art-genre material
o How many changes of clothes can a normal person afford? A noble person? A peasant? product; therefore, game companies encourage them to buy relies on common themes, motifs, stereotypes, and cliches. The very
o What is the current fashion in clothes? Hats? Jewelry? Shoes? Do such fashions differ for and make use of setting material the companies have created. best genre material uses them but also rises above them, such as
humans/non-humans? Between city and country? These settings are copyrighted and cannot be used for fiction Clint Eastwood's superb movie "Unforgiven," which calls on the
o What materials are appropriate to the climate? What materials must be imported, and are intended for publication except by the company which owns western stereotypes but simultaneously investigates them from the
therefore for expensive upper-class clothes only? the setting. If you want to write for a game company, you can point of view of an older, experienced, more world-weary and bitter
o What things are considered tacky and vulgar, and what things are stylish? probably find submission guidelines on their web site. man. However, most of us without such pretensions to high culture
o What types of decorations and accessories are common? What colors and combinations of Besides the legal issues, the aspiring author needs to know simply enjoy genres for what they are-unassuming, entertaining,
colors are thought to look well or to clash? Do opinions on this vary from race to race? about the differences between character creation for a game familiar fare with its own history and tradition.
o What physical types and characteristics are currently fashionable -- tan vs. pale skin, the and character creation for a literary work. Creating characters Every genre revolves around one central theme-the Hero's
"consumptive look" vs. robust good health, fat vs. thin, blonde vs. brunette, muscles vs. for role-playing games can be relatively easy. Most game Journey. In the Hero's Journey, the protagonist travels through
"dead poet", etc.? settings present you with a number of set options. Dungeons some sort of ordeal, physical or emotional. In RPGs, there are
o How do non-human fashions reflect their physiology? Do dragons dress for dinner? Do and Dragons and other D20 based games have character multiple protagonists-the player characters. They are called to the
mermaids have a nudity taboo? classes, while White Wolf games allow differing options adventure, receive help from allies, pass tests, and attempt to
. Manners depending on which game you play. In many role-playing defeat the enemy, gain some sort of reward, and return. The genre
o What distinguishes a formal, high-court dinner from an ordinary meal besides quantity and games characters are partially shaped by picking a character determines the trappings of the journey.
variety of food? How do high-court manners differ from everyday ones? class or archetype from a list provided as part of the game The Genre and Subgenres
o What are the rules of precedence -- who gets to go through doors first? Who gets introduced system. In some games, character types are not explicitly part The fantastic is that which compels the reader to accept the paranormal,
first? of the system, but players often use optional templates to give supernatural, or magical as an explanation for events. Sometimes the fantastic
o Is there a distinction between "formal" or high court good manners and informal, everyday the character a pre-generated set of strengths and weakness. offers two possible explanations for an event-normal or paranormal-such as in
good manners? When and where are people supposed to be on their best behavior? In fiction character creation can be more difficult. A character, stories that involve dreams, hypnosis, and illusion. Other times there is no normal
o How important are "good manners" in this society? What constitutes everyday good unless she is part of a story written specifically for White Wolf explanation offered, or the paranormal is the normal, such as in stories about
manners? How do "good manners" differ from race to race? How do games, cannot be a vampire of clan Ventrue, so you cannot alternate worlds. This latter case is usually the setting for fantasy roleplaying games.
people/dwarves/elves/dragons react when someone has just been, by their standards, make use of the lore White Wolf has developed concerning Most fantasy RPGs are set in another world entirely, such as D&D's Greyhawk and
unspeakably rude? Ventrue vampires. While Dungeons and Dragons uses classes Forgotten Realms, Columbia Games' Hrn, Chessex's Jorune, and so forth. Some
o When a guest arrives, is food or drink offered immediately, after an interval, or only on and races common to many fantasy settings, if you follow the are set in alternative-Earths or future Earths, such as Dream Pod 9's post-demonic
request? Is there a particular food or drink that is customary to offer a newly arrived guest? conventions of the game too closely, your characters will seem world or Erick Wujcik's Zelazany-based Amber.
. Diet derivative. In particular, treating fantasy races in exactly the Some subgenres in fantasy RPGs are swords 'n' sorcery
o What dishes are considered holiday food? What foods/drinks are associated with particular same way they are treated in material published by gaming <http://www.towson.edu/%7Eflynn/swordsor.html>, heroic fantasy
holidays, events (e.g., funerals, weddings) or times of the year? companies may lead editors to find your work excessively <http://www.towson.edu/%7Eflynn/herofan.html>, historical fantasy (based on the
o What distinguishes a formal, high-court dinner from an ordinary meal, besides quantity and formulaic. One way to avoid this is to blend real world history real world with the addition of some paranormal event or power), and urban
variety of food? How do high-court manners differ from everyday ones? and mythology with your own ideas. Though they are fantasy (based on real cities with the addition of some paranormal event or power).
o When a guest arrives, is food or drink offered immediately, after an interval, or only on supposed to be invisible to the characters, as opposed to the Themes, Motifs, Settings, and Events
request? Is there a particular food or drink that is customary to offer a newly arrived guest? A players, the mechanics of game systems do effect how you In fantasy, the Hero's Journey is usually a quest with a specific goal at the
guest who is just departing (stirrup cup)? design and play your characters. As the nature of games tends end-defeat the enemy or retrieve the [insert object or person here] are the two most
o Is sanitation good enough for untreated water to be safe to drink? If not, what do people to emphasize combat, the abilities characters use in battle are common goals. The dangers are usually physical and the common ending is for the
drink instead? extremely important. While fictional combat can be exciting, heroes to suceed against the opposition.
o What things, while edible, are never eaten (what's not kosher)? Why? Are some common describing it in the same detail as is used in a game session is The heroes can usually call on paranormal tools for this journey, however.
human foods poisonous to dwarves or elves (or vice versa)? likely to be a mistake. Readers dont have miniature figures or Magic is the most common in fantasy RPGs, although mental powers are
o Given the magical/technological level of this society, what is an appropriate ration of farmers battle mats to help them picture the action and can become sometimes also used with or as a replacement for magic.
or food producers to urban residents? If farm production is based on magic, how many confused by overly detailed fight scenes. Even in an action- The setting will differ from Earth. There may be nonhuman sentient races,
urban residents are going to starve if the spells supporting farming (weather, land fertility, packed piece of written fiction, combat will be less important sentient animals, and places or things that defy the normal laws of physics. In
etc.) fail suddenly? than it is in most role-playing games. Authors may not need to general, although not always, the more Earthlike the world, the "lower" or more
o How many meals are considered normal in a day? When are they served? Which are work out in detail how their characters fight. In fiction, mundane the level of fantasy. Thus, urban fantasies tend to be low-fantasy. They
substantial and which are smaller? Are certain foods (e.g., eggs and bacon) reserved mainly characters personalities need to be defined with at least as take place in some city and have a bit of magic attached, but the characters still
for a particular meal? much detail as their powers and abilities. That doesnt mean have to deal with the problems of everyday life in a city. The less Earthlike the
o What dishes or seasonings would be considered typical of this area? What wines or beers? an author has to know the names of her characters world, the "higher" or more fantastic the level of fantasy. Heroic fantasy is often
o What foods are considered peasant food? What foods are staples, commonly eaten every grandparents, but she does need to have a clear idea of what high fantasy, in which the heroes care little about mundane problems and deal
day? What foods are rare? What foods are normally eaten cooked/raw? they are likely to want to do in the situations they find instead with earth-shattering threats. High versus low fantasy also depends on the
o What is the food like? What herbs and spices are readily available, and what must be themselves in. Once an author understands a character's level of power at play- a game in which magic or mental powers is relatively hard or
imported? How common/expensive are imported foods and spices? personality, she can more realistically define external details, complex to use or difficult to find and small in effect is usually a low-fantasy game,
o What spices and herbs are produced locally, and which are rare and expensive? Which are such as the skills and weapons the character possesses. and vice-versa.
most commonly used? Do people tend to like highly spiced food or not? Character creation for fiction can take a long time as there is A number of motifs <http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/ftp/pub/SF-
o How is food preserved for use during the off-season -- smoking, canning, salting, drying, no incentive to finish it quickly so that the game can start. This Archives/Misc/fethemes.html> exist in fantasy. Some common trappings are:
etc.? How reliable are the methods used -- how often does "preserved" food spoil? makes simple hooks like the Dungeons and Dragons dragons, elves/fairies, swords, magical items, spirits, prophecies, wizards and
o When food is in limited supply, who gets first crack? The laborers and farmers who have to alignment system less useful. Rather than deciding to make a witches, monstrous beings, castles and towers, dungeons, mazes, and rituals. Some
work to produce more, or the children who are the next generation, or the wise and revered fictional character simply good or evil, an author can explore common events are:
elders, or the nobility? how the characters needs and desires lead her to good or evil Fights in a
o What foods and seasonings do non-humans like, and how do these differ from those favored acts. Also, while there are sympathetic characters in fiction, bar/tavern
by humans? Are some foods poisonous or distasteful to one species that are delicacies or the readers do not identify with those characters to the degree
circular staircase
necessary to another? which gamers identify with the characters they play. Because
o Are there times when people are expected to fast (e.g., before solstice, after the birth of a of this, fictional characters can be weaker or less cool than the castle
child, during Lent or Ramadan, after the death of a ruler, etc.)? typical character in a role-playing game. In games, character dark forest
o Given the state of roads and transportation, how much food is it possible to ship to a given weaknesses are often chosen purely because the game system remote wilderness area
location before it spoils? (This limits the size of cities.) allows a character with some flaws to be more powerful in villain's stronghold (usually the final ordeal)
. Education other ways. In fiction they are a more integral part of character Search for a
o How much does it cost to get various levels of education? creation. In many stories, a characters strengths and
o Is there an organized system of education? If so, who provides it: government, churches, weaknesses are not revealed on the first page. They gradually magical or precious object
private persons? How is it supported? Is magic considered part of the general college come into play as the character is called upon to act. Like kidnapped person
curriculum, or do you have to study it privately? people in real life, fictional characters may not realize their prophesied person
o What sort of education is available, and where? Are there schoolhouses in every town, or do strengths and weaknesses. While characters in role-playing lost place or thing (e.g., ruin, ship)
ordinary people have to travel if they want to be educated? Are there universities? Private games can have hidden aspects, the person playing the solution to a puzzle
tutors? character is usually aware those aspects exist even if the
solution to a trap
o What is the level of literacy in the general population? Is literacy considered a details are known only to the game master. Also, in fiction the
useful/necessary skill for nobility, or something only scribes/clerks/wimps/bourgeoisie need? characters do not have to be designed to fit comfortably with Escape from a
How common are books? How are they produced? others. No one will ask an author to make a character into a prison
o Who are the teachers? How are they trained? Who pays them? wizard because there already are two fighters and a rogue in trap
o How much education is considered usual at each of the various levels or classes of society? the party. An author doesnt have to worry about the balance monster
What things are considered absolutely necessary for a gentleman/noble to know? A of power between party members or equal time for all the collapsing cave or building
tradesman? players. She just worries about the story. Beyond character
Combining Genres:
o What things are considered absolutely necessary knowledge for a courtier (poetry, creation, there are also differences in the way settings are
Although not every GM will want to cross a genre in a campaign,
languages, skill at arms, etc.)? Which are nice but not necessary? Which would be highly constructed. Role-players often need detailed maps of
sometimes an adventure that has another "feel" is a welcome change. Most players
embarrassing if anybody found out about them (a passion for comic books, etc.)? particular locations so that they can understand exactly where
will be familiar with the motifs of these other genres and will recognize what's
o How respected are teachers and scholars? Who supports them? they are fighting their battles. In fiction creating very detailed
happening as the GM introduces them. In general, players are happy to have their
o If magic requires study, where do you go to learn about it? How do people fund their fictional geography is not always needed. Loosely constructed
characters fall in with a particular genre for a while. An entire campaign could be
training? Is there an apprenticeship system, or are there wizard schools, or is it one-on-one worlds like Darkover or the Disc World, which were not
cross-genre, too, if the GM and players are interested in pursuing such.
