While I'm letting my muse mutter in the background on how to fill a short gap in my current WIP (after finishing a rather intense pair of scenes for my two MCs, particularly for the mage), I decided to ponder on some of the worldbuilding for their story.
I don't sit down and create a world, then find a story. Characters and situations comes first, sometimes when I'm not ready for them. Sort of like this story. Rather out of the blue, I imagined the meeting between this cursed young woman and an aging mage. It was going to be more of a semi-comedic fantasy love story, but it's become more of a epic fantasy adventure with kingdom politics and love to provide complications.
The comedy angle would have been lots of fun. You know, a light-weight fluff fantasy novel with only a brush against the idea that looks don't have to be important, good for mental dessert. I'd have loved reading it. But I haven't the foggiest idea how to write that way. I don't read much fluff, only when I'm in the mood for something breezy. So when I started trying to implement the idea and the world started filling in around them, their personal histories
became much more important, giving the tone a serious angle. But then that's what I read most.
Some of the setting history has shaped up just from writing stuff that the characters are thinking and talking about, but this past week I hit upon the need for having a solid way for how characters in the setting would talk about magic. Though it will be teaching my readers "how things work," the upcoming conversations themselves will reveal the differences in what each knows about the topic.
After all, I know some basics in fine art, but I don't know much about advanced technique or the best supplies to use for each style. Some of my customers at work know even less, so the conversations are interesting sometimes. ;) Plus some areas I'm rather good at, like sewing, or getting better at, like beading, so when people have questions, I can provide greater assistance. I'm trying to keep that manner in mind when one character teaches another about something. It's all filtered through what they know or don't know on the topic as well as their opinion and experience with it.
So I think I've nearly got the basics for how magic works figured out including terminology. Now I've got more of the world trying to form up in my head, like what technological developments are available in order to make the world less of a stock fantasy world. One rather neat site I found this morning while looking up Renaissance technology is a gamer's history notes from creating the world used for a homebrew game. It's specifically stated that the notes are not strictly historically accurate due to the slant towards a fantasy game, but it makes a great overview.
After following one of the links at the bottom to its new addy, I also found The Medieval Technology Pages, which is supposed to be more accurate. I haven't finished looking through it, but there are pages on a variety of daily life items like artesian wells, hops, soap, and windmills.
Ideas are marching in my head for upping the basic tech level in my world while still keeping guns and gunpowder out of it. Time to go think on how to integrate some of these ideas.
Hope the rest of you are having a productive Monday, too.
Showing posts with label writing resource. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing resource. Show all posts
Stubble It! And other vulgar phrases of 1811
Monday, August 22, 2011
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If you wish your writing to be in fine trim when using language of the 1800's and not sound like a puzzle-text, check out The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. I am not tweaking your nose when I say this book can help you add some flavor to your riff raff. Just be careful that your writing cronies don't nip the book from your possession. Make them get their own copy. If necessary, you can find it on Project Guttenberg.
So roll the bones and take a chance to have some fun with vulgar language. Put your characters in a pickle with some rogues. You'll discover naming jokes authors have used such as Fflewddur Fflam's name in the Prydain Chronicles. (Flam is a lie or sham story.) And some words may surprise you with their familiarity. I used a few in this post, can you find them all?
(Puzzle-text - an ignorant blundering parson)
So roll the bones and take a chance to have some fun with vulgar language. Put your characters in a pickle with some rogues. You'll discover naming jokes authors have used such as Fflewddur Fflam's name in the Prydain Chronicles. (Flam is a lie or sham story.) And some words may surprise you with their familiarity. I used a few in this post, can you find them all?
(Puzzle-text - an ignorant blundering parson)
Murder and Mayhem (for writers)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
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The full title of today's featured book is Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers. D.P. Lyle M.D. compiled the top questions from his The Doctor Is In column for a couple newsletters for the Mystery Writers of America. I discovered this book at my library while looking for Howdunit Forensics, another book he wrote.
