#writingfantasy

A link to one of my stories 

Dissertation on the Seeress 

As presented by Mistress Aiode in the year 722.

The lands of Iliapin are ripe with many tales and fanciful stories of gods and heroes.  Most are regional, tied to a particular group of people or area.  Though Aelven tales, such as the one of Willow, are known throughout their kind.   Yet those tales concerning the Seeress seem to be known all throughout all of Iliapin.

Like the varied people of Iliapin, so the myths of the Seeress vary.  They may describe her as young or old, alone or in the company of young girls, a bringer of good tidings or bad omens.  There is little in the way of commonality among these tales of her.

What is interesting about her is that it seems as if there is no part of Iliapin that does not have at least one story about her.  In addition, when trying to date these stories, rarely does it seem that two ever overlap.  If they do, there is a question about the exact dates, as the tellers of these tales rarely concern themselves with that detail.

Because of the number of stories about the Seeress, and the apparent sequence of these stories, I can only conclude that the Seeress, in fact, exists, even if she is nothing more than a construct of fancy.  A thread woven throughout the fabric of Iliapin…

***

... The earliest mention of the Seeress is from around the year 250, where a foreign woman of “white skin and hair of fire” visited several small villages northwest of the Kingdom of Flaoya.  There she warned of a drought and famine in the coming years and to make preparations for it.  Some people heeded her warnings and made preparations, while others did not.  When the drought came, some people were prepared, and thus the devastation was not as bad as it could have been.

There are other stories, however, that pre-date this one that mention a woman claiming to predict the future.  These stories seem to date some 50 years prior and appear around Toba, Jun’kar, and other areas near the Forest of Aran.  They speak of a raven haired woman advising people on courses of action to better their lives....

... However, not all tales of the Seeress are of her being benevolent.  Some tales talk of her bringing woe with her, such as the now nearly forgotten hamlet of Duhan…

***

... Can this be the same woman?  Only the uneducated, those who take superstition as fact, would say it is. More likely explanations would be that this is a series of women from some, yet unknown, order, or women who are building on and using the stories of the Seeress.  In the former, how are new members chosen?  If the latter, for what reason and to what end?

If this is some order, the answer may lie in the stories of the Seeress manifesting herself when some girls are born and claiming them....

... It is reasonable to conclude that since these girls appear to be raised by the Seeress, that they succeed her in some fashion.  Perhaps similar to how the title of “Inbul” passes from one sage to the next within our order of The Sage of Elhrub…

***

... As previously mentioned, some tales around the Seeress tell of her claiming baby girls born to other women as her own. But what becomes of these girls?  There are tales of girls claiming to be the daughter of the Seeress, but they depict these girls as being either in their teens or early adulthood at the oldest…

I started posting about the tolkien persian translations, but why I'm really here is to talk about my writing. I'll try to keep it short, but if it tickles your interest I'd love if we could follow each other :)

I'm a young french writer that's working on a universe since 6 years.

I'm truly into high fantasy and dark fantasy, although I write less of the second kind. I've got a number of inspirations, some less obvious than other like George RR Martin, Tolkien, Sanderson, even Lovecraft or french writers like Camus or Céline.

What deeply compels me to write is my fascination for the human character and its limits, delving into it as much as in an introspective manner as with tangible actions (e. g. fights that act as much as talking than does dialogues).

If your interest is stricken, you can continue to read to see in more detail what i write

This post is peculiar, in the futur I will talk more about my process, what i like and dislike, my philosophy, my goals, my inspirations, some analysis even ! I can't thank you enough for reading :)

Writing a gripping fantasy novel requires careful planning, skillful execution, and a deep understanding of the genre. By following these tips, you can write your fantasy book with confidence!

🌅✨One hopeful evening in a golden twilight, leaders from Elinyn, Valoria, and Crysallis gather for peace talks to end the Battle of Three Realms. Each word spoken, a step towards unity and understanding, speaks to the fate of their worlds hanging in the balance. 

masterlist. main navigation.

@bluebxlle_writer on instagram

1. Base it on the real world

Yes, you can create your own government in fiction, but it'll still be super helpful to draw inspiration from the real world. Here are examples of governments :

• Republic - authority is based on the citizens' votes, officials are elected based on free elections.

• Democracy - the whole population or selected groups have authority.

• Theocracy - authority is given to priests who rule in the name of God, or by officials regarded as divinely guided.

• Monarchy - authority is given to a single person, usually a king or queen, and the title is hereditary.

• Plutocracy - authority is given to the wealthy or high-class people, who usually rule from behind the scenes.

• Dictatorship - authority is snatched by a person or a group, and they end up ruling the country forcefully.

• Anarchy - the absence of law and order, usually caused resulting from a failure of government.