tutoring/mentoring? Is an untrained wizard dangerous, or just an ordinary person? mapped by their creators, can be as interesting to the reader as
o Do wizards have a special language that is used for magic? If so, where do they learn it? Is it those that are more tightly constructed. Authors should Western
safe to chat in this language, or is everything said in it automatically a spell? If so, how can it concentrate world-building efforts on the aspects of the setting Set the game in a dusty, remote plains setting
safely be taught to new students? which will be most important to the reader. In romantic Create NPCs who are herders (cowboys), natives
. Calendar fantasy, social customs among the nobility may be quite ("Indians"), and settlers.
o Is there a single, generally accepted calendar (including time measurements), or do different important; in military fiction, weapons and combat need to be Replace guns with hand-held bows or knives
countries or peoples or races have different ones? precisely described. As an author you have more freedom Rely on typically western plot devices, such as a
o How is the day divided into smaller time units? What are they (Hour of the Lark, Sunrise than a role-player, even a game master. With careful thought rivalry between two ranches, between settlers and
Bell, Nones, etc.)? Are the names relevant to anything? Is the length of an hour fixed, or and creative imagination you can use that freedom to create natives, between settlers fighting for land or water
does it vary depending on changes in the length of the day as the seasons change? fiction reflecting your own ideas. If you are intelligent, rights, between desperadoes
o What are the names of months, and how many days in each? How many days in a week? imaginative, and lucky your work may even become one of
Create fantastic versions of typical western events,
Months in a year? Are there leap years? If so, who keeps track? those that helps to shape the future of your chosen genre.
o Which days are general holidays or festival times? What do they celebrate? Are there any A "genre" is a "category of artistic, musical, such as a bar standoff between two inimical mages.
that are only celebrated in particular countries, cities, or regions? or literary composition characterized by a Detective/Spy/Mystery
o What event(s) do people use to date years? Do they use a single event (the creation of the particular style, form, or content" (Merriam Set the game in a city or court
world, the end of the Great War, the invention of atomic power, etc.) or are events dated Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Create NPCs who are spies, spymasters, plotters,
based on recurring things (the 12th year of Tiberius' reign, the 301st year of the Han Edition). Roleplaying genres are very similar conspirators, and femmes fatale.
Dynasty)? to novel and cinematic genres-they fall into Replace James-Bond gadgets with fantasty
o How do people tell what time it is? Are there clocks, watches, sundials, etc., or do people the same categories and are marked with the equivalents (magic items, grappling bows, etc.)
have to just listen for bells from the castle or church, or just eyeball the sun? same motifs. Examples of common RPG
genres are western, detective/spy/mystery,
Reply on typically detective/spy devices, such as murder, theft of might be shy or cynical at first, fantasy, the setting can react as a character, even without personification. Sanctuary,
important documents, rivalry between two countries, etc. but should "break through" with the city-setting of the Thieves' World anthologies, might offer impediments such as
Create fantastic versions of typical detective/spy events, such as the PC's help. storms, flooding or fire to impede a character's plans. Does this mean Sanctuary is
the shootout with bows, the seduction/assassination attempt, Emphasize a common struggle alive and acting? Not necessarily, though that is a possibility in fantastic fiction.
breaking into a foreign castle, etc. that will pitch the characters Sanctuary, though, is as much a character as any other in the anthology.
together in which they will The emotions and attitudes of characters change, and so too can the settings, or
Horror
come to see each others' best places within the setting. Lankhmar is not all of Nehwon, just as Frodo Baggins is
Set the game in a remote town, abandoned ruin, or cemetery not all of the Fellowship of the Ring. Different characters in a story have different
sides. Put obstacles in their way
Create NPCs who are spooky old men and women, serial killers, but make the obstacles purposes, and the parts of a setting are the same. Such locations, however, should
ritual murderers, black magicians, and monsters. surmountable. flow together logically. Having the bustling, rich metropolis next to the abandoned,
Emphasize the use of fire, stakes, silver weapons, or ritual to Rely on plots that throw the two haunted mines might seem a little strange. Wouldn't the princes of the town
defeat the enemy. together often but add a rival (or consider such a place a danger? And if there is treasure in them there mines,
Rely on typically horror plot devices, such as creation of a perceived rival) for the NPC wouldn't those greedy merchants have found a way to get to it sooner? If this can
monster while delving into secrets humans were not meant to romantic interest's attention, all be explained away, great, but if it needs too much explanation, the reader's
know and use of supernatural means to murder others. perhaps one particularly galling willing suspension of disbelief might suffer. However, if the story calls for the
Create fantastic versions of typical horror events, such as the or annoying to the PC. metropolis and the haunted mine, certainly have them, but consider their placement
more carefully.
investigation through a haunted house or cemetery, the chase Emphasize positive values, the
One must carefully consider the creation of the setting, but thinking of it like a
through the night, the sense of being stalked, confrontations with healing power of love, and the character may help in that creation. Writers are often very emotionally invested in
skeptical authorities, etc. growth that two people can help their characters, which results in greater depth and characterization. That same
Science Fiction each other achieve. Note: A investment could reap even greater benefits, considering how the setting is the
Set the game in a secret government installation, strange good romantic plot does not backdrop for everything the characters do. If one offers the setting the same care
laboratory, or on another world make one person a victim, but and range as the characters, the story will certainly benefit.
Create NPCs who are government Men in Black, aliens from makes both equally strong and
equally vulnerable. Adjust the Building Characters Through Adversity
another dimension or world, killers from the future, mad
NPC's power level accordingly. <http://www.poewar.com/archives/2004/10/23/building-characters-through-
scientists, etc.
Characters are a foundation of good fiction. Personally, I can't adversity/>
Emphasize the use of steam- or magic-driven technology, offer enjoy a novel or a story if I feel that the characterization is
magical versions of science fiction weapons (wands for lasers, There are very few happy stories in the world. This is not to say that there arent
lacking. But the characters aren't just the sentient beings that happy endings, and that there arent happy characters, but very few stories revolve
force-swords for lightsabers) strut about the stage of fiction, the setting itself can also be
Rely on typically science-fiction plot devices, such as around the good things that happen to a character, and if they do, there is generally
considered a character, and the same care that goes into a downside to the good things that happen to them. Stories are about adversity
government cover-ups, secret experiments, contact with other creating memorable characters should be applied to creating a
planets, investigation into other times. and conflict. How characters deal with adversity can create comedy, drama,
setting. romance, action, mystery and a world of other emotions and themes, but without
Create fantastic versions of typical science-fiction events, such as Now, setting actually has special importance for writers of adversity, there is no story to tell. Here are some examples of how adversity and
first contact with an alien species, discovery of a twisted fantasy and science-fiction since, while they may use our own conflict are created. Any longer work will contain most or all of these adversities.
government plot, invention of a world-destroying device, and so world as a template, the setting is usually entirely--or greatly-- Physical adversity: Physical adversity is death, injury, illness, and the threat of
forth. conceived and imaginary. These created settings must be as each. This, depending on the writer, is generally the most adverse situation that
Superheroic fully realized, in the components that appear in the fiction, as characters face. The death of a friend or relative, or an injury/illness that can happen
Set the game in a city any place in the real world. This creates a whole host of to a character someone they are close too. Death is a universal theme that dates
problems, but also opens wide the doorway to possibilities.
Create one or more NPCs who run around in masks and back to the very first stories ever told. The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and The
One of the techniques for creating memorable characters, the Bible all concern characters trying to deal with death.
costumes and give themselves fanciful names (Zorro, the Scarlet GMC technique </view/Characters And Their Goals>, cannot
Pimpernel); at least one should be a villain Miscommunication and Deception: This is a classic plot complication. One
be applied to creating settings. Settings do not have goals, character misunderstands another character or circumstance and all of the
Emphasize the use of magic or mental powers to be flamboyant motivations or conflicts. They do, however, share others
either in attack or defense, use stilted superhero-talk and silly characters must deal with the consequences. Miscommunication is a classic
aspects with characters. Settings, like characters, have Shakespearean theme. Romeo and Juliet die due to miscommunication. King Lear
one-liners personalities, and their appearance may reveal or hide that
Rely on superheroic plot devices, like attempts to take over the disowns his daughter because of miscommunication. MacBeth believes he is
personality. The weather, flora and fauna of a setting can invulnerable due to miscommunication. Deception is similar to miscommunication,
city or world reveal emotion as easily as the actions or statements of a but it involves deliberate lies. While the three witches in MacBeth technically tell
Create fantastic versions of superheroic events, like the big fight character. MacBeth the truth at all times, Richard III uses both miscommunication and
in the street or in some villain's hidden warehouse filled with Even the most vibrant of characters, walking in a shapeless, outright lies in his rise to the throne, and he does so with malicious glee, destroying
catwalks and vats of bubbling acid. featureless land, offer little in the way of entertainment. the lives around him until he himself is destroyed by his own deceptions.
Adding Metagenres Perhaps in theatre, or in comedies of manners, one needs little Displacement: Displacement is another popular adversity that characters face; it is
Metagenres should be used sparingly and, usually, consistently. Players might get in the way of setting, but for fantasy and science-fiction, the when a character or characters enter a local or situation in which they are
confused or annoyed if one game is noir and the next comedic and the next romance and the setting should be as vibrant and memorable as any character. uncomfortable or at odds. This can be as fanciful as Alice wandering through
next tragic. Remember that each metagenre will have a lasting effect on the character and the Think of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser's Lankhmar Wonderland, as dramatic as Trisha McFarland, lost and fighting for her life in the
campaign. Usually a fantasy RPG campaign will always be noir, or always comedic. Few <http://www.lankhmar.demon.co.uk/>. Certainly the duo were New England forest in Stephen Kings The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon. It can
campaigns are always tragic-tragedy is only good in small doses-and the use of romance in a interesting characters, but part of the charm of those stories also be as simple as sending an introvert to a party. It is important to note that the
campaign should depend on the players' preferences. rested with the setting. displacement works both ways. The focus of a story doesnt have to be the
Noir When one creates a setting, one must tailor it to the story displaced character, but rather can be about the other characters reaction to the
Emphasize darkness, rain, fog, and pollution (yes, many being told. If Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser inhabited Tolkien's disruption to their lives by the displaced character.