The questions are organized into three major sections: Doctors, Hospitals, Illnesses, and Injuries; Methods of Murder and Mayhem; and Tracking the Perp. These are further subdivided into chapters such as Traumatic Injuries and Their Treatment, Medical Murder, and The Police and the Crime Scene. Each question is headed by its simplified form, followed by the scenario and questions given by the submitter.
His answers are clear, even when he uses the medical jargon, because he explains what the technical parts mean. His light touch of humor glimmers in some of his responses. One writer asked whether drinking brandy while waiting for help to get out of a half frozen lake would enable the character to survive, if it would act like antifreeze. The brief answer, "Sorry, but your character is doomed, and his actions would only hasten his demise." Then Dr. Lyle went on to explain why and what would happen instead.
My favorite question is in the Odds and Ends, Mostly Odds chapter at the end. The writer had a teenaged girl whose father was having an affair with a young mom. The girl wanted to punish them both, so she was going to tamper with the diaphragm (contraceptive device) the woman was using by putting some sort of "hot" substance on it but wanted something that wouldn't be readily detected. The writer wanted to know what the girl could use. The answer began with "Tabasco. No contest." He gave a short explanation of why and what would happen, including how a spermicidal jelly would affect the onset of the burning, then finished with "What a totally diabolical question." It sure is, and I hope I get the chance to use it in a story sometime. Is that bad of me? ;D
Even though I'm not a mystery writer and have no plans to be one specifically, this is an awesome reference. He even stated that this is for all genres to keep from rehashing info from books and tv or using wrong or misleading info from the internet. It's going to my to-buy list, and I highly recommend that you read it at least once. None of us need any blunders that will cause our credibility to plummet.
The questions are organized into three major sections: Doctors, Hospitals, Illnesses, and Injuries; Methods of Murder and Mayhem; and Tracking the Perp. These are further subdivided into chapters such as Traumatic Injuries and Their Treatment, Medical Murder, and The Police and the Crime Scene. Each question is headed by its simplified form, followed by the scenario and questions given by the submitter.
His answers are clear, even when he uses the medical jargon, because he explains what the technical parts mean. His light touch of humor glimmers in some of his responses. One writer asked whether drinking brandy while waiting for help to get out of a half frozen lake would enable the character to survive, if it would act like antifreeze. The brief answer, "Sorry, but your character is doomed, and his actions would only hasten his demise." Then Dr. Lyle went on to explain why and what would happen instead.
My favorite question is in the Odds and Ends, Mostly Odds chapter at the end. The writer had a teenaged girl whose father was having an affair with a young mom. The girl wanted to punish them both, so she was going to tamper with the diaphragm (contraceptive device) the woman was using by putting some sort of "hot" substance on it but wanted something that wouldn't be readily detected. The writer wanted to know what the girl could use. The answer began with "Tabasco. No contest." He gave a short explanation of why and what would happen, including how a spermicidal jelly would affect the onset of the burning, then finished with "What a totally diabolical question." It sure is, and I hope I get the chance to use it in a story sometime. Is that bad of me? ;D
Even though I'm not a mystery writer and have no plans to be one specifically, this is an awesome reference. He even stated that this is for all genres to keep from rehashing info from books and tv or using wrong or misleading info from the internet. It's going to my to-buy list, and I highly recommend that you read it at least once. None of us need any blunders that will cause our credibility to plummet.
Historic Costume: a sampling
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
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Those of you who are writing fantasies, especially historically based fantasy, here is a book you may want to look through for ideas about clothing: Historic Costume In Pictures: Over 1450 costumes on 125 plates. These costume plates were originally published by Braun & Schneider between 1861 and 1890 and re-released by Dover Publications in 1975. They illustrate a period from ancient times to late 19th century.
It is in no ways a complete catalog of garments, but it is great for the sampling of garb covering regions across Europe and the near side of Asia. This is particularly helpful if you don't know which time period or region you want your story to fit. By zooming in on a time and place, it allows you more time for meaningful research.
