For anyone who has ever kept up a blog regularly, even if you post just a few times a month, you have probably had your moments when you thought “Boy, this is hard.”
It’s hard to put your words and thoughts up on the internet for the world to see and comment on.
It’s hard to come up with new content week after week and post it regularly. Continue reading
This post is a poll of sorts, and I really would love your feedback! (It’s only three questions, and you don’t have to answer them all, so don’t panic). These are few things that I’ve been mulling over lately as I’ve been working on my fantasy stories, and I’d really like to know what other people think about these things. My questions are directed mainly at readers of fantasy and related genres. I welcome feedback from readers (and writers!) of any genre, but fans of fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal would probably understand these questions best.
So, here we go:
Do you prefer one-shots, duology/trilogy, or series?
I’m not trying to find the “best” or even the most currently “marketable” length – I’m just genuinely curious what other people are reading. And I’m honestly not sure which one is my favorite. So what’s your preference?
Do you like to have foreign languages translated in the text, or just have it left up to the reader to figure out words from the context?
This isn’t really about conlangs (constructed languages, like Elvish or Klingon), although that could be a subject for a blog post all on its own. When a character is speaking in another language (one different from the point of view character’s primary language) I’ve seen several different methods used:
The writer puts the character’s dialogue in brackets instead of quotes – [I bring you my sword], said Vlen – to indicate the language change. Or—
The writer simply states the language switch: “I bring you my sword,” said Vlen in Elvish. Or—
The writer has constructed at least the basics of the language, and uses it, with or without a translation as part of the narrative: “Mdash nii hwena,” said Vlen. I bring you my sword.
Have you read books – or written books – using one of these methods? Or a different method? Do you have a favorite? What method of inserting other languages seems the most awkward or interrupts the flow of the story?
Do you love or hate a book with a glossary or appendix?
Many fantasy books have landscape maps or genealogical maps, often at the beginning of a book. But what about other stuff that might come at the end of a book, like a glossary of conlang terms, a pronunciation guide, or an appendix explaining a cultural history or technological specs? Do glossaries and appendices get you excited about learning “behind the scenes” stuff about the world of the book, or do you get bogged down because it feels like a textbook?
Thanks! I truly want to know what others think about these storytelling elements. I look forward to reading everyone’s answers!
I recently compiled a list of ten great quotes from the various Oz stories – everything from Baum’s original tales to the 1939 movie to Wicked the Musical. But I couldn’t stop at just ten. Even if you’re not an Oz buff, I’m sure you can find a witty or meaningful quote in this bunch.
“Everything in life is unusual until you get accustomed to it.” The Scarecrow, from The Marvelous Land of Oz
Says the man made of burlap and straw. Point taken. Different isn’t bad – it’s just different.
“So much of me is made from what I learned from you. You’ll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.” Elphaba, from Wicked the Musical
This is one of the best quotes about friendship I’ve ever come across, and reminds us that a love story does not have to be about sex and romance.
“But in Oz we are loved for ourselves alone, and for our kindness to one another, and for our good deeds.” Princess Ozma, from The Road to Oz
Even in Oz society is not always as perfect as Ozma claims here, but to her credit, this is a creed that she herself lives by and employs as she rules her people. And here on earth we’d do well to keep this attitude more in our daily lives.
“Nothing’s impossible if you just put your mind to it.” Oz, from Oz the Great and Powerful
Just remember that if a small-town circus performer could defeat two wicked witches with this attitude, then you can do anything.
“The only way to do a thing
Is do it when you can,
And do it cheerfully, and sing
And work and think and plan.
The only really unhappy one
Is he who dares to shirk;
The only really happy one
Is he who cares to work.”
Johnny Dooit, from The Road to Oz
This little rhyme speaks the truth for itself, I think.
“A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” The Wizard, from The Wizard of Oz
This is so true. And one who is deeply loved usually can’t help but love in return.
“No one can be unlucky who has the intelligence to direct his own actions.” Scraps, from The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The stuffed patchwork doll named Scraps displays almost Scarecrow-level wisdom with this statement. Even in the most unfortunate of circumstances, we still have free will and can make choices.
“We get up at noon and start to work at one. Take an hour for lunch and then at two we’re done. Jolly good fun!” The citizens of Emerald City, from The Wizard of Oz
This is my kind of workday. Can I live here? This line is from the song “The Merry Old Land of Oz”; so if you’ve seen the movie, you now have that song in your head. You’re welcome.
“But those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin’ they know all there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr’ble big world this is.” Cap’n Bill, from The Scarecrow of Oz
Sad but true. I’m sure we’ve all met an ignorant know-it-all or two.
“He had nine book-trees, on which grew a choice selection of story-books. …the books were picked and husked and ready to read. If they were picked too soon, the stories were found to be confused and uninteresting and the spelling bad. However, if allowed to ripen perfectly, the stories were fine reading and the spelling and grammar excellent.” from Tik-Tok of Oz
I love the magical land that Baum invented, where most anything you could want probably grows on a tree somewhere. I also love Baum’s not-so-subtle hint to aspiring authors everywhere: if you pick (publish) your book too soon, without giving it time to ripen (with rewriting, revising, and editorial help), then most readers will be confused, bored, or just get bogged down in grammatical errors.
Bonus quote:
“Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.” Elphaba, from Wicked the Musical
I put this in here to be funny, because nobody knows what this means. And if you’ve seen Wicked, then you are now singing the song “No Good Deed.” You’re welcome.
Now that we’re almost half way into January, I finally got around to reviewing my blog stats for last year. I had over 5,000 visitors from literally all over the world. So, thank you to all my readers! Whether you subscribe to my blog (and if you don’t, just sign up in the little box on the right side bar) or you just stumbled across a post by accident, I appreciate you! Sometimes I wonder if I’m writing to the great emptiness of cyberspace, but my stats show me otherwise.
In fact, one of my posts got shared on a Tumblr post featuring links to various blogs and websites for creating fantasy creatures. I’m not actually sure where my post was originally shared, because from there, it’s been shared and re-shared and linked to again and again. I’m so pleased that one of my posts has such wide appeal!
And so for you, dear readers of my blog, I thought I’d share my top three most popular posts from 2014 (according to the WordPress stat monkeys).
Creating Fantasy Creatures and Alien Species
This was my most-read post, one of the ones that’s gotten re-blogged all around Tumblr and other interwebs. Here I analyze what I believe to be some of the core elements in creating believable non-human races for fantasy and sci-fi stories.
Creating Fantasy Creatures and Alien Species – Real Animals as Magical Races
This is a companion post that was almost as popular as the original one, in which I discuss the concept of using real animals as sentient beings in fantasy.
Music Review: Dobbelis, Máddji
This post came in at the number three most popular post of 2014 – and it had the spot of the number one most-read post in 2013. Apparently there are a lot of people out there who like Sami music – or at least who like the Norwegian Sami singer Máddji.
So there’s my year in review. Again, thank you to everyone who’s read my blog – whether it’s been one post or many! If you’re a regular reader, do you have a favorite post from 2014?
Just a short post, as it’s New Year’s Eve.
It’s that time when we reflect on the past year. We celebrate the victories, we mourn the losses, we meditate on the regrets, and we decide to do better next year. That’s the great thing about a new year – it’s a chance to start again, to go for those things that we missed last year. It’s a second chance again.
I didn’t hit the majority of my reading and writing goals for 2014. But that’s okay, because I still accomplished a lot, and I learned even more. I’m excited about taking what I’ve learned this past year – learned from both successes and failures – and applying it to this new year. It’s my second chance again.
Happy new year, everybody!
StorytellerGirl 