Saturday, February 25, 2012

When Worlds Collide ... or Fantasy Versus Reality

I wonder how any author of science fiction, or specifically of fantasy, feels when writing a script with a fantasy world setting. How comfortable are they when creating those details of setting, like how the "world" looks, or the way people dress, or even more daunting, putting them in action, i.e. what they may do that's so illogical compared to our way of doing things. Obviously, there must be some point in the writing process where the creation becomes familiar and comfortable ... but when?

The reason I am dwelling on this lately is because of the story I am working on ... Alice in Realityland. Alice must bounce back and forth between her reality and a fantasy world. Creating that fantasy world is totally mindbending! And I haven't reached a point where I'm thinking it's comfortable. So, of course, I start to doubt my creative ability and rethink what I'm writing. But I am ignoring the itch to change it, figuring to just plug along, waiting for that everything-will-click moment, and praying it will come.

This is a totally different experience from writing Not So Snow White  which has some magic in it, along with witches and fairies, but still taking place in our world. So, I wonder about all those other fantasy writers and how they think it through. Any of you reading this, please chime in with your thoughts. I'd love to hear them!

Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
Cinderella Geek

4 comments:

Krista McLaughlin said...

Fantasy writing is definitely hard because you are creating a whole new world, with new cultures and dress and phrases (which if you don't give context clues for the reader are very confusing) and the fact that you want it to be unique! Whew... it's a lot of work to write fantasy. I'm finding this out with my current WIP, trying to decide how my characters would dress or talk. My advice... don't give up! You can do it, keep telling yourself that. It's hard, but it is totally worth it. :)

Elliot Grace said...

...one positive way of facing the challenge would be to think of a non-existent blank plain, desperately in need of some color. And work from there. While I'm not a writer of fantasy, (other than perhaps some dabbling at times,) maybe beginning with an utterly clean slate, then tossing some color into the world, one flower, one character at a time, would generate one's very own Avatar.

Quite the challenge. Good luck!

El

Author and Reader said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Author and Reader said...

Excellent advice, my friends! I am sticking to it, and it seems it is getting less and less uncomfortable to delve into my fantasy world. Thank goodness for that. I am just figuring that there will be lots of revisions and moments where I layer more on that blank plain until it feels just right :-)