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You are viewing 16 entries, 20 into the past January 24th, 200506:19 pm: Rant on music
Ah, on to music in fantasy. Once again, as with clothes, this is going to be about general things, since I can’t tell you exactly what kind of music was played at ancient Greek festivals or whether the people in your alternate-England shouldn’t be enjoying a certain style of music because that would have to be alternate French. (Those kinds of things are researchable. But I am a) lazy, and b) interested more in researching poetry). ( So: other uses of music )The rant on narrative fantasy poetry is next, and then a new set will start. Tags: fantasy rants winter 2005, worldbuilding: culture
July 3rd, 200410:25 pm: To put, or not to put
This is less of a rant and much more of a listing of pros and cons. In this case, the pros and cons refer to whether or not to actually put stories and poems from your world's mythology/history/culture into the narrative itself. Basically, it comes down to what kind of writer you are, but some things might also depend on the individual story, the poem or tale in question, how important it is to the plot, and so on. ( So, some considerations )Like I said, very personal. I dropped songs and poems into my stories all the time when I started writing fantasy, because that was how Tolkien had done it, and I thought that was part of how you wrote fantasy. Later I mostly cut those. I also have to say that other than Tolkien and Susan Cooper, not a whole heck of a lot of fantasy authors have impressed me with admiration for their poetic skills, especially in prophecies. Tags: fantasy rants summer 2004, worldbuilding: culture
July 2nd, 200405:26 pm: Culture-building, and stories
I'm in a good mood. More than half my writing is done for the day (3700 words down, 2500 to go), I have Stephen King's Song of Susannah to read, and, best of all, I have no freshman English papers to grade this weekend. So here's another post. ( Storytelling )Not nearly done on this yet. I get fascinated by culture, and building it is probably my favorite part of making a fantasy world. Tags: fantasy rants summer 2004, worldbuilding: culture
March 20th, 200401:55 pm: Death rant
Quote of the Day (which doesn’t have a lot to do with death, but is amusing): “No,” said the Ecstatic, his wide smile never faltering as he spoke. “I know who you are. Who you used to be. The circle is turning. He’s coming back. The lost one. Thrones will fall, worlds will burn, and just possibly the universe will come to an end, very soon now.” “Well,” said St. Nick, considering the matter judiciously. “That’s all very interesting, but I can smell your neurons frying from here. So, I think I’ll go and talk to someone else who’s currently on the same planet I am.” “Lots of people say that,” said the Ecstatic. -From Deathstalker Legacy by Simon R. Green (who is proof that if enough wildly creative gore and witty one-liners are added, I will even like space opera). ( Death rant )I think that last irritates me the most. Somehow, it’s always all right when the good guys do it. Tags: fantasy rants spring 2004, idea rants, worldbuilding: culture
February 5th, 200411:24 am: Art and relating it to various things.
(If that's not an inspiring title, I don't know what is). And to go back to beautiful poetry for a moment, this is Yeats's "Hosting of the Sidhe": THE HOST is riding from Knocknarea And over the grave of Clooth-na-bare; Caolte tossing his burning hair And Niamh calling Away, come away:
Empty your heart of its mortal dream.
The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round,
Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound,
Our breasts are heaving, our eyes are a-gleam,
Our arms are waving, our lips are apart;
And if any gaze on our rushing band,
We come between him and the deed of his hand,
We come between him and the hope of his heart. The host is rushing ’twixt night and day, And where is there hope or deed as fair? Caolte tossing his burning hair, And Niamh calling Away, come away. ( Art in a fantasy culture )I've been thinking entirely too much about fantasy art lately. Random thoughts about non-human drama in the middle of taking notes about German tragic plays are not good. Tags: fantasy rants winter 2004, worldbuilding: culture
January 28th, 200409:47 am: Literature and culture.
Obscurer subject again. Don't hurt me. But first, some lines that have a lot of poetry and hints of storyteling in them, from Swinburne's "A Ballad of Death": By night there stood over against my bed Queen Venus with a hood striped gold and black, Both sides drawn fully back From brows wherein the sad blood failed of red, And temples drained of purple and full of death. Her curled hair had the wave of sea-water And the sea's gold in it. Her eyes were as a dove's that sickeneth. Strewn dust of gold she had shed over her, And pearl and purple and amber on her feet. ( Literature and culture in fantasy )If nothing else, more reading in the genres that gave birth to fantasy, especially past fantasy and epic poetry, is not to be sniffed at. Tags: fantasy rants winter 2004, worldbuilding: culture
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