Writing Animals in Fantasy
- Thread starter NiQuinn
- Start date
LostinMovement
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2019
- Messages
- 145
- Points
- 83
Depends on the level of world-building you want to go for. But I don't advise you to. Just keep the same animals and change the names slightly like adding a noun or an adjective before them. It can be either be an attribute or a location. For example, there is a province in my work called Kersa so I call the wolves it's known for as Kersasi wolves. There is a special breed of dogs in the same work used by royalty for hunting and I coined them 'Nightling hounds' because of their black fur.
It's okay to bank on what is already familiar to your readers, world-building doesn't mean letting go of preconceived images and notions. There is a limit to originality and how you can go with your imagination, without confusing your readership.
It's okay to bank on what is already familiar to your readers, world-building doesn't mean letting go of preconceived images and notions. There is a limit to originality and how you can go with your imagination, without confusing your readership.
AliceShiki
Magical Girl of Love and Justice
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2018
- Messages
- 3,530
- Points
- 183
I think it's better to keep some things the same as in this world. Makes it easier on you and the reader.
Like... Measuring time in hours, days, weeks, months and years for example. Maybe people in another world would do it differently, but it's easier to just use our same system. (though changing the name of the days of the week and the name of the months might actually be a good idea)
Similarly speaking, using the same names we use here for food (well, it might be better to avoid Regional food, but... An apple may still be an apple) and animals is probably for the best... I mean, if you can have an Orc in a fantasy setting, why can't you have a dog? We were the ones that invented the word "Orc" and we also did it for "Dog", there is no need to change one and not the other.
Like... Measuring time in hours, days, weeks, months and years for example. Maybe people in another world would do it differently, but it's easier to just use our same system. (though changing the name of the days of the week and the name of the months might actually be a good idea)
Similarly speaking, using the same names we use here for food (well, it might be better to avoid Regional food, but... An apple may still be an apple) and animals is probably for the best... I mean, if you can have an Orc in a fantasy setting, why can't you have a dog? We were the ones that invented the word "Orc" and we also did it for "Dog", there is no need to change one and not the other.
Kotohood
Noob Author
- Joined
- May 17, 2019
- Messages
- 263
- Points
- 103
Adding to what others have said, I give you an example.
Final Fantasy 13.
They created a name for everything new which confuses the players from the very beginning. They have their own creature name and they even call the gods in that world differently.
So you have people talking with confusing jargons like L'cie, Fal'cie, and their pletora of original named monsters and if you weren't reading the datalogs or have prior FF experience, these are words that will just take you out of the experience. People are more often to filter out Jargon after all.
Of course, this could be avoided if you just tell your audience that your 'dog' is just a dog. But like... that kinda takes you out of the story too with boring exposition.
Don't forget that you have to remember your bestiary at all times too, that's already a big pain in the butt.
Final Fantasy 13.
They created a name for everything new which confuses the players from the very beginning. They have their own creature name and they even call the gods in that world differently.
So you have people talking with confusing jargons like L'cie, Fal'cie, and their pletora of original named monsters and if you weren't reading the datalogs or have prior FF experience, these are words that will just take you out of the experience. People are more often to filter out Jargon after all.
Of course, this could be avoided if you just tell your audience that your 'dog' is just a dog. But like... that kinda takes you out of the story too with boring exposition.
Don't forget that you have to remember your bestiary at all times too, that's already a big pain in the butt.