Minas Tirith, for example, their adventures, and their lives, Desire: Every character has unfulfilled wants and needs. Sometimes they are stated
medieval cities were polluted as a result of soot from fireplaces)
certainly would have taken a different turn. Lovable rogues and sometimes they are unstated. One of the classic stories of unfulfilled desire is
Create characters such as the corrupt politician, the cop on the need a roguish town in which to shine. Brave knights need
take, the femme fatale, the hardboiled but moral investigator Dashiell Hammetts The Maltese Falcon, in which most of the characters are
shining castles and dragons to slay. That is not to say that consumed by the desire to own an almost mythical piece of art. Unfulfilled desire is
Emphasize corruption and double-crosses, and use slang-filled, dropping two rogues into the shining castle isn't going to
cynical, snappy dialog as key to action novels as it is romance novels. The witches cryptic messages ignite
produce a good story--there's probably a great story in there MacBeth and Lady Macbeths desire for power, but it is their desire that dooms
Rely on low-impact plots, like murder, theft, graft, blackmail, and somewhere--but if your intention is to create a dark, them to destruction.
so forth humorous swashbuckling tale, a la Fritz Leiber or Robert Relationships: Relationship conflicts run a wide spectrum, and are not limited to
Emphasize investigation and confine combat to ambushes and Howard, this might not work. One creates characters based on human relationships; they can extend to animals, nature and environment.
the final confronation the story's needs, and one creates the setting based on the Relationship adversity is often the result of the previous adversities, but it is worth a
Comedy same. separate category because this is where most resolutions are centered. A character
Some characters are dark, devious villains, while others are
Emphasize sunlight and settings where there are specific must change the relationship, be changed (or even destroyed) by the relationship,
noble, loyal heroes, and still others are pragmatic, cynical accept the relationship or be doomed to fight the relationship (such as in the Jean
expectations for behavior that can be broken with comic results scoundrels. Settings can likewise run the gamut. Think of the
(high-class party, funeral, wedding) Paul Sartres No Exit).
difference between the Shire, Rohan and Mordor. Hobbits, There are many other conflicts and types of adversity that a character can run into,
Create characters such as the nagging in-law, the doting suitor, living in Mordor, would certainly not act like Frodo--maybe
the crotchety elder, the puffed-up rich man, etc. but the adversity itself is not the key component of a story. The key is in how that
more like the Sackville-Bagginses--and by the same token, if characters react to and deal with adversity. It is difficult for the reader to care
Emphasize slapstick (the lowest but easiest form of humor in an Elrond ruled in Dol Guldor, in Mirkwood, it would most likely whether or not the adversity is overcome unless they care about the characters. It is
RPG) and/or verbal humor (if you and your players are witty) still be called Eryn Lasgalen. One must consider the setting equally difficult to care about characters that have no complications in their life.
and incongruous events; possibly mistaken identities. when one creates the character, and visa versa. And just as A perfect example of this phenomenon is the movie Pleasantville. In that movie,
Rely on plots that revolve around one or more of the characters characters need not be entirely good or bad, neither do two characters are transported from their modern life into a fifties era family sitcom
but that won't have a highly dramatic effect on the character's life; settings. Our own world certainly rests at no morale pole. in which everything is pleasant and perfect (Displacement). At first, the characters
don't use plots that could end in tragedy Just because a particular setting is dark and dreary, does that inside the television show have no adversity to deal with. At that point, they are not
Emphasize silliness, stereotypes (or wildly broken stereotypes), mean it is a domain of evil? Not if it's Scotland--though that fully developed characters and their only interest to the audience is the humor of
and good-humored acceptance of setbacks. Try to end on an might be debated in some circles. A hero can be an ugly, well- seeing these happy people through the eyes of the two modern, jaded teenagers.
upbeat note, with everything falling in place in the end and worn individual, and the villain might be beautiful but deadly. The presence of these two outsiders, however, eventually throws this perfect world
everybody getting their "just deserts." Certainly it is common in fantastic fiction to telegraph the into chaos. Soon the characters are plagued by injuries, miscommunication, and
import of a place by its physical appearance. The lands of the
Tragedy deception and especially by unfulfilled desires that grow with each new discovery.
good, kind king are green and lush, while the empire of the Adversity turns these people into interesting characters. The mother, the father, and
Emphasize catastrophic events, such as storms, droughts, war; evil overlord is a barren place of blasted rock and haunted
use metaphor like a drought accompanying the struggle to find the soda-shop owner become fully realized people and what happens to them
forests. Just as a book should not be judged by its cover-- matters to the audience. As happy people these characters were a joke, but in the
the rightful ruler of a realm. depending on the artist--a land should not be judged by its
Create characters with both good and bad sides; no matter how face of adversity they become the heart and soul of the film.
appearance. There is no law that says the writer cannot be The key is to use adversity as a tool for character development rather than use the
good the individual, s/he must have a tragic flaw that will lead to blatant, but it might be a better exercise to attempt subtlety. characters merely to further the action. To do this, you must explore your
his or her downfall. (Player characters with such personalities are Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but since most settings in characters. Not only do you need to develop a clear sense of what decisions they
excellent for this metagenre) fantastic fiction cannot be visited, great care must be taken in would make normally, you must develop how their thinking process changes or
Emphasize a spiritual or moral struggle that accompanies the describing them. The shorthand of using standard fantasy or fails to change as a result of their actions. If a character makes the same decision
physical struggle. If possible, have the player characters break science-fiction tropes is really not a good method of attacking two times and it does not work either time, the character has not learned. This does
some sort of moral law or standard. this situation. One should have a better vision of one's setting not mean the character has not developed, just that they have failed to change their
Rely on plots that revolve around events that will force PCs or in one's mind than of one's characters. To make the reader actions as a result of their circumstances. This is as much of a character trait as a
NPCs to face their tragic flaw and the consequences of their believe they are in this world, they need to see it as clearly as character changing their actions. A patriotic character may sacrifice themselves for
actions, especially if they broke some sort of moral code. the writer, and so vivid, complete description is important. their country more than once, only to be injured or to lode something important to
Emphasize things falling apart or coming undone, the struggle to Does this mean to describe every rock and tree? Certainly not. them. They have repeated the same action, but has their reasons changed? The
One would not describe the location and depth of every exploration comes in why they choose to make the same sacrifice again, if it did not
understand ethics and morals, and unhappy endings in which
wrinkle on a character's face, but certainly one would indicate help the first time. Are they more resigned to their course or do they start to waver?
people die, are imprisoned, go mad, or fail to succeed at some
the existence of those wrinkles and the general placement and What thoughts lead them to repeat the same action without reward? On the other
goal. Note that tragedy should NOT be used often in RPGs!
appearance of them. The same care should be taken with one's hand, a patriot might sacrifice the first time and not the second. This is a major
Romance setting.
Emphasize settings in which the two people who are to become change in thinking, and for the people reading or watching the story, the choices
Characters have words and actions to indicate moods or must not only be within character, but they must develop the character.
romantically involved are close together (note that running intentions. While settings, unless one is writing about a
romance indicates that a player is willing to have his or her Accomplishing the development of character through adversity is a challenge for
sentient planet, neither speak nor act. Settings do, however, even the most experienced writers. The keys to accomplishing this are:
character involved in a romantic relationship; don't force this on a have proxies, such as weather and wildlife to offer up their
player!). Know your characters well. The more time you spend analyzing your characters
moods. The howling winds and stinging sands of a desert and deciding what their thinking process is, the better prepared you will be to
Create a romantic possibility who is good-hearted and good- might show anger, or the soft breeze gently tugging the leaves decide how they will react to the adversities they face. For more information on
natured, proactive, ethical, courageous, treats romantic interests of the trees in the glade might offer welcome. There is a device developing characters see Creating Memorable Characters.
with respect, and doesn't fold under pressure. Romantic interests called pathetic irony in which the weather mirrors a characters Decide how you want your character to change and how you want them to
mood, but the weather can also create the mood. And in remain unchanged. If you know how you want your character to develop, then
you can adjust your plot accordingly. This does not mean that you tailor the plot to the 3. How can this message be best depicted? strong enough to support its weight in the structure. If it's not, strengthen it until it
character. If you want the story to be about blowing up a building or developing a vaccine, then 4. Where can this message be best depicted? is strong enough.
that is your plot. What you want to analyze is how your character would go about In answering the above four questions, you go a long way in When you've gone over the plot board, examined each element separately and in
accomplishing that task, and what obstacles they would face. defining the novel elements. Do you see how each element relation to the whole, and you're satisfied you have a cohesive whole, then you're
Dont be afraid to change the circumstances. An idea that seemed good in the planning stage interacts with all the others? That they're co-dependent? What ready to proceed to a new plot test-- provided your goal is selling this novel.
may not always work in execution. Sometimes events must happen to develop a plot but in the you want to say defines to a degree the person who Is this novel commercial?
writing process your characters might have strayed from your original ideas for them. Take the would/could say it. The definition of that person, his character, Does it fit into a genre slot and fit the criteria of that genre?
time to work the conflict through. Sometimes the same event can take place if you change one to a degree defines how and where he's apt to say it. If mainstream, does the tone, style, and scope fit that of a mainstream novel?
or two minor details in a story. It is simply a matter of being creative. Were your message a different one, you'd likely need a Is the novel "timeless" or will it be dated, thus a poor commercial risk?
Mix things up occasionally. Some actions are out of character only until a character does it. different character to convey it, which would alter the best Is the novel's story-line fresh, or cliche?
You may think that your character would act a certain way in a given situation, but sometimes way to convey the message and the place where the message Is this a story you want to write?
youll want to experiment with having them do something else. People are full of is likely to be conveyed. Different people are confronted with Adjust the novel elements as needed to suit your personal goals for the novel, then
contradictions, and they dont always act the way they think they act. A self-image can be a different situations in different places. Typically, ones that are write it!
very deceptive thing. familiar to them. Copyright 1996 by Vicki Hinze.
In the best stories, plot development and character development work together. Rather than An extreme example: Who is most apt to suffer hunger? A Sleeping With the Enemy: Writing From Your Antagonists POV
sacrificing one to develop the other, each is used to the benefit of the other. It is the proper homeless person who lives on the streets in Los Angeles? Or a By Dana Mitchells
blending of plot and characters that makes great stories work. When a great story is over, the wealthy, socialite who lives in a Manhattan penthouse? So to
reader should feel like the distinct way it developed could only have happened with those set of build plot, we must build character and setting in the context When I began the task of rewriting one of my novels, I shared with one of my
characters, yet they should find that entirely acceptable. While it is OK to think that a character of our chosen theme. We must take a specific character, in a sisters the intimidating aspect of writing from my antagonists point of view. When
should have dealt with the adversity differently, the reader our audience should not think that specific setting, in a defined situation that specific character is finished with these parts of my book, I have often huddled in the corner of the
that character would have done it differently. apt to encounter and that applies to conveying our message room, rocking back and forth as I mumble, Must think happy thoughts. My
Written by John Hewitt and then build on it. antagonist is a short-tempered, physically violent, obsessive and homicidal villain.