The pictures have a wonderful depth of detail. Folds and ripples in the fabric are meticulously shaded in. You can't see enough of the outfits from a single viewpoint to recreate them with any significant degree of accuracy, but with the help of someone who knows fabrics, you can narrow down types of fabric used and get a feel for how layers affect the total look.
In addition to the ideas the clothing can give you, since the plates show people wearing the outfits, study their hair and head coverings. A historic look isn't complete with simply clothing; it's the the styling and accessories that go with it. The assortment of items such as weapons, bags, instruments, walking sticks, and baskets being held by many of the figures also add to the setting flavor.
If you find this book helpful, there are additional Dover books on fashion. They are likely to be out of print, but if your library has them, you are in for some great ideas.
It is in no ways a complete catalog of garments, but it is great for the sampling of garb covering regions across Europe and the near side of Asia. This is particularly helpful if you don't know which time period or region you want your story to fit. By zooming in on a time and place, it allows you more time for meaningful research.
The pictures have a wonderful depth of detail. Folds and ripples in the fabric are meticulously shaded in. You can't see enough of the outfits from a single viewpoint to recreate them with any significant degree of accuracy, but with the help of someone who knows fabrics, you can narrow down types of fabric used and get a feel for how layers affect the total look.
In addition to the ideas the clothing can give you, since the plates show people wearing the outfits, study their hair and head coverings. A historic look isn't complete with simply clothing; it's the the styling and accessories that go with it. The assortment of items such as weapons, bags, instruments, walking sticks, and baskets being held by many of the figures also add to the setting flavor.
If you find this book helpful, there are additional Dover books on fashion. They are likely to be out of print, but if your library has them, you are in for some great ideas.
Delving into the Middle Ages
Monday, February 21, 2011
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Today has been a crafting day at our house. Our son had today off from school for Presidents' Day (and tomorrow, too), so we've been doing projects. Our son painted a little birdhouse for his aunt, while I crocheted a dishcloth for her. I just finished it and realized I hadn't posted anything yet. Oops.
Though crocheting doesn't have anything to do with the Middle Ages, having not been created yet, I figured I'd offer a Middle Ages resource for those you who might be interested. This is a page of links connecting to a wealth of other pages. So the dragon at the top is appealing, but I 'm really sharing it for the links covering a wide range of information from food to fashion, religion, history, technology, and more. If you don't know much about it, this might be a great place to get you started.
So I invite you to come romp though the links with me while we listen to the strumming of a harp. Welcome to the Middle Ages.
Though crocheting doesn't have anything to do with the Middle Ages, having not been created yet, I figured I'd offer a Middle Ages resource for those you who might be interested. This is a page of links connecting to a wealth of other pages. So the dragon at the top is appealing, but I 'm really sharing it for the links covering a wide range of information from food to fashion, religion, history, technology, and more. If you don't know much about it, this might be a great place to get you started.
So I invite you to come romp though the links with me while we listen to the strumming of a harp. Welcome to the Middle Ages.
Adding flavor with slang
Monday, January 17, 2011
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Making dialogue distinct between characters is sometimes tricky. You want your primary and secondary characters to have their own way of talking. Sometimes you want a whole group to have a way of talking that is different from those outside the group, such as a street gang or a culture new to one of the characters.
Slang is one of the ways to enhance dialogue without resorting to a great deal of dialect phonetics. Now some dialect words have become common enough that they are easily translated like "Whatcha gonna do?" But sometimes it can be confusing. To suggest dialect without writing as much out, make use of a few easy-to-understand phonetical words and a scattering of slang words and phrases.
When choosing slang, don't dump everything in that you know. It can be too much, and you may not understand the terms as well as you think you do. Be selective. Some terms might be common to a group, while others can be specific to a character.
If you want to add flavor with slang or just understand popular terms better, check out this great resource: The Slang Dictionary. You can search through general slang or go to one of the specific categories like the Lexicon of Thieves' Cant. They also have links to some other specialized dictionary sites such as the Urban Dictionary and 60's Slang.
