As you can tell from the title of this blog, I've exhausted the list of topics I originally had. Now it is down to basic generalizations and things I have seen in other books.
If it is one thing I can talk about pretty much non-stop, it's my world. Building everything from the ground up has been pretty fun as well as tedious and sometimes downright frustrating.
I can't begin to tell you how many times I have changed something. Like my map. The first one had one huge continent with dozens of kingdoms. Lines for borders were drawn and it seemed to work. Later, though, I spent some time looking it over and thought, "There is just no way this looks feasible." So I changed it. I even eliminated a couple of kingdoms.
Each one has their own story to tell with its own cast of characters. The list of stories I have to write seems endless sometimes. Which is why I want this first trilogy done so I can move on.
I have lots of different races, all with different histories that I hope come out in the stories I tell. I like to mention my characters traveling through certain kingdoms and crossing specific areas and towns, so that later, when you read a different story and see those places mentioned, you'll go, "Hey! I remember that from such and such book!" Of course, my hope is that the image I once projected to the reader will pop back into their mind. Which is what you want. You'll have to describe the areas repeatedly, because new readers won't have that image, but those coming back, will.
One of my favorite races (I do have a hard time choosing...) are the Sinisians. They live on the southern island of Sinis. What's so special about these people? They tell their life story on their bodies. From the moment they are born to the time they die, their bodies are tattooed in a blue ink. The story it tells other natives reflects personal achievements, tragedies, first loves, first kisses, marriage, deaths, relatives, etc. To an outsider, they just look like blue tattooed freaks. To their family and friends, they're an open book.
How would you feel if everyone, aside from strangers, knew every single detail about you? Would it make life easier or more difficult?
5 comments:
Oh I love your race "the Sinisians." That is very original. You should give their tattoos magical powers so that when they press them, a spell is unleashed at the cost of forgetting whatever part of their life that tattoo represents or something like that. So they become ultimate warriors but at the cost of their memories.
The Sinisians sound intriguing.
Michael, that is an awesome idea! I actually have two races that do tattoos, just one of them is not as extreme as the Sinisians. The Firlochians are similar and they're more of the warrior race.
Food for thought, definitely. ;)
I can't wait to meet the Sinisians. I have a tattoo on my shoulder I got to commemorate graduating college and getting my first job. I love the idea of ink reflecting where you've been.
The Sinisians are a superb creation- l love that idea of tattoos reflecting their life story. I did a similar things with my Druids , using tattoos to reflect their scriptures and teachings in times of persecution.
(And it made them look as hard as nails too).
World building is definitely one of the best aspects of writing!
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