A Productive Plot Development

Worried about how to carry on an ongoing story? Have the main character or another major character grow wings. Think of the possibilities, and don't think of a justification, because nobody cares.

2024 Roundup

It's the future, so it's time to declare which was more prophetic: Cyberpunk as a genre or Dick Tracy? Well, people still don't have cyborg implants as a regular thing but they do have watch/phone/computers, so that settles that. Let's check in again around 2081 to see how things are going. I expect great things from steampunk.

Period Piece Implementation

If you write something that takes place in, say, 1168, make sure to have people speak appropriately for the era. "Out of sight," "mod," "shemozzle," and "whirligig" are just a few of the things they should say.

Fantasy Demographics

To get a good idea of how many people might live in your fantasy kingdom, simply find an estimate of the population of France in A.D. 1200 and multiply it by one thousand at least, because nobody cares what happens in tiny little underpopulated A.D. 1200 France. Go read the Mahabharata or something. Yeesh.

Science Fiction Verisimilitude

Be sure to include bits where people talk about how all music today sounds the same and is bad. The crude, unsophisticated author will play this off as an occasion for ridicule, but the thoughtful author will understand that the statement is universal because it's always true.

Addendum

Did the kingdom's financial difficulties have to do with all the bedding replacements and excessive soap costs? Probably. But that only raises the issue of how little we, by which I mean I but I bet you two, know about the budgets of pre-modern states. That means no matter what outrageous financial arrangements you invent for your fantasy kingdom, nobody can say a word about it. Go wild in the coming year which already has come.

Addendum

For even more realism, carry it over to the sequel.

How to Increase the Realism of Your Story

An eight-page sequence of somebody trying to get a pebble out of his shoe. He isn't sure it's a pebble exactly, but it's annoying, whatever it is.

Addendum

Spaceships should also be big, but everybody knows that. The realism complaint there is usually that those ships shouldn't land on planets themselves, which is easy to accommodate. Ships so big they can't land on planets are ultra cool.

BIG SWORDS

BIG SWORDS
"But a real arming sword typically has a length between—" SHUT UP
B I G S W O R D S

Worldbuilding Tips

People like jewelry I guess, so throw some of that in there. Rings and junk. You can put most of it under a dragon, though, if it makes you feel better. A space dragon, because people in the future are still going to like jewelry.

Real World Precedent

After all, there are stage magicians in our world where we have the magic of courage and friendship.

History Corner

Music existed back then, but nobody's ever heard it. We're pretty much guessing. Go ahead and put pop punk in your fantasy stories.

The Limits of Fiction

Make sure not to make your fiction too realistic, or you risk replacing our world with one of your own invention. That wouldn't be so bad if your taste weren't terrible, but here we are.

Inspirational Quotations

"Fudge one detail and they call it inaccurate. Fudge a million details and they call it fantasy." - Thomas Jefferson

Historical Accuracy

When putting together your setting, remember that medieval cities mostly didn't have skyscrapers or movie theaters.

Realism in Villain Motives

"Has deep backstory that makes villain somewhat sympathetic or makes his motives understandable" - unrealistic
"Is a jerk" - realistic
"Wants power" - most realistic

More Realism

Some say geography should conform to realistic forms, but it's even more realistic for nobody to care. Realism isn't always kind, I'm afraid.

The Realistic Basis of Fantasy

As fantastical as fantasy can be, it is vital to have a realistic base where the reader can stand. For instance, in the first Harry Potter book that dude doesn't learn a single thing in class, which if anything is a little too realistic.