Creating Memorable Characters <http://www.poewar.com/archives/2004/10/23/creating- How do we build? By asking "what if" and "why"-- two of the To the storys readers, he may only be just another bad guy, but to me he is a very
memorable-characters/> writer's best tools for building plot, for building a cohesive real, very unsettled person. And in order to write him realistically, I have to become
When writing fiction, one of the greatest challenges is to come up with compelling characters novel. Let's say our message or theme is: fear falls to courage this very unsettled person.
that both interest the reader and fit the story. On the surface, fitting the story might seem like and faith. Now we need a character. A heroine. One who is
the lesser of the two considerations, but it really isnt. Beyond being interesting, the character openly affectionate, who loves crowds, loves being busy, As fiction writers, it goes without saying that we wear many hats. Like actors, we
must also be the type of person who will respond to your plot. Whatever the action of your loves a frenzied pace in all areas of her life. Why? Because she have to act our characters as we write them, playing everyone from the insecure
story is, it needs to matter to your characters. You have to care about why these things are fears being alone. mailman haunted by schizophrenia to the happy-go-lucky environmentalist who
happening to this character, and take great interest in what the character will do, or will fail to Now we need another character. A hero. Because she is openly can never find love. Having to act out our characters as we write them can be
do, about it. affectionate, he should be reserved, closed. Why? Open draining, as doing so means we must get into their heads and think what they think,
Most peoples ideas for a character begin with some spark. That spark can come from affection was held in disdain by his family. Why? Instant feel what they feel and see the world as they do. Nobody knows fictional characters
anywhere: A voice, a look, a profession, a line of dialog, or a plot you want that character conflict. Instant interest. If you have no conflict, you have no more intimately than the writers (or actors) of them do, but what happens when we
involved in. Whatever that original aspect is, that is what you need to explore first. Expand story. have to write a character who is, say, a serial killer? What if our antagonist is a child
upon that dialog; describe that voice. Whatever the first spark of life is, explore it until it begins She wants him to be more open, he wants her to be more abuser, sexual deviant, or psychopathic murderer? How can we realistically write
to take shape. reserved. That equals conflict, which will conclude in these people without needing the help of a therapist?
Once you have moved beyond the first spark, you need to create a picture of that character in compromise, or severance.
your mind. This starts out very simply. Are they male or female? Does he have a bald spot? Now our heroine fears being alone, and she also fears flying. For the sake of popularity, I will be referring to the antagonist as a he and the
Does she wear glasses? What kind of clothes do they wear? How old are they? These are all Why? Perhaps her first husband was killed in a crash. Or protagonist as a she.
very basic questions, but it is surprising how often they are ignored. perhaps we should dig a little deeper. A well-adjusted adult
Next, explore the characters background. What is their profession? Does the person even have would recognize this as fear and address it. But what if No matter how terrible this person may be, mo matter how much youd rather
a job? Where do they live? What is their family like? What kind of friends do they have? What heroine lost her entire family in a plane crash when she was avoid being anywhere near him in real life, its important that you, the writer, get to
kind of things do they own? This last question can be very telling. You can approach it from young? As an adult, she'd likely recognize the fear, but having know your bad guy as thoroughly as possible in order to write a great story.
several angles. What is in their home? What is in their office at work? What do they carry in lived with that fear for so long, it'd be second nature-- habit. Remember: Just because you are writing about this awful person, it doesnt mean
their pockets? How many keys do they have? And bad habits are hardest to break, mmm? Much better, youre trying to glorify them. You are trying to show your readers what a bad
Once you reach that point, its time to dig a little deeper. Ask yourself, what makes this stronger motivation, more capable of carrying more weight. person this tyrant is and why they shouldnt like him. They shouldnt pity him
character interesting, compelling, different? Try to come up with a single-sentence description Now our hero must increase the stakes. He must fly. And during his dark moments or cheer him on if he wins; he is a very real threat to your
that will vividly show a reader what kind of person this is. This isnt necessarily the way you maybe he asks heroine to fly with him. She'll refuse. Okay, storys hero or, in some cases, to the entire world.
will describe them when you sit down to write out your story, but its important to have a clear heroine's character building is coming along, as is the plot and
image in your mind. to a degree, the setting. Now what if hero takes the flight and So how do you get to know this evil person intimately while at the same time
Some people would consider putting this earlier, but really, until you have all these details, I crashes? What if heroine is told he's dead? This reinforces her remaining the cheerful, innocent person you are?
would not get too anxious to name the character. If a name has already come to mind, great, fear of loving and losing, magnifies her fears, so that courage
but until now the character doesnt absolutely need a name. At this point though, it becomes and faith are even harder for her to feel and act upon. So if One way is to create an exhaustive profile of your antagonist. Kill the mystery of
important. You know who they are, you know what theyre like, now give them a name. Names he's dead, he can't generate more conflict. Without more why he is such a bad person. Was he abused as a child? Bullied throughout his
should match the character, but without being clich. A boxer named Punch is a little silly. conflict the story's over. But it can't be over because we school years? Does he have any physical disfigurements, mental problems or
Sure, a nickname may spring up that mirrors the characters personality, but the name itself haven't conveyed our message and the heroine has not grown. handicaps? Is he just a naturally evil person or was there a traumatic event in his life
should only suit the character, not pigeonhole them. Whole volumes can be written on naming The ending isn't satisfying. to make him that way? Write this persons life story to see where exactly he
characters alone, but suffice to say that buying a book of baby names and going through it until So.... Let's say hero is not dead. Why was heroine told he transformed into the criminal mastermind he is today. While an arduous and time-
you find one that feels good will work. was? Who told heroine he was? Now, we have a conspiracy to consuming job, writing an exhaustive history and character sketch of your
Now you can try all sorts of ways to get further into your characters head. Interviewing the separate these two. Why? Who? We need a villain. A antagonist will help you to understand why he wants to bomb the UN, kidnap
character is a good step. Ask them questions as if youre a reporter for Rolling Stone, People, or conspirator. Who is this person? Why is he/she perpetrating children, experiment on stray cats, or control anyone close to him. If you cant
a magazine appropriate to your characters background. Ask them about themselves. Let them this conspiracy? What does he/she gain? What does he/she decide on how to do this, read The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life
speak. If you have other characters in the story, ask them about your character. What do they stand to lose? How does Conspirator pull-off the conspiracy by Noah Lukeman and focus on your antagonist as you do the exercises it offers.
think about this person? Do they see him or her differently? without making the hero and heroine look stupid for believing
Another way to explore your characters can be to visualize them in the midst of their everyday it? Can the conspirator pull this off alone? Or does Another way to do this is to take advantage of the different types of point of view
activities. How do they wash their clothes? What route do they take to work? What stations do Conspirator need assistance. Let's say hero's mother is the your story can be written from. My novel is written in limited third person, offering
they pick out on the radio? How do they act at a party? How do they respond to their boss? conspirator. She's a recent widow and doesn't want to share me the chance to tell the story through my main characters eyes only as I switch
What kind of expression is on their face? Do they smile often, or rarely? Picture the character her son. Let's say Co-Conspirator is heroine's ex-fiance and from one point of view to the next. By doing so, I can create a suspenseful mood
five or ten years ago, and five or ten years in the future. Where will they be, and how will the hero's best friend. Is he participating for revenge? Too cliche. for my antagonist as he attacks someone whose only crime was making him wait to
circumstances of this story effect that? What if he really thinks hero is dead? What if Conspirator is use the phone or the steps he takes to take complete control over my protagonists
After youve created your character, its important to remember that they need to be treated as conspiring with and against Co-Conspirator simultaneously? life. With
individuals with their own needs and agendas. Dont make a character violate their basic nature What if Co-Conspirator thinks he's helping heroine and a limiting point of view, a writer can effectively, realistically write through her
just to suit the plot. If this characters actions would change your plot too much, you need to doesn't realize that there is a conspiracy? antagonist while keeping his role as a threat sound. You can either burrow yourself
either re-examine the plot, or create a more suitable character. Allow your characters to have Now you're building everyone's character, and moving the plot within your bad guys psyche or simply write about what he does. Read Characters
quirks and contradictions though. Most people have a thousand little contradictions. forward. And you keep using these same what if and who and & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card to help you understand the best way to write
The most important advice I can give is to respect your characters. Treat them as important why and how and where and what questions to continue to your story.
people, whether you like the individual characters personality or not. Remember that their build the story elements until you convey the message you
feelings matter to them. What happens to them is important to them. If you dont find your want conveyed and the story reaches its natural conclusion. Additionally, you can figure out how to write your antagonist by studying how
character compelling and worthy of exploration, how can you expect a reader to? By building, or developing, plot and characters simultaneously popular authors of today pulled it off. How did they manage to effectively write
Written by John Hewitt affixed on theme, you know that the novel segments are their antagonists scenes in a realistic way? What characterization tools do they
Thickening the Plot tightly interwoven. That no one person can change without use? A few
By Vicki Hinze altering the entire novel significantly. suggested books on how this is done well are: Pretend You Dont See Her by Mary
In crafting a novel, some experts say plot comes first. Some say it's character who leads the When plotting: Higgins Clark, The Shining by Stephen King and Along Came a Spider by James
way. Some say it's neither, and some say it's both. 1. Don't always take the first "next step" that comes to mind. Patterson. Study these varying styles and look for others in any horror, suspense,
They're all right. And wrong. Explore it, but dig deeper and ponder the other possibilities crime or mystery novels you may read.
As writers, we take the basic methods established for accomplishing a craft task, and amend that come to mind, too. Look for those odd, unexpected
those methods to suit ourselves. We find our natural rhythm, our own way that works. Since twists, where you veer from the norm and are delighted and Finally, spend time with your antagonist. Write him into various different scenes
accomplishing the task is our goal, not the method we use to achieve that end, it's imperative surprised. Those steps typically delight and surprise the reader, you dont need to necessarily include in your story. Watch how he interacts with
that we remain flexible and open-minded-- perpetual students, if you will-- so that when a new- too. others: his family, friends, co-workers, people on the street. You can also try acting
to-us method comes along, we explore its possibilities. 2. Don't accept coincidence as a substitute for well-integrated him
Before looking specifically at plotting, let's look at what we hope to achieve: a well-crafted motivation. It isn't. And, while coincidence occurs with out to get into character before you sit down to write a scene he is in. Be the
novel. Well, what is a well-crafted novel? It's one where the plot, the characters, the setting and monotonous regularity in life, novels require logical, express psychiatrist who never gives up on this poor soul, delving into his motives as much
theme are all tightly interwoven. So tightly interwoven that if one novel element changes, one motivation. as possible. Get to the heart of your antagonists role in the story to see why this
character changes, one story event changes, then the entire novel changes. 3. Don't keep any "next step" that doesn't: particular person is playing this particular role. Readers ultimately want to know
Think of the novel as a molecular structure. If one molecule moves out of place, or its aspects A. advance the plot why something bad is happening in the story and why they should even take time
change, then the molecular structure is irrevocably changed. Forever altered. Different. Why? B. deepen characterization out of their busy lives to read more than 200 pages about it. If you dont know why
Because each molecule that changes forces additional changes on the other molecules. They C. end with a hook that incites reader to read on youve
must alter and adapt to fit with the altered molecule. D. come as a natural progression of what's been foreshadowed got this insane monster running about in your created world, aimlessly drifting
For example: Your heroine is a New York socialite. Your setting is Pinehurst, Mississippi: a earlier from one scene to the next, your readers wont, either. They may put your book
small, rural community. Your socialite is matter out of place, and that can be good because E. contain conflict down and watch a Law & Order show instead. Read The Criminal Mind: A Writers
matter out of place creates conflict. F. move characters either closer to or farther from their goals Guide to Forensic Psychology by Katherine Ramsland to help you explore your
But let's say your heroine acts, thinks, and reacts as a rural community Mississippian rather G. contain logical, believable, and reasonable motivation antagonists psyche.
than the New York socialite she purportedly is, and must be for the novel to accomplish its goal. If you plot and build characters true to their settings and
This character has stepped out of her assigned space in the intended molecular structure. stations in life, you maintain respect for the integrity of each Taking a cue from actors, fiction writers can boast, Im not a mad scientist but I
There's a weak link, and she's it. Now the other novel elements must shift and alter to fill the novel element, then you will craft a plot that is unique to you, play one in my story. It is not impossible to write a true-to-life antagonist in your
gap created by this shift to sustain logic, belief, and novel credibility. but one universal to others. This is instrumental in writing story and make readers think there must be something wrong with you. Your goal
That this metamorphosis occurs is a blessing to writers, though some don't view it is as one, but fiction. as a fiction writer is to do this job beautifully while ensuring in the end that there
as a complication creating challenges that require a great deal of thought and sweat to correct. Having accomplished the above, you now have a skeleton plot isnt.