Slang is one of the ways to enhance dialogue without resorting to a great deal of dialect phonetics. Now some dialect words have become common enough that they are easily translated like "Whatcha gonna do?" But sometimes it can be confusing. To suggest dialect without writing as much out, make use of a few easy-to-understand phonetical words and a scattering of slang words and phrases.
When choosing slang, don't dump everything in that you know. It can be too much, and you may not understand the terms as well as you think you do. Be selective. Some terms might be common to a group, while others can be specific to a character.
If you want to add flavor with slang or just understand popular terms better, check out this great resource: The Slang Dictionary. You can search through general slang or go to one of the specific categories like the Lexicon of Thieves' Cant. They also have links to some other specialized dictionary sites such as the Urban Dictionary and 60's Slang.
September Reading List
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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Here's my reading list for the month. There are ones I've wanted to read for a while, the few you've suggested, and others pulled from blog reviews. I'm trying to broaden my reading selection. In no particular order:
I'm sure there are other books I'll pick up this month. I won't post reviews for everything, but I will give everything I've read a rating. Look for my end-of-month tally of what I've read. If there are any books here that I don't get around to reading before the end of the month, they'll get bumped into the top of October's reading list. If there are any other books you want to recommend, you can still suggest them in the comments below.
- Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (because I may as well get this over with, will be used in major post near the end of the month)
- The Mermaid's Madness (Princess novels-book 2) by Jim C. Hines (because I loved The Stepsister Scheme when I read it this summer)
- Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn (because it's been waiting on my shelf all summer to be read)
- Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (from Brad)
- The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson (from Brad)
- Fantasy Lover (Dark Hunter series-book 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon (from Jai)
- Firelight by Sophie Jordan (from Lydia)
- Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse series-book 1) by Charlaine Harris (because I might as well sample yet another vampire series while I'm at it and I've heard this is humorous)
- The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (from blog review)
- Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (from blog review of later book in series)
- The City and the City by China Meiville (from blog review)
- Song for the Basilisk by Patricia McKillip (from blog review and I liked The Changeling Sea)
- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (from many blog reviews)
- The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (from blog review)
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman (has been on my to-read list for too long)
- Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (from my to-read list, already checked out from the library)
- Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (from my to-read list, also already checked out)
- The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (from browsing at the library)
- The Art and Craft of the Short Story (from browsing at the library for something useful to help me write something shorter than a novel)
- How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card (I liked his Characters and Viewpoint book, so I figured I might want to tromp through this one and at least scoop up a few ideas)
- Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale (checking it out to see how helpful it is)
I'm sure there are other books I'll pick up this month. I won't post reviews for everything, but I will give everything I've read a rating. Look for my end-of-month tally of what I've read. If there are any books here that I don't get around to reading before the end of the month, they'll get bumped into the top of October's reading list. If there are any other books you want to recommend, you can still suggest them in the comments below.
SCA and historical clothing links
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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Here are some fun links and a video I've collected regarding the SCA and historical garb. (in no particular order)
Elizabethan Costuming Page
The Viking Answer Lady
Clothing of Norman Women in the Late 11th and Early 12th Centuries
dmoz Open Directory: topic of medieval clothing (many links)
ORB: The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies
Death in the SCA: How we cope with loss is sometimes hard for the real world to understand
The Online Medieval & Classical Library
Elizabethan Smock Pattern Generator
Clothing: Anglo-Saxon Period
Viking Men's Clothing
Mary's Medieval Costume Links
Some Basic Research Tips for Students of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
SCA Juried Merchants List
SCAToday Merchant List
Elizabethan Costuming Page
The Viking Answer Lady
Clothing of Norman Women in the Late 11th and Early 12th Centuries
dmoz Open Directory: topic of medieval clothing (many links)
ORB: The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies
Death in the SCA: How we cope with loss is sometimes hard for the real world to understand
The Online Medieval & Classical Library
Elizabethan Smock Pattern Generator
Clothing: Anglo-Saxon Period
Viking Men's Clothing
Mary's Medieval Costume Links
Some Basic Research Tips for Students of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
SCA Juried Merchants List
SCAToday Merchant List
The Middle Ages are here again!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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Clang! Shning! Whist!