2. The state of government

It's crucial to show your readers the state of your government, as it will say a lot about your story's mood and also the professionalism of your government. Is it peaceful, or are there constant protestors or rebels? How do the citizens see their government? Are crime rates higher or lower during this government's ruling period? Even trivial things like these will make your government more realistic.

3. What the leader of the government can or cannot do

Another important point to tackle is the limitations of your government's power. Let's say, your fantasy government is a monarchy, and the king holds full power - being able to command anyone and implement any new laws.

But even as a king, there must be limitations binding his hands - something that he can't do despite his title. Here's where you can be creative.

Maybe he can't make decisions without the approval of at least half of his ministers? Or maybe there's a book of law that holds rules and laws that even the king has no power to break.

4. Its role for the plot and MCs

Your story's government isn't just there - it also needs to either move the plot forward or delay it. Consider the government's role to your plot and main characters. Does it help your main characters move forward, or hinder them from reaching their goals?

5. Its most valued quality

In every government, there's a certain quality that they will value most and promise to their citizens. They might even put it in every single of their mottos to reassure everyone. Maybe it's security? Order? Peace? Bliss? Loyalty?

6. Chaos :D

In such a huge government, I assure you, it's practically impossible for every single member to be good people. There will be chaos. There will be corruption, betrayals, or even spies. To make your government realistic, add chaos. Show prime ministers commiting corruption for their own good, advisors manipulating their king, etc.

7. Consider time period

This tip isn't as important as the rest of the points, but I'd like to address this anyway. Consider the time period while deciding a government. For example, medieval times might resonate with monarchy or theocracy more, and modern times may prefer republic or democracy.

The theme is what your story is truly about beneath it’s plot and external events (the things that are happening to your characters). It’s something that the author is trying to express to the audience whether it be a lesson, an idea, a belief, etc.

There are a ton of major themes that can be broken down into smaller ones that are woven into your story. A few major themes include: Family, Revenge, War, Death, Good vs. Evil, Coming of Age, Survival, Truth, Redemption, Courage.

Love for example is a major theme that can crumble down into trust, comfort, obsession, self-love, envy, jealousy— you name it. Weaving these smaller themes into your side characters can help create a very well-rounded story. For example, maybe your protagonist is forced to marry an evil king and finds out he is not so evil after all. However, maybe he has a concubine who becomes jealous of your protagonist who is just trying to love herself admits this huge change. The king becomes envious when a knight is over friendly with his new bride-to-be, who begins seeking solace in the knight. A frail elderly servant brings comfort to your protagonist by offering advice, warm baths and a mother-figure.

It can help to create a Proverb for your story's main theme(s). This is a quote or simple phrase that embodies the theme. 

“Not all that glitters is gold” or “A diamond in the rough” 

could refer to a story that is about rags to riches. An underprivileged character with an ability to save the world. A young woman who is gorgeous inside and out, but lives in the grime of an undercity— only for the king the recognize her true beauty one day. 

From my current WIP with a core themes are about Love/Truth/Deception. I recommend creating a web to show your core theme and the smaller ones that branch from it. Here are mine.

My Proverbs: “The Truth Hurts” and “Lying is only a band-aid”

My protagonist has a misbelief that lying protects the people she cares about (and herself). This misbelief comes from a childhood of brutal truths and heartbreaking reality. By the end of her story and character arc, she learns that her lies only create negative effects and that she must trust the people she loves.

Ask yourself: “what is the point that you want to make by telling this story?” 

I want to show/express through my character’s story and arc that lying does not protect the people you love, but rather destroys not only yourself, but the people around you. CREDIT: All this knowledge comes from the book: Story Genius by Lisa Cron.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting

Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself to make sure your plotting is okay. Disclaimer: since every story is different, there may not apply to your story strictly. Be sure to also check for plot holes in things that are specific for your novel or short story.

Make your characters drive the story instead of letting the story (or the moral of it) drag them around to the conclusion.

Always keep note of any small detail you write about a character or about your world, then, reread it before a new writing session. This way you won’t contradict yourself.

Create unexpected twists by making a character respond to an event in a way the reader can’t imagine, then explain why it happened.

Remember that any person is a microuniverse, and all of them could easily change the story. Make sure no character is just “always there to help” for no reason. They all have a goal, or a strong reason that pushes them.

Create a complicated plot by putting a lot of hints that will be useful in the future. Make sure you can handle all of them. I usually think of this visually as: oc sees the surface of a river and a shadow swimming in it. Only you, the writer, knows what lurks beneath, and the story behind it, whether it’s a mermaid or a monster. Or both.

Create symbolism by repeating events or situations with different context, creating an automatic comparison.