And while that thought and sweat might well be necessary, they are a blessing, an opportunity. ready to be tested on the plot board for gaps in logic, in
And when these shifts settle and the writer searches diligently and can find no weak links, then sequencing, in characterization, in motivation and conflict.
the writer knows that he has a cohesive whole structure that will bear the weight of its tasks. Now you refine and flesh out the skeleton. You foreshadow
One effective way to craft a novel is to build plot, character, and setting and theme major, coming events in Chapter 4 in Chapter 3. You lay the Breathing Life Into Your Characters
simultaneously. Keeping in mind the three things a reader will not forgive an author, consider foundations upon which you build. By Charlotte Boyett-Compo
taking the following steps: On the plot board, "holes" become glaringly apparent. So do His was a gentle smile that could melt the stone-cold heart of any reluctant female.
1. What do you want the novel to say? threads introduced that were not pulled through the novel. The deep azure depths of his flashing eyes were maelstroms into which a woman
2. Who is best able to say what you want said? Remember the molecular structure? Well, here on the plot could fall happily forever and never once question where she was headed. Strong
board, you look at each molecule separately to make sure it's arms and gentle hands; powerful chest and sturdy thighs; a mop of tousled thick
black curls all combined by the gods to create a brawny Irish outlaw. With a voice that could sees their faces. He tells his son "Not a day goes by when I know how humiliation feels. Unless we've lived sheltered lives, most of us were
send shivers of pure sexual delight through even the most jaded courtesan, there was nothing don't ask for forgiveness for what I did." taunted for one reason or another as children. Our humiliation probably led to
this side of heaven more glorious than the touch of his eyes and his hands. Dramatic heroes are drawn with more dimension when the anger, so we understand when the hero fights back. It's even expected, though we,
And his name was Syn. writer gives them a flaw which deepens their character. In ourselves, might have cowered and given up during our humiliating experience.
If you can read the description of one of the characters in a novel and picture that character James Ellroy's L.A. Confidential Bud White is known as a Identifying with a triumphant hero might often be the only way readers can
clearly, the writer has accomplished his/her goal. The description should flow swiftly across thug on the Los Angeles Police Department. He beats up vicariously live the victory of overcoming their own personal flaws.
your mind; settle there for examination; then pass on to that mysterious part of you that perpetrators, intimidates criminals who evade their charges Question:
controls your imagination. Breathing life into your characters is even more important than and sends threatening postcards to those he's helped How can I start a story, when I have to write about a special motif, a special theme
fleshing out the storyline. If you have characters the reader finds distracting--or boring--you are incarcerate. But White has his standards. The men he ("love is blind" for example). Sometimes writers have to work with such themes
going to lose that reader's interest very quickly. pulverizes are wife beaters. It is his attempt to shut out the because the editor wants it for a special anthology. How can I create strong
She had red hair and green eyes. Not quite six feet tall, she was not what one thought of as a nightmares of being a sixteen-year old boy handcuffed for a characters in this case? How can I avoid coldconstruction (do you know what I
femme fatale. Her voice was a cross between soft Southern drawl and Cajun patois. week in a room with the rotting corpse of his murdered mean?) How can I use your method?
And her name was Angelique. mother. After White's father is paroled for the killing, this Answer:
Can you picture her clearly? You have a great imagination if you can. Most readers will "see" detective can't help but exorcise his demons every time he All good stories are about transformation of character. In a novel, full length play, or
the red hair and the "almost six feet tall," but there will be no definitive image in their minds encounters a man who's hit a woman. screenplay, that transformation should be profound. Such as in Dickens' A
upon which to build. The writer hasn't told you anything about her. You haven't gained any Even a one-dimensional character such as Superman shows Christmas Carol, a heartless, cruel miser becomes a Santa Clause. In a short story
insight into what she is like other than-through inference--she might be from Louisiana. Is she a his physical weakness in the face of Kryptonite. Dramatically or one act play, the transformation will naturally be less profound, often simply
sexy siren? A striking partner for her delicious bonny Irish outlaw? Or is she a sorority sister speaking, this weaken state widens the Man of Steel's choices. what James Joyce called an "epiphany." In other words the character will come to
from Louisiana State University? He is no longer invulnerable and must act with more cunning realize something about themselves or there relationships, or life and so on.
Angelique was a stunning beauty with flaming red hair and eyes the color of precious emeralds. if he is to overcome obstacles. A flaw makes a character more Usually the nature of the transformation comes as a surprise to the reader. A
Her tall, willowy form flowed gracefully on the tavern's stage. Her soft Southern drawl had a interesting because it demands more of him or her. surprise, yet the reader should not feel that it does not come from no where, that it
touch of Cajun patois to give it a distinctive quality as she spoke her lines. She was a saucy Creating The Flaw is consistent with the way that the character is presented to the reader from the
wench: a striking challenge to the black Irishman who sat staring at her over his cup of ale. Before an author creates a detailed plot, it is a good idea to beginning.
You should be able to picture the two characters as they regard one another across the smoky work out a character's background. By creating a flaw at this When creating a character for a thematic story as you suggest, you need to have in
room of the tavern. You should be able to hear the raucous laughter of the patrons; smell the point, the author can more easily determine how the hero will mind the kind of transformation the character is going to experience. On the theme
unwashed bodies; sense the interest Syn is directing toward this woman he has decided he act in the yet-to-be determined plot. James N. Frey, in his of "love is blind" you might, say, want to create a character who is blind to his
wants. You should feel Angelique's heart beating wildly as she stares back at this handsome book The Key, How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the lover's infidelities, who refuses to believe she is being unfaithful at every
stranger who has gained her notice. Watch! Do you see her tongue dart out to flick at the Power of Myth (St. Martins), breaks down a character's opportunity. Or perhaps the lover is blind to other character defects, such as
perspiration on her upper lip as she stands there in front of the footlights? Do you see Syn's background as physical, sociological and psychological. The selfishness or bitchiness, or whatever. You would then create the backstory of the
azure eyes narrow with instant sexual response? flaw can be in any one or all of these dimensions. Wherever character that would result in a character with a blind spot.
Just from these two paragraphs from the novel, you should be able to assimilate all that and the author chooses to create the flaw, it will by necessity affect As an example, you might create a character, Detrich Bonhoffer, who is orphaned
more from the description of the characters. A writer is only as good as the words he uses and if the other facets of the character's personality. as a child and grows up wary of people because of the mistreatment he receives in a
his words convey more than mere description, he has accomplished his goal. Let's create a heroine named Abby. Abby has an obvious series of foster homes, but is secretly yearning for a great love. He's a steady
Lord Darthly Vanous, the Duke of Canfield and a swordsman of note, had a habit of clucking physical defect. She was born without ears. As Abby grows person, hard working, a brilliant mathematician, who, though he yearns for a great
his tongue when he was annoyed. His prissy little mouth would purse and make horrid little up, her schoolmates make fun of her-so to prove her love in his life, believes in his heart he will never achieve it. He fears giving his love
smacking sounds as he contemplated whatever was irritating him. The noises were a clear attractiveness, she becomes promiscuous (psychology). for fear that his love will be spurned, hence, he is a lonely man, often depressed,
indication that something was troubling the man. Most listeners cringed when they heard those Abby's mother tries to help her child and sends her away to a sometimes suicidal. His dour, cynical attitude puts people off, which further isolates
sneering sounds for they knew Lord Darthly was about to explode and when Darthly exploded, boarding school to give her a fresh start. In this all-girl him.
men died. environment, Abby realizes her worth is based on who she is, The key to creating characters is to make them come alive for you, the creator. The
One of the worst mistakes a writer can make is excessively describing the characters' personal not what she looks like (sociology). Abby goes on to become above sketch of Detrich's backstory is of course an abbreviated version of what I'd
habits. Padding the description is probably just as much of a distraction to the reader as not a world-class fashion designer. At what point the author wants recommend a writer do to create a major character for a story. I would suggest that
giving enough detail to hold their interest. You don't want to bog down the story in extraneous to tell a story which involves Abby will determine how the the backstory information cover several pages so that the writer would understand
words. Speak slowly; speak softly; and wield your pen wisely. flaw affects her decisions. this character thoroughly, how he looks, acts, and thinks.
Darthly was a man to be feared. When he pursed his lips and gave in to the sneer for which he If the story is told as an adult, the author might have Abby I also recommend strongly that the writer create a journal in the characters own
was infamous, the wise man fled his company. It was rumored that a cluck of Lord Darthly's involved in the life of a beautiful model. If Abby loses a voice to aid the writer in getting into the character's head:
tongue was the last sound most men who had annoyed him ever heard before the Duke of boyfriend to the model, she might fall into despair, but Yes, I have had a good life here at the university. My career has gone
Canfield's sword ended their lives. because she is a dramatic heroine, she'll prevail and her really rather well. As you know, I am known as the man who has
From reading that paragraph, can you see Darthly sitting in the shadows there at The Thistle experience of having dealt with her physical flaw has solved Wexley's Conundrum. In the world of mathematics, I'm very
and Rose Tavern? Do you hear the growl of annoyance as he watches the object of his pursuit toughened her enough to vent her pain into her work. The well known. I'm known by my students as a difficult, serious person,
becoming enthralled by the Irish upstart? Is there murder in the Duke's brutal gaze? Is his palm model gains weight, loses the boyfriend and commits suicide. but fair. I believe that mathematics is a difficult field and no one
sweating as he caresses the sword at his hip? Do his teeth grind? Will there be a challenge The boyfriend, now impressed with Abby's growing fame as a should be in it if they don't have the aptitude. My textbook is doing
before the evening shadows have given way to morning light? designer, wants her back. In conflict, Abby will have to decide well and the money allows me to travel, which I enjoy.