The sounds of combat doth approach. On July 30th the Pennsic Wars shall begin, where ye noble fighters and archers shall commence in tourneys and other competitions to bring glory back to their Kingdoms. And bring on the next remove!
History has been selectively recreated by members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, otherwise known as the SCA. From their homepage: "The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our 'Known World' consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which feature tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, various classes & workshops, and more." It's good fun for the whole family, from the little kids to the elderly, and a valuable writing resource.
One of the first sites I'd been directed to when I started hanging out with a nearby chapter, called a Shire, had been the newcomers' page. It is still just as handy for quick reference to get you started or just to know a little bit more about "those strange folk who beat on each other with weapons in funny clothes." Another useful page is the overview, also linked on the newcomers' page, describing what the SCA is about, the group's history, its structure, and more. If you would like to discover your closest Shire, check out How to Find Your Local SCA Group.
I didn't hang out with my closest group when I started. Some of my friends in another town had been attending meetings at a group halfway between us. My husband and I got curious and decided to check them out. It wasn't until several meetings later that we discovered that there was a closer one, but we were happy with the group we'd joined. They didn't care if we were officially members; instead, they freely made us welcome and answered all our questions to the best of their abilities. Now, I live far from my home Shire, having moved far enough away that I'm not even in the same Kingdom. But the members of my new Shire are also friendly. Though it's disconcerting to think of Pennsic and know that I'm not on the same side anymore, even though I've been reassured that I can consider myself still of my former Shire and Kingdom. Glory to Middle Kingdom!
Since I want to get this post out before I head to work, I have to wrap up now (booo), but if you have any questions about my experiences with the SCA, feel free to ask. I will write more about them next week and answer any questions (that I can). And I will also be sharing some of my favorite resource links for things such sewing and costuming.
The sounds of combat doth approach. On July 30th the Pennsic Wars shall begin, where ye noble fighters and archers shall commence in tourneys and other competitions to bring glory back to their Kingdoms. And bring on the next remove!
History has been selectively recreated by members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, otherwise known as the SCA. From their homepage: "The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our 'Known World' consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which feature tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, various classes & workshops, and more." It's good fun for the whole family, from the little kids to the elderly, and a valuable writing resource.
One of the first sites I'd been directed to when I started hanging out with a nearby chapter, called a Shire, had been the newcomers' page. It is still just as handy for quick reference to get you started or just to know a little bit more about "those strange folk who beat on each other with weapons in funny clothes." Another useful page is the overview, also linked on the newcomers' page, describing what the SCA is about, the group's history, its structure, and more. If you would like to discover your closest Shire, check out How to Find Your Local SCA Group.
I didn't hang out with my closest group when I started. Some of my friends in another town had been attending meetings at a group halfway between us. My husband and I got curious and decided to check them out. It wasn't until several meetings later that we discovered that there was a closer one, but we were happy with the group we'd joined. They didn't care if we were officially members; instead, they freely made us welcome and answered all our questions to the best of their abilities. Now, I live far from my home Shire, having moved far enough away that I'm not even in the same Kingdom. But the members of my new Shire are also friendly. Though it's disconcerting to think of Pennsic and know that I'm not on the same side anymore, even though I've been reassured that I can consider myself still of my former Shire and Kingdom. Glory to Middle Kingdom!
Since I want to get this post out before I head to work, I have to wrap up now (booo), but if you have any questions about my experiences with the SCA, feel free to ask. I will write more about them next week and answer any questions (that I can). And I will also be sharing some of my favorite resource links for things such sewing and costuming.
