Every fantasy writer sooner or later runs into the problem of whether he can call Chantilly lace that given that Chantilly is one of our Earth locations. On the one hand, it's a reference to non-fantasy stuff. On the other, so is lots of stuff. Getting hung up on that is like trying to cut off somebody's skin without getting any of the blood. Here are some points to consider.
- Who's the narrator? Even if you have an omniscient third-person thing going on, think about what kinds of references the narrator might make.
- What's the feel of the thing? Does everything have to be contained within the world, creating a sense perhaps of tension or urgency, or is it a breezier sort of story where digressions are allowed?
- Is there another way to communicate the information? Suppose someone has a pretty face and a ponytail, hanging down, a wiggle in her walk and a giggle in her talk. The reader will get the idea.
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