If the writer has done his/her job correctly, you should be able to envision what is coming next. between her career and the man she once loved. There are You (this is addressed to the writer) have asked me to speak of my
You see Angelique's scarlet skirts twirl as she dances; you hear her melodic voice sing her lines; many factors that will affect her decision, but they will all be childhood, which I'd rather forget. At one of my foster homes I was
you see her ample bosom push against the white cotton of her blouse. You sense Syn's growing rooted in her understanding of the nature of beauty. fed only mush for three years and had to put cardboard in my shoes
interest; you watch as he lifts his tankard for one last drink before he pushes from his chair, Flaws Not Faults because of so many holes in the soles. I was given my own room,
flinging a gold coin to the scarred table top as he rises; your heartbeat accelerates as he The flaw is not a fault, but rather a scar. A character who is which the law demanded, but it always smelled of the rendering
swaggers to the stage, his intention clear. You become expectant as Darthly rises, too; you smell raped is not flawed in the sense of being damaged goods, but plant across the street. I hated it. I was a always lonely. I used to
the stench of too much ale on his breath; you watch the savagery of his frown increase as Syn suffers from the event in a way which will affect her future watch the girl in the next house brush her hair every night. She had
lifts his hand to Angelique. Was that a cluck of the Duke of Canfield's tongue you just heard? choices. The flawed protagonist can be victimized but can long blond hair that she wore in braids during the day and she
Your characters have to be very special in order to grab the reader. It doesn't matter what color, never be a victim. brushed it for an hour every night while she hummed to herself. She
creed, or nationality they are. It matters only to you if the hero has black hair or blond or The flaw can be developed from a family trait, failure or knew I watched her from my darkened room and I think she liked it,
brown. Some writers like brawny men with crisp curls on their chest; some writers prefer no blindspot which renders the character in denial. The knowing she was admired. I used to dream of her. I called her Hilda
hair at all on those chiseled pecs. The readers-if the character is well drawn-won't care so long stubbornness of Scarlett O'Hara can be traced to her to myself, because that was the name of a girl in a book that I had
as he has all the attributes that make him memorable. Is he a cowboy? A pirate? A medieval temperamental father who mounts a horse, chases after the read. I never knew her real name even though she lived right next
knight? A vampire? No matter what his occupation or avocation, make him so intensely Yankees, tries to jump a fence and is killed. In Henrik Ibsen's door. She was two years older than me and went to the Catholic
unforgettable, he will forever be the epitome of that occupation or avocation in your readers' Ghosts Mrs. Alving must live with the sins of her husband-a school...
minds. Give him a trait that is all his; don't make him a carbon, cookie-cutter copy of some son going insane from syphilis, and an illegitimate daughter. Even though this character was created with a theme in mind, he has, in these short
character about whom you have read. MAKE HIM SPECIAL! Jason in Greek myth marries a woman who killed her own paragraphs hopefully started to come alive, to be real and individualized.
As for your heroine . . . brother-why is he surprised when she kills his children? In Now then, as to the theme, "love is blind." Let us say he falls in love at age 51 with
Please, please, PLEASE! Don't make her a silly little twit who keeps getting her shapely butt modern dramatic fiction it is nearly always the case that the 33 year old Uta Mann.
into trouble every time you turn around. That will get as boring to the reader as it must be for hero overcomes the drawback and learns a lesson. When the Let's just say she needs to be created in such a way that she will both love our hero
the poor hero who has to extricate that shapely butt from its myriad perils. There is no quicker hero doesn't transcend the failure, the story becomes a and want to have an affair with another man. She plots to murder Dietrich, but even
way of turning off your readers than to contrive a stupid situation into which you have the tragedy. when conclusive proof of this is shown to him, he continues to love her because he
heroine thrust herself just so the hero can come galloping up at the last moment to save her. It's Authors can use the specter of failure to infuse their plots with needs to love her, it comes out of his character.
been done. more conflict for the hero. A protagonist whose father is a The transformation in the man is that he goes insane over her, such as the blindness
And done. serial murderer brings baggage that is not his or her fault, but of his love and speaks to her of them spending eternity together, which she goes
And done. Ad nauseum. this character's actions will be judged in light of the father. along with hoping that he means she's going to help her get out of prison, but what
Breathe fiery life into your characters. Give them special traits that will set them apart from all Ghosts of the past affect the present or threaten the future. he means is they should die together in each other's arms.
the others out there. Make them so unforgettable that when your reader puts the book aside, it Haunted people and haunted events give a history to the Ah, the tragedy of it.
will be with a great deal of regret. setting and allow the reader to grasp the hero's internal and The important thing is that the lover's blindness is a result of the character's
But then, there's always the sequel! external struggles. Heathcliff would be an amoral sociopath development so that the reader never gets the feeling that the actions are a
Charlotte Boyett-Compo, also known to her friends as Charlee, is a prolific historical without our understanding of his abusive childhood. Dr. contrivance of the author.
romance and dark fantasy novelist. She has established a large following on the Web after e- Frankenstein is a run-on-the-mill mad genius without his "Double, double toil and trouble;
publishing many of her works. Read more about her here. passion to 'banish disease from the human frame." Gatsby Fire burn and caldron bubble."
<http://www.prairieden.com/front_porch/visiting_authors/boyett_compo.html> could be another spoilt millionaire except that we know his The witches of MacBeth conjure as they stir the boiling caldron. Soon MacBeth
Copyright 1998-200, Charlotte Boyett-Compo past poverty and discipline which earned him his fortune and arrives and the witch's charm gives rise to apparitions which foretell the Scottish
Ancient Greek stories are full of characters whose fatal flaw brings about their downfall-the gives the reader insight into his present actions. Regardless of general's fate. (They also give away the rest of the plot.) The weird sisters show
arrogance of Oedipus, the ambition of Jason, and don't forget Achilles and his heel. Modern what story the author may choose to tell, this kind of flawed MacBeth a future that's worth considering: do they simply predict it or have they
fiction offers the anti-hero. In Billy Wilder's 1950 classic film Sunset Boulevard, we can't help protagonist adds depth to the plot. caused it? In this caldron is everything that happens to MacBeth. It is the same
but hope that Joe Gillis escapes the decaying mansion of aging movie star Norma Desmond Why Have A Flaw caldron in which we want to place our characters-a boiling crucible that they cannot
even though we know in the first scene he's been shot and killed. Despite his cynical attitude No, it is not strictly necessary that a protagonist have a flaw. escape.
Joe is likable because we see him trying so hard to reclaim his life from Desmond's Santa Claus has no overweening flaws. Teen detective Nancy The ingredients are the situations in which your characters find themselves. These
manipulative games. He attempts to redeem himself as a screenwriter and a human being. Yet Drew is near perfect as are most child protagonists and events can be linked to or caused by the place in which they occur. How the
he will not succeed. Joe is inherently flawed. He has been beaten up by the studio system. He is classical romantic heroines-Harper Lee's Scout in To Kill A circumstances are dealt with in a big city can be substantially different than how
tired, doubtful of his own talent and has lost his passion. Hollywood has scarred him and now Mockingbird and Shakesphere's Juliette for example. Even characters react in a small town. The caldron can be an urban jungle, a hamlet, a
affects every decision he makes. James Bond never seems to ponder his upbringing (though city hall, a hospital, a school, a home. It can also be a profession such as politics,
Joe Gillis's actions are not always admirable. When he is dared to change, he rebukes his love some might make a case for his womanizing being a latent law, medicine, teaching or publishing. Whatever the author's choices, the milieu
interest; when called on to act, he refuses. Gillis doesn't rise to the heroic challenge, but his flaw). While the average person might fantasize about being should be a caldron that essentially imprisons the characters. If any single character
flaws are what makes the movie's plot play out as it does. A less vulnerable hero would have Juliette or Bond, not many of us have sincere empathy for can walk away from the environment, then there is no story regardless of the
made different decisions and there would have been no story. It is the hero's flaw that bonds the them. circumstances.
character to certain actions. The perfect person is too untouchable to create a character Setting As Character
Every flawed hero needn't be an anti-hero but they are related. While all heroes live by their who readers identify with, except as escapism in the case of Some towns and cities are distinctive. Write about the Empire State Building or the
own rules, the anti-hero is more likely to cross moral lines. The flawed protagonist may try to James Bond. In fact, the perfect character, who is most often Statue of Liberty and most readers will instantly recognize New York. The Golden
live by society's rules, yet simply can't because of some hidden secret or because of something seen on television, frequently becomes an object of ridicule. Gate Bridge identifies San Francisco, Wrigley Field describes Chicago, Disneyland
that happened which changed their outlook on life. Typically, this event occurred in the past, Consider Cordelia, the perfect cheerleader type on Buffy, the encapsulates much about Southern California. There are unconscious associations
prior to the story's beginning. Robert Rodate's screenplay The Patriot begins with the words of Vampire Slayer, or Billy Thomas on Ally McBeal. They are so with these landmarks which the writer can use to bolster the setting. Wall Street
his protagonist Benjamin Martin: "I have long feared that my sins would return to visit me and perfect that we find ourselves delighting in their mistakes and might be an indicator of commerce or a goal to which the protagonist aspires. The
the cost is more than I can bear." On the eve of the American Revolution Martin declines to take hoping that they fail. Both characters were invigorated once Statue of Liberty can set the tone of "huddled masses yearning to be free" or be
part in the fight even though he's a hero of the French and Indian War. Other men think he's a viewers were shown their flaws and Cordelia even flourished used as a metaphor for an individual character. The light of freedom can inspire or
coward. When his son is killed by the British he revenges himself on the soldiers, killing them on another series. the great stone statue could be held up as a lie if the characters do not achieve their
in frenzy of bloodshed. His other sons are witnesses to a fury they've never seen in their father. The flaw can bond the reader to the character. Lajos Egri goals.
His eldest finally learns the story of his father's past: coming upon slaughtered settlers, points out in The Art of Creative Writing (Carol Pub.) that However, London Bridge now resides in the desert resort of Lake Havasu, Arizona.
including depraved acts on the bodies of woman and children, Benjamin and his compatriots "Identification can be established easily if the characters create This opens opportunities to establish character traits related to the place. How is it
take their revenge on the enemy by slowly torturing them to death and sending their body parts emotions which we recognize at once," and notes that that in the hot, arid desert sits one of England's well-known landmarks that many
to the French and Cherokee camps. For the rest of his life Benjamin hears their screams and emotions are the "invisible chain, linking man to man all over mature readers remember from nursery rhymes? What does it say about the people
the globe." We needn't know what it is to be without ears to who live here? More importantly, is it descriptive of the characters in your story?
Are there opportunities to use the disparate associations of an English bridge and the southwest The thematic essay or "fictional essay" (that is, thematic without pay, double checking every order so there was never a
to color your setting, the plot and the complexities of your characters? novel) is organized by topic or theme, and frequently uses the mistake, never staying home sick even once when he had a bad
Small Town vs. Big City retrospective, reflective voice. Under the topic of "trust," for tooth that felt like his head would explode.
My unique perspective is that I was raised in a small eastern Kentucky town of about 15,000 for example, the writer presents examples, anecdotes, scenes and Thinking he was about to be promoted, he raced off to to the
the first part of my life, and have lived the last 20 years in a city-San Francisco. In a small town stories demonstrating aspects of trust, usually in a rising order formans office. The shipping department was one huge room, the
people are stuck with pre-conceived notions of who they are as defined by the community. This of importance rather than chronology. These are linked size of a football field. The mill employed a hundred men in the
is intensified by their upbringing, the family's history and town's social code. In my current San together by transitional sentences, symbols, images or motifs. shipping department alone. The ceiling was made of glass, so there
Francisco apartment building, it was six months before I saw another human being in the Life is seen as a series of ideas of increasing complexity was always a sort of yellowish glow in the daytime as the sunlight
hallway. For a while I suspected I might be in a Stephen King novel and that no one else really reflected on and refined over time. The order is by importance. poured in through the dusty glass. There were great bolts of cloth in
lived on my floor. Examples: rolls which needed to be tied into bundles and shipped in huge
In a small town the social construction of relationships is tighter. The characters can't escape Soul on Ice orders and loaded onto trucks, which pulled into the docking bays
their in-laws, ex-lovers, or ex-spouses There are political connections to consider-what if the Most essays and many memoirs every evening to be loaded for the next morning.