Random post on family history
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
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I have post topics aplenty of books I've recently read and loved, Renn Faire, larping, and more, but I'm running behind already this morning, not getting up until almost 9:00. I was up way too late last night ogling what may be my personal jackpot in family history on Ancestry.com. I found someone's family tree with loooooooots of entries on it that I am 99.9999% sure is part of my tree. In fact I think it's my oldest uncle as the home entry. I sent a message through Ancestry asking for verification, but even if I don't get a response soon, I'll likely see my uncle this Sunday at the family picnic. I was planning to bug everybody for info then anyway, even planning to visit my other grandparents on Monday for their information as best as they can remember.
Family history can be so much fun. You can learn strange and bizarre facts, connect with people you hadn't known or known well, and find information you can use as story fodder. Ancestry is a subscription site, but it is well worth it when doing research, especially when you are getting started and can't afford the travel time to go traipsing off to various courthouses and having to deal with kid(s) bored out of their minds.
Learning about people's lives is my favorite part of history. Or rather the only part of history I like. I always struggled with remembering names and dates. It wasn't until my senior year of high school that history became interesting. My teacher that year was amazing. She brought events to life with just her voice. Wonder if she ever considered storytelling, because she would have made a great bard, not that I ever heard her sing. She's also the one who sparked my interest in personal history, since she made a huge chunk of our final quarter grade dependent on a major family history project. We had the whole year to work on it. (My sophomore year history teacher did a smaller project on personal history but he didn't really care about the family part, only what was happening in America each year since we were born. Some neat stuff, but I didn't care about what prices were on houses or who was President. Just the family part.)
Even if you think history is boring, there is so much fascinating stuff if you know where to look. You may have been looking at it from the wrong angle. The anthropology and ethnology side of history is more interesting to me than the dry dates and plain facts. Here's the wiki article on anthropology with an overview of some of the related fields. You might find an aspect that appeals to you. History can be your one of your best writing resources, whether you are writing fantasy, science fiction, or any other genre. Have fun!
Family history can be so much fun. You can learn strange and bizarre facts, connect with people you hadn't known or known well, and find information you can use as story fodder. Ancestry is a subscription site, but it is well worth it when doing research, especially when you are getting started and can't afford the travel time to go traipsing off to various courthouses and having to deal with kid(s) bored out of their minds.
Learning about people's lives is my favorite part of history. Or rather the only part of history I like. I always struggled with remembering names and dates. It wasn't until my senior year of high school that history became interesting. My teacher that year was amazing. She brought events to life with just her voice. Wonder if she ever considered storytelling, because she would have made a great bard, not that I ever heard her sing. She's also the one who sparked my interest in personal history, since she made a huge chunk of our final quarter grade dependent on a major family history project. We had the whole year to work on it. (My sophomore year history teacher did a smaller project on personal history but he didn't really care about the family part, only what was happening in America each year since we were born. Some neat stuff, but I didn't care about what prices were on houses or who was President. Just the family part.)
Even if you think history is boring, there is so much fascinating stuff if you know where to look. You may have been looking at it from the wrong angle. The anthropology and ethnology side of history is more interesting to me than the dry dates and plain facts. Here's the wiki article on anthropology with an overview of some of the related fields. You might find an aspect that appeals to you. History can be your one of your best writing resources, whether you are writing fantasy, science fiction, or any other genre. Have fun!
Science Feature: Space and Vacuum
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
| | | 4 comments
Part two of what sf/f means to me will be next week. Today will be a science feature, thanks to Emily who pestered me for more of my SF novel (been focused on my fantasies for the past few months). I didn't get much added to it yet, but I did read through what I had. Since the plan is to leave this open enough to make a possible series, I made some notes on what I plan to accomplish in this book and the gist of what is to happen in later books.
