So I'm just starting to write the first draft of a novel I've been developing over the past year. It's a Tolkien-esque fantasy world with castles, swords, horses, and etc. Basically, it is the story of a small country trying to win back its freedom from the nation-gobbling emperor who has conquered it. However, I have been wondering lately whether it needs some kind of connection with reality, because knowing that it's an imaginary world makes all the details seem sort of unimportant. (I don't know if this makes any sense. If you get what I mean, please let me know! lol.) For example, what if this world was somehow connected to that one? Not physically, but what if there were windows into it from our world, and people were watching what was happening there....?

I'm sorry if this doesn't make any sense. I'll explain more later.

By windows do you mean like in Narnia? I'm not quite sure why the details would seem unimportant, in LotR the details are very important and Middle Earth is an imaginary world. By imaginary world, do you mean one that is made up for the story, or would the story take place in the MC's head? I'm not sure if I understand what you're asking.

I get what you mean. Sort of like there are things (like the seeing stones in LoTR) through which people in our modern-day world can see what is happening in the fantasy world. And by details, I'm guessing you mean like more realistic and believable? Maybe I'm wrong. A lot of times fantasy worlds can seem really unrealistic and 2-D, at least for me they can. Is this what you're referring to?

Anyways, I like the idea; would people from our world somehow help the main character achieve his goals in his world? That could be really good if it's done right. Or would they just look through the windows at what is happening, sort of like a movie. This could also be really good.

Or maybe what you could make happen is not windows into that world, but portals...and characters from our world get taken into that world and have to help it regain independence...OK, I guess that's a Narnia rip-off, but if you combined the two ideas maybe something cool could come of it.

I definitely like the idea of windows; portals, not so much, but I'm looking forward to see what you settle on. Hope I helped a little bit, and I look forward to reading the novel!

eruheran

P.S. Just out of curiosity, Merashath, how did you get the idea that the story would happen in the MC's head? Kind of strange...but that also could be a really good story idea if it's done right.

Well, it was more like an idea I had from something Janin said, 'knowing the world is imaginary' I know what she meant, but I kind of made it sound like I didn't. I put it at the end of the sentence that I asked about being imaginary, I should have worded it differently.

Eruheran (did I spell your name right?)- Yes, that's exactly what I meant! I am worried that the world of the story will seem 2-D. Too many times the details of a fantasy world get taken for granted, but they are what makes the story live. (Take Tolkien, for example. ). And yes, you understood exactly what I meant by windows, too. Somewhere where you could look through into the world of the story, like a parallel universe or something, completely seperate from ours yet created by the same God.

For some reason, if someone from our world is watching what is going on in the world of the story, it makes the details more concrete in my head. For this story, I think the windows would just be windows. People on Earth couldn't influence the other world, but perhaps what they see influences them to change their world. I am toying with another idea in which they could influence things, but that's another story entirely.

Merushath- It's not that the details are unimportant, per se, but that they are not as clear to me. I have to remember that the reader can't see all the things that are in my head, and they don't know the background story like I do. It all has to be explained from the beginning.

Cool name, by the way.

I really like this sentence; or, more appropriately, the idea behind the sentence



That's a really good idea and one that I've never thought of before. And yes, you did spell my name right (but not my brother's )

eruheran

The irony of it all.

I apologize, Mereshath.

Welcome Sarah,

I like stories that are Tolkien esque without the songs and endless detail Post some more of your world and characters on the forum for this idea under a title so I know they're all related. For example, if I don't know the title yet, I use the name of the world or main character, like Ixia: Backstory; Ixia: Characters, etc.

What you posted here sounds good so far, but I warn you from experience, try to find an idea and stick with it. If you don't, you'll end up like me - 8 months after I finished my first novel and I still haven't started the next one because I brainstorm ideas that die after a few weeks because I'm on to the next hot idea.

I recently asked my writing mentor, Michael Stackpole, about this problem. His advice was to get to know your characters first. Once you "know" your characters, you'll know their goals and the conflicts to come, as well as the world they live in. Give it a shot.

About the new world idea. My first book, a Christian Fantasy, started out as a world that God sent 7 people to while He healed ours (post Armageddon), with the plan to bring them all back to Himself. I am still toying with that idea, but while writing realized it could just be another creation of God, totally unrelated to Earth and our universe. It's just like asking yourself, "What if God created this world instead of ours?"

I also like the idea of people in our world seeing this stuff happen, and it affecting them, but them not being able to affect your new world. That could be a separate story though.

Keep writing, and nice to meet you.

It's still wrong.

Ai yi yi. Merashath, I am truly sorry. (I didn't know there was that thing at the bottom of the page where you can read previous posts, so I was just guessing.) I hope I've got it right now.

Timotheus- You are absolutely right. I used to do exactly the same thing. My notebooks are full of "the next hot idea" that never worked out. I've matured a little bit lately and learned to just write those ideas down, but that's all. You can always come back to them later. I would say, pick the one you like the best and run with it as far as it goes.
My other worlds idea is similar to yours. I mean, God never told us whether He created any other worlds, and as far as we know we are the only living planet in the universe. But that's only as far as we know (which isn't very far). What if there were other universes? What if there are other populated worlds in our universe so far away that we will never know about them? God has limitless imagination.

When I get a new plot twist or something I just add it in to the story I'm currently working on, whatever it is. Needless to say my story's a mess!

About other worlds...I'm inclined to think God didn't create other 'humans' or human-like creatures. (Jesus died for us AND the Martians? ) but other worlds...definitely eye-opening about how big a world we live in. I'm always excited when scientists discover another planet in some faraway solar system.

eruheran

Yes, that is a problem....I'm pondering how to work that out. But the Bible does say that Jesus died once for all. What if He really did die once for all, across all kinds of dimensions at the same time. Or what if the people on other worlds never fell in the first place? I know I'm stretching things pretty far here, and I'm not saying I actually believe it, but what if? My pastor (and longtime family friend) teases me that he's going to excommunicate me for heresy. lol.

Hey Sarah,
I've actually thought a lot about this whole concept...space aliens, if they do exist, etc. Actually, I even wrote a blog post about it a while back. If people knew all the ideas I've 'explored' in the past, I'd be excommunicated too.

Also, I understand what you mean when you say you don't necessarily believe this. Just exploring it.

eruheran

BTW, this is what I love about the forum. A nice mix of fantasy and theology.

Yes, definitely. There's so much that God didn't tell us. Maybe He wants us to use our imaginations.

I know...it's very fascinating, sometimes I wish God told us more

eruheran