Mayor is related to the man who shot the protagonist's dog? The main character considers a IV. THE NONLINEAR TALE When Jason burst through the door to the forman's office, he knew
lawsuit, but finds out the judge is also a second cousin to the defendant. These home-grown The nonlinear novel or nonlinear nonfiction (essay, memoir) immediately this was not about a promotion. The forman, old Mr.
conflicts are ready-made in the small town caldron. focuses on a central event, metaphor, or meaning of life, Jenkle, was seated at this desk, a stern, accusing look on his face.
Whether small town or big city what is important to most protagonists is the same: home, which is divided into tiny moments or slices of a scene. These There were two sheriff's deputies standing on either side of the desk
family, career, social acceptance in their community, a lifestyle to pursue one's passions. The slices are then interspersed with narrative leading up to and glaring at Jason.
threats to his or her world must be inescapable according to the rules of that realm. In a small following this key event in a rising order of significance so that "We've got you, Edson," Mr. Jenkle said. "We know what you've
town, adultery could bring about catastrophic consequences because it affects the entire at the end we arrive at the meaning or understanding of that been up to."
community. The same situation in a big city would hardly draw notice because it is important key event in shaping the characters life. Readers are gripped "You'd better tell us who's in it with you," one of the sheriff's said.
only to those involved. even though they know what happens; the authors focus is "We might put a good word in with the judge if you do."
A city detective would follow clues stemming from the murder of a person having an affair. on why. Often the result is a powerful tragic tale. Life is seen Jason shook his head, he hadn't the faintest idea what they were
Common sense says to look at those entangled in the situation. In a small town the police as a mosaic, a collage of forces and events, recurring images talking about. He rubbed his elbow. Whenever he was anxious, an
would have a larger pool of suspects, from the local clergyman who sees the affair as that acquire meaning through repetition, leading to a deeper old bicycle injury kicked up--the injury that had ruined his dreams
destroying community morals, to the gossip living at the corner who manages to get into understanding. The order, used for shock value, is nonlinear, of becoming a New York Yankee.
everyone's business. This detective has a more consuming task to sort out perceptions and pre- with a rising order of significance, and is meant to imitate or The foreman said they wanted to see his locker.
conceived notions of the community when considering suspects. reflect the human process of thinking and absorbing No problem, Jason said, he had nothing to hide. He was a family
The big city also raises unique challenges for writers. Urban settings are filled with seas of experience. man, he said, he had two kids, hed never do anything criminal, hed
nobodies where everyone must forge a reputation. In a city you might never run into your Examples: never risk prison...
enemy, in a small town you can't escape them. In a city a lot can be avoided, so motivations Okay, youll notice that the information about the character, the scene-setting
The Death of Ivan Ilyitch
must be kept more intense within the caldron. The author must find the small town in the big descriptions, and so on, comes as the story unfolds rather than as narrative sludge
city. The story setting becomes a microcosm of a small town-a block on a street, a We Were the Mulvaneys or throat clearing.
neighborhood, a workplace, a profession. "Discovery" essays (author gradually discovers Okay, so from now on when you start a story you will put a character into
A gang has elements of the family, city hall is like a family, a law firm, a hospital or a school can meaning of key event) TERRIBLE TROUBLE right from the start and you will make sure that the
mimic a small town in that all the parties know each other well, work long hours together, and a A reader asks: TERRIBLE TROUBLE gets even more TERRIBLE as the story unfolds. This is
particular situation can stimulate conflict. In your books, you write a lot about plotting, really the most important thing about being a story teller. Get your character into
The author must create the caldron so that for dramatic storytelling purposes, the character will about building characters and stories. What can TERRIBLE TROUBLE and keep him there.
not or cannot escape the circumstances. If characters hates their neighbors, they can move-no you teach me about the storytelling en detail? I You also asked about narration. A fiction writer uses narration for two reasons. One
story there. If the neighbor is suspected in another building occupant's murder, the protagonist heard about narration, about scenes and is to inform the reader of the antecedent actions--the events that happened before
can still move away if frightened enough. If the victim is the main character's spouse-now there dialogue, about sequels and so on, but when I the now of the story that are having an impact on the events of the story the reader
is a reason to stay. The protagonist might be scared-that's good-it raises suspense, and there's m writing a story, I don't know how to use is reading. The other use of narrative is to relate ongoing dramatic actions to the
also the possibility of being killed, too. If the police can't prove a case against the neighbor, the these things. My teachers told me to be concise reader that take place over a period of time greater than would be practical in a
protagonist will, no matter how long it takes, and continuing to live in that same building. Note and they said "use telling details!" So I write dramatic scene.
that the same kind of clergyman or gossip from the small town can commit the murder in the scenes, dialogues and descriptions to take the When writing narrative, it is important to remember that all the techniques you use
large city, but what has happened in this instance is a small-town caldron in an urban setting. reader into the story. But then, the story to make a scene gripping to the reader--conflict, inner conflict, emotion, sensuous
Avoid Stereotypes becomes very long, and I need three or four details, character development, and so on, are also used when writing narrative.
In my native section of the country, eastern Kentucky, we take our stereotyping seriously. The scenes before the first conflict comes. When Heres an example of bad narrative. Well use Jason Edson again. Lets say hes run
Appalachian Mountains are the landscape and the people who live there are called hillbillies, instead I use narration to get to the conflict away from the cops and is now on the run:
rednecks, good ole boys and other denigrating names reminiscent of the dangerous characters faster, my writing becomes pale, boring, and As he drove, he thought about his wife, Ellen and how terrible this
in the movie Deliverance. Kentuckians don't like this stereotype, not simply because it isn't true superficial. What is the mystery about using would be for her. Theyd met at a dance ten years ago in high school
but is also a mocking generalization about an entire region of people who are as diverse as any narration and scene writing in the right mix? and had dated for six years. Ellen was a good, decent person, and
in a city. A writer who lets a character slip into a regional stereotype has tainted the caldron. The A fellow creative writing teacher once said to me, "did you she worked hard with the kids and to keep a good home for him....
amounts to putting in too much salt when what you needed was the eye of newt. ever notices that beginning writers always really start a short Its not horrible because its in the context of TERRIBLE TROUBLE, but its really
Other examples of regional stereotyping include the rude New Yorker, the kooky Californian, story on page 7 and a novel on page 53?" just narrative sludge. Lets apply some of the techniques of the dramatic scene to
the illegal Mexican immigrant, the stingy Jew and the Southwestern gunslinger. This raises an I told him I wasn't sure it was always exactly 7 and 53 pages, this:
important question for writers. What do we do when a character of a certain region, nationality but I knew what he was getting at. Beginning writers do have a Jason slowed as he started up the side of the mountain on the rutted
or profession must act in a way which could be deemed stereotypical? One strategy I problem getting their stories going. dirt road, here the ponderosa pines were thick on the side of the road
recommend is what I call spinning the stereotype. That's because the beginning writers falsely believe they have and he rolled down the window and inhaled their fresh, clean scent.
To spin the stereotype the writer keeps the basic action and intent of the scene, maintain the to "set the stage" and "inform the reader about past events" He remembered taking Ellen here on their first date, how shy she
plot and narrative color of the environment, but make the integrity of the character just the before getting on with the story. Some call these stage setting seemed holding onto the handle of the door, her eyes taking furtive
opposite of what is popularly expected. Let's spin a stereotype in what might be one of the openings "narrative sludge, others, "throat clearing", which glances toward him. He remembered how she made his insides feel
most evil places in history-Germany during World War II. refers to the bad habit of clumsy public speakers who must warm, his heart beat fast. He remembered that same shyness at the
No one would dispute the horror in this caldron. Almost every piece of fiction set in this place first "clear their throat" with coughs and snorts and so on Oak Barrel Motel where they went on their wedding night, how
and time period-whether novel, movie or story-depicts the evil German soldier. This is a before getting on with their speech. afraid she was and how they sat for an hour drinking sour wine as he
problem for the writer. We've seen this character too many times before. The evil German One reason for this all this throat clearing in fiction writing is stroked her golden yellow hair and kissed her neck. He remembered,
soldier is always the same-brutish, without conscience, amoral. Writing this kind of character because beginning writers don't trust their readers to wait for too, how sweetly she looked at him when he came home from work
time after time or making every German soldier have the same traits becomes an awful clich the scene setting to come after the conflicts are underway. But smelling of dust and carpet chemicals and sweat, and how she
and ultimately, not interesting to read except for horror-value. old pros know you can trust them. Readers are patient, they always hugged him and kissed him, and how her bright blue eyes
To spin this stereotype, consider making the soldier hate what he is doing, consider giving him will wait to find out the heroine is a redhead and her mother sparkled...
polite manners, even as he sends innocent people to their deaths, consider showing him going was a Parisian, that her sister died in a car crash and that shes Okay, so the same principle applies when doing dramatic narrative for events that
to church and sincerely confessing his sins every Sunday. This way the writer hasn't changed allergic to pumpkin seeds. An old pro knows the reader loves happen over time as the story unfolds. Beginning writers try to simply summarize
the intent of the story-showing an evil person doing evil things-but has instead deepened the to discover the past as the future unfolds in the story; its one the events and it reads like summary, not like good fiction. Heres an example:
character and made him all the more chilling because of his courtesy and internal struggle with of the delights of reading fiction. Jason stayed in the mountains all that summer, stealing food from
his own actions. This soldier is not a clich and will never come off as boring in the story. Here is a throat clearing type of opening: campers, sleeping in his car, afraid to contact his wife. Summer
So the next time you write a character of a certain region which is a hackneyed image in our Jason Edson worked in the shipping turned into fall, and he took to stealing food from the kitchen at the
popular culture, consider spinning the stereotype. (Note that this method also works for non- department at Hillside Mills in Centerville, ski lodge. He stole blankets and clothes, always careful not to get
regional clichs as well.) Ohio. He was 28, married, had two children, a caught...
Characterizing the setting always strengthens writing. The place that characters bond to roots boy of six, a girl of 10. He was tall and slender If we simply apply the same techniques to this that we do to scene writing, it is far
them in an organic structure, whether it be a hometown that's fostered generations of a family, and had dark brown eyes. His mother was half more involving for the reader. Really the only difference is, time is going by faster:
or a profession which defines them, such as law, medicine or the theater. Whatever ingredients Mexican, a great beauty in her youth, and a Jason entered the wilderness area in late August, and for the first few
make up a story's circumstances or a character's personality traits, it is always up to the author devote Catholic. His father was of English days, he hid in the thick ponderosa pine groves, covering his car
to keep the caldron boiling. decent from the Boston area, a welder by trade, with their branches that he tore away from young trees with his bare
Although Jim Frye talked about fictional essays and dramatic novels, I believe that both fiction and a good and decent man. Jason was not a hands, cutting his skin and getting sticky with sweet smelling sap.
and creative nonfiction (memoir, essay, narrative nonfiction) can fit into any of these four great student in school, but he loved to play Hunger began to gnaw at him on the third day and he began, he
categories below. That is, all four categories are used in structuring both fiction and nonfiction; baseball and dreamed of becoming a New York thought, to hallucinate. Ellen appeared before him, shaking her
what distinguishes fiction from nonfiction is not so much the structure as the process of Yankee someday, but he hurt his elbow in a head--telling him what? He didnt know. Should he give himself up?
discovering, selecting and shaping raw material. bicycle accident when he was eleven and was No, damn it, he hadnt done anything, he needed time to think.