Since this story is predominantly set in space with spaceships, space stations, and ship yards, I did some research on space and its effects on living tissue. No falling back on what I've seen done in other sf stories. Good thing since some of that is wrong. For instance, there is no near-instant freezing of the body. Survival of unprotected exposure to space is in terms of minutes rather than seconds. Granted, you won't have consciousness for more than about 10 seconds, but that is because of oxygen deprivation, rather than freezing.
Here are some of the links I've collected so far. Some of the information is duplicated in various articles, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. And some of the links can lead you to additional questions you may think up.
From NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center: How an unprotected body would be affected by space
From About.com: a similar question with a different movie reference
From Geoffrey A. Landis, an SF writer and NASA scientist (as of 2000): Explosive decompression and vacuum exposure
From D*** Interesting (that's me asterisking the word, by the way, the article is too interesting not to share just because of the site name): Outer Space Exposure
The third and fourth ones are my favorites. Have fun researching!
Since this story is predominantly set in space with spaceships, space stations, and ship yards, I did some research on space and its effects on living tissue. No falling back on what I've seen done in other sf stories. Good thing since some of that is wrong. For instance, there is no near-instant freezing of the body. Survival of unprotected exposure to space is in terms of minutes rather than seconds. Granted, you won't have consciousness for more than about 10 seconds, but that is because of oxygen deprivation, rather than freezing.
Here are some of the links I've collected so far. Some of the information is duplicated in various articles, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. And some of the links can lead you to additional questions you may think up.
From NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center: How an unprotected body would be affected by space
From About.com: a similar question with a different movie reference
From Geoffrey A. Landis, an SF writer and NASA scientist (as of 2000): Explosive decompression and vacuum exposure
From D*** Interesting (that's me asterisking the word, by the way, the article is too interesting not to share just because of the site name): Outer Space Exposure
The third and fourth ones are my favorites. Have fun researching!
By the Sword (historical reference)
Monday, May 17, 2010
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When a fabulous resource takes its place in my hands, I must write about it. Even though it is not directly related to fantasy or science fiction, this book may improve your combat scenes or even inspire a whole story, the way it did for me a month ago. I was reading a passage about Roland and Charlemagne and got an idea for the mythological creature story I wanted to write for a contest. I didn't finish the story in time, but I still like the idea enough that I will finish it anyway.
By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions by Richard Cohen has a wealth of material that is more readable than you might expect from a history book. His prologue invites you to join him in learning more about his passion, beginning with a quote from Dune about the beginning being the time to make sure the balances are correct.
I would say that he does well in balancing the facts with a style that people can relate to. His anecdote about his first and only duel thirty years prior to writing the book drew me in. His facts are clearly written in an entertaining style. Now don't think that sword fighting is all honor and glory or even Hollywood glamor; it's bloody sport, even when blood isn't literally involved. Honor sometimes goes out the window when ambition is involved. Cohen covers the good, the bad, the noble, and the ugly in his historical account. As he says at the end of the prologue, "Above all, I have tried to portray the character of swordplay--at once graceful and brutish, fiercely competitive and technically beautiful, life-threatening and life-enhancing."
Even if you don't need By the Sword for your writing, it is still far more interesting than the typical history book. It will give you a greater understanding of several periods of history and of sword fighting itself.
By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions by Richard Cohen has a wealth of material that is more readable than you might expect from a history book. His prologue invites you to join him in learning more about his passion, beginning with a quote from Dune about the beginning being the time to make sure the balances are correct.
I would say that he does well in balancing the facts with a style that people can relate to. His anecdote about his first and only duel thirty years prior to writing the book drew me in. His facts are clearly written in an entertaining style. Now don't think that sword fighting is all honor and glory or even Hollywood glamor; it's bloody sport, even when blood isn't literally involved. Honor sometimes goes out the window when ambition is involved. Cohen covers the good, the bad, the noble, and the ugly in his historical account. As he says at the end of the prologue, "Above all, I have tried to portray the character of swordplay--at once graceful and brutish, fiercely competitive and technically beautiful, life-threatening and life-enhancing."
Even if you don't need By the Sword for your writing, it is still far more interesting than the typical history book. It will give you a greater understanding of several periods of history and of sword fighting itself.
The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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Many fantasy stories contain creatures of the very odd to the strangely familiar. Writers seeking to do something different from the norm or even put a new spin on the usual will find this compendium to be useful.
The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: the ultimate a-z of fantastic beings from myth and magic by John and Caitlin Matthews is the place to begin your creature research. Discover creatures from South American traditions, Chinese folklore, Greek/Roman myths, and more. Some entries, like Boroka, are brief paragraphs, while others, such as Baba Yaga, are more detailed.
So far, I've only flipped around, stopping to read what catches my eye. Sometimes I find an unexpected origin to a creature or character in one of the books I've read. Such as right now. I have the page open to where Banshee/Beansidhe is listed. "The very first being to set up a keening cry was the Irish Goddess Brighid, one of the Tuatha de Danaan; she wailed for the death of her only son, Ruadan, and that was the first keening ever heard in Ireland."
In The Wandering Fire, book two of the Fionavar Tapestry, Guy Gavril Kay utilized a variant of this into his culture. Every Midsummer's Eve, the priestesses perform a ceremony honoring the death of the Beloved Son, Liadon. Dana's power holds sway on this sacred night, and this plays an important role in the events of the second half of the story.
Nor was that the only myth utilized in the Fionavar Tapestry. He also wrote about beings called the lios alfar and svart alfar. These are based on the two tribes of Alfa, or elves. Many of the Celtic gods and goddesses play nearly identical roles in Fionavar, some with slight twists to their names. Cernunnos/Herne is Cernan of the Beasts. Nemain is one of the goddesses of war.
Now there are many mythical figures left out. Apollo and Artemis have no entries of their own other than brief mentions in the entry for Cerynean Hind and Lords and Ladies of the Animals. I haven't been able to find a mention of Dana, the Great Mother, in some form at all. But over all, you will find many deities, larger than life characters, and creatures of all kinds you will likely be discovering for the first time.
If you are looking for a source of inspiration or just a bit of something to spice up your world, whether it be fantasy or science fiction, start with this book.
The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: the ultimate a-z of fantastic beings from myth and magic by John and Caitlin Matthews is the place to begin your creature research. Discover creatures from South American traditions, Chinese folklore, Greek/Roman myths, and more. Some entries, like Boroka, are brief paragraphs, while others, such as Baba Yaga, are more detailed.
So far, I've only flipped around, stopping to read what catches my eye. Sometimes I find an unexpected origin to a creature or character in one of the books I've read. Such as right now. I have the page open to where Banshee/Beansidhe is listed. "The very first being to set up a keening cry was the Irish Goddess Brighid, one of the Tuatha de Danaan; she wailed for the death of her only son, Ruadan, and that was the first keening ever heard in Ireland."
In The Wandering Fire, book two of the Fionavar Tapestry, Guy Gavril Kay utilized a variant of this into his culture. Every Midsummer's Eve, the priestesses perform a ceremony honoring the death of the Beloved Son, Liadon. Dana's power holds sway on this sacred night, and this plays an important role in the events of the second half of the story.
Nor was that the only myth utilized in the Fionavar Tapestry. He also wrote about beings called the lios alfar and svart alfar. These are based on the two tribes of Alfa, or elves. Many of the Celtic gods and goddesses play nearly identical roles in Fionavar, some with slight twists to their names. Cernunnos/Herne is Cernan of the Beasts. Nemain is one of the goddesses of war.
Now there are many mythical figures left out. Apollo and Artemis have no entries of their own other than brief mentions in the entry for Cerynean Hind and Lords and Ladies of the Animals. I haven't been able to find a mention of Dana, the Great Mother, in some form at all. But over all, you will find many deities, larger than life characters, and creatures of all kinds you will likely be discovering for the first time.
If you are looking for a source of inspiration or just a bit of something to spice up your world, whether it be fantasy or science fiction, start with this book.
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