The fiction writer imagines and creates characters, settings, and scenes; these elements may be never good at baseball after that. He took up On the fourth day he stole a picnic basket full of succulent ham
closely autobiographical or wildly imaginative. The nonfiction writer remembers characters, the French horn in high school, but lost interest sandwiches and sour pickles. He was careful that no one saw him,
settings, and scenes; added to these elements may be historical facts, hypothetical explanations, in it when he saw hed never be really good at hiding under the pine trees, crawling through the thick, damp beds
or conflations of time and characters. Each writer then selects and arranges these elements it. of pine needles. It was becoming a game, and he was becoming
depending on a primary purpose, using one of these four forms: The shipping department where Jason worked good at it. He learned to take just a little, not to be missed, so they
I. THE EPISODIC JOURNEY was one huge room, the size of a football field. would not even know he was there.
Both the episodic novel and the episodic nonfiction (essay, memoir) are chronological, The mill employed a hundred men in the By September the nights were growing colder and he was missing
presenting events of a life on a timeline. The events may be told as scenes, anecdotes, vignettes, shipping department alone. The ceiling was Ellen and the kids, but he dared not call. He mother was a devout
or summary. The events may or may not be linked causally, but they occur one after another. made of glass, so there was always a sort of Mexican Catholic and she had taught him about Hell, and she
Often there is a journey, which ends when the goal is reached. Life is seen as a series of yellowish glow in the daytime as the sunlight compared it to prisons, which she described as places of solitary
adventures or travelogue. The order is chronological. poured in through the dusty windows. There confinement in dank cells, and horrible beatings by sadistic guards.
Examples: were great bolts of cloth in rolls which needed The idea that he might be locked up in one of those terrible places
Picaresque novels like Don Quixote to be tied into bundles and shipped in huge sent a shudder through him.
Comedies in which "life happens" orders and loaded onto trucks, which pulled He awoke one night with a start. Hed been dreaming of Ellen and
into the docking bays every evening to be she had no face. When he awoke, he realized the image of her in his
Many biographies, autobiographies and travelogues loaded for the next morning... mind was not as sharp as it used to be. He had to see her, but how?
II. THE DRAMATIC STORY Okay, pretty dull, eh? Reading the warning label on pack of He was certain the police were watching the house. He couldnt take
In the dramatic novel and the dramatic nonfiction (essay, memoir) a series of scenes, smokes would be more exciting. the chance, he couldnt. He cried himself to sleep for the next
interspersed with narrative summary, rise to a climax demonstrating a single premise. Each It's really very easy to break yourself of this throat clearing several nights.
story leads causally to the next, presenting a series of struggles, transformations and change. habit, all you need to do is put a character (can be your hero The snows came early that year, large round flakes the swirled in the
Life is seen as a series of struggles, character transformation and change. The order is causal or another character) in TERRIBLE TROUBLE from the very strong winds and buried his car. Heavenly Gate, the ski resort
and climactic. If there is a journey, it is the Heros Journey. first line. opened early and he found the old log building had many old and
Examples: Let's see what happens when we put our rather dull hero into rusty locks. He was beginning to think of himself as 'the phantom' --
Suspense TERRIBLE TROUBLE. the master of the game...
Thrillers When Jason Edson arrived to work at the mill And you will be a master of your game, if you write dramatic narrative with all the
Murder mysteries one rainy tuesday morning, he found a note on sensuous detail, emotion, conflict, inner conflict, character development and so on
Narrative nonfiction like Into Thin Air his locker to report to the forman immediately. that you use when you write scenes.
Jason at first thought he might be getting a Hope this helps.
Some memoirs
promotion to shift supervisor, God knows he Conducting Research to Achieve Realism in Your Fiction
III. THE THEMATIC MUSING deserved it, he'd been putting in overtime By Margaret I. Williams
Most writers would agree that achieving realism in a fiction and fully developing its characters
are critical drivers of its success. That is why it is so important to conduct valid research-by
valid, I mean from an expert or reputable source, a real challenge in this age of technology.
However, it is a challenge necessary to compete against best-selling authors like Stephen King,
John Grisham, Joyce Reardon, and others. Not only does valid research bring about more
realism to your fiction, it also increases its perfectionism and helps to develop likable and
respectable characters. With the approximately 60,000 books due to be published this year, it is
imperative to produce the most wholly realistic novel you possibly can to compete in this
highly competitive book market. Below are a few ways or methods by which you can acquire
valid research for your novel and fully develop its characters.
Interview people who are experts in the fields related to your fiction
Investigate, conduct interviews, and ask questions of experts related to your fictions theme.
People are excellent sources of information. Example: Lets say you have a cop in your story.
The best way to ascertain what a cop does or says when hes on duty, or how he/she reacts in
any given situation, is to ask a cop. So dial 3-1-1, a non-emergency number, and ask to be
connected to your local police station. Detectives respond eager to provide relevant data to
callers seeking information about their work. Another good example: If you want to report in
your novel exactly what is said when somebody in your story dials 9-1-1. Again, dial 9-1-1 and
find out. But be sure to change the particulars of the response, such as his/her name. However,
it is not such a good idea to tie up an emergency line for non-emergency calls. But, sometimes,
for the sake of adding realism to your story, you have to weigh whether its beneficial or not to
cross the line to inappropriateness to achieve your goal.
Further, lets say you want to write about the life of a star. And interview that particular
celebrity. You may be able to find his/her address and phone number in the latest copy of
Current Biography at your local library or on the Internet. Please keep in mind that this
reference vehicle only includes the addresses of celebrities who wish to be on the list. You may
also scan the Writers Marketplace and the Literary Market, both reference books available at
your local library, for suggestions on how to contact people for your research.
In my fiction due to be released this fall, A Conspiracy to Ponder
(<http://www.aconspiracytoponder.com>), it was my literary agent, an accomplished Ph.D.,
who sent me to the library to conduct research to develop one of my fictions themes. I sent her
my manuscript. She read it and suggested I split the book into two books and get serious. I did.
She told me the central plot of my book was actually taking place all over the world, largely in
China, India, and Saudi Arabia. Per her instruction, I visited my local library and read all the
actual, real-life stories I could find related to my main theme. I searched both the Internet and
microfiche for relative newspaper and magazine articles. Countless stories appeared, all
interesting, but sadly and horrifically intriguing. Then I fictionalized all the accounts, even
magnifying a few, to make my story as realistic and thought provoking as possible. All in a way
so that people can ponder the frightening consequences of what could become reality if they
continue to take the quietude of night and day for granted. Also bringing to peoples attention
how a significant few, all around the world, value their lives above all others. After my research,
I also incorporated into my story one of the two main characters, a reporter from China, who
lends his insightfulness and eagerness to get to the bottom of whats going on.
To develop my fictions characters in A Conspiracy to Ponder, I actually called the Chicago
Police Department a few times. I also explored the Britannica Encyclopedia for facts related to
China; called the airlines for actual flight schedules for China; and tapped into a host of other
resources to obtain actual information to provide realism to my storyline and characters.
Explore the Internet with discretion
As quoted by the Chicago Public Library, The Internet is a worldwide network of computers
that talk to each other and share information across phone lines. It is considered by the
public libraries to be one of the best reference and resource tools for accessing information
these days. Example: Lets say youre writing a story about Lena Horne and you need some
background material. Just type in lenahorne.com in the URL address field at the top of the
World Wide Web home page and depress Go or Enter. Instantly, countless articles and
other pertinent information on the singing and acting divas life and career appear for your
accessibility. Scan the articles related to your area of interest. Analyze what elements apply to
your novels theme. Write down everything useful and relevant to your plot. Then write your
version. Do not plagiarize. Always use quotation marks when youre quoting anything
somebody else previously stated. And its a good idea to use footnotes or endnotes for any
quoted material referenced in your text or story. Reiterating, when I typed my theme in the
URL address field at the top of the World Wide Web, countless newspaper and magazine
articles appeared.
Visit your local library
Also at your local library you can navigate the World Wide Web (WWW), the most popular
and user-friendly search engine, and other search engines like YAHOO. However, the World
Wide Web and YAHOO are just two sections of the Internet. There are other search engines,
e.g. Google!, Webcrawler, Lycos, Snap, Go Network, Altavista, MiningCo, DOGPILE, and Ask
Jeeves.
In addition, there are reference and Internet books and circulars at your local library solely
devoted to the Internet, which contain articles that offer helpful hints to first time users with
cool sites to visit. Just a few include: 1) YAHOO! - Ultimate desk reference to the Web; your
indispensable companion to the Internet; 2) World Wide Web for Beginners, a US Borne
Computer Guides circular; 3) The Internet For Dummies: A Reference for the Rest of Us!;
4) internet cool guideTM: entertainment - A savvy guide to the hottest entertainment sites
(www.internetcoolguide.com); and 5) World Wide Web Searching For Dummies: A
Reference for the Rest of Us!
Other resources that may aid in your research are periodicals, videotapes, talking books, subject
books, The Library of Congress (<http://lcweb.loc.gov>), Internet Public Library
(<http://ipl.sils.umich.edu>), American Library Association (<http://www.ala.org>), World Wide
Web Consortium (<http://www.w3.org>), The World Wide Web FAQ
(<http://www.boutell.com>) (click on "WWW FAQs" under "Information"), Encyclopedia
(<http://Enclocypedia.com>),Yahoo (<http://www.yahoo.com> and
<http://search.yahoo.writers.net>), Internet Exploration
(<http://gower.net/Explore/Explore.html>)
Ask your librarian for other useful resources that will validate your research and enhance your
story. Your public library also offers E-Mail Reference Service, which provides answers to basic
information requests or direction to specific reference resources. Your requests may be more
appropriately handled by using other public library resources or services.
Read the works of like experts of fiction for guidance
Read the works of like experts of fiction related to your fictions theme. Take notes of how they
developed their themes and characters. Also read past and present newspaper and magazine
articles for interesting related themes and/or characters. Experts or people who have actually
experienced what you are writing about often write them. Again, be careful not to plagiarize and
dont mimic their themes and characters.
In my first creative writing class, my professor assigned us six books to read by well-known
authors such as Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, James Agee, Hubert Selby, Jr., and others, and
six book reports due by the end of the semester. He also asked us to always bring a book to
class ready to recite a paragraph or two. This developed both our writing and reciting skills.
In conclusion, I can go on and on introducing resources for realistic fiction writing. But I will
end here, reinforcing that producing a believable fiction with likable and respectable characters
is critical for its success. There are countless resources you can explore to conduct your
research to add realism to it. Whatever resource you decide to use to conduct your research,
discriminately explore it, especially the Internet, and sift through it with the utmost caution.
Remember, you will be held accountable for everything you say or do. Everybody is writing
articles and setting up web pages on the Internet these days claiming to be an expert, whether
they are an expert or not. Therefore, it would be a good idea to double-check the data you
obtain with experts and against other resources for validity. The best of luck to you in achieving
realism in your fiction.

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