...Especially Fantasy

today i was accosted [yeah, that's the right word for it] by a classmate who asked me whether i was writing anything interesting of late. though i have certainly been writing a great deal that i do find interesting, i truthfully answered with 'no. not lately.'

from this, i volunteered a wee bit about my writing patterns, in part because i was feeling magnanimous and not in the mood to verify possibly growing rumors that i disliked this fellow student [i do in fact dislike him a great deal], and in part to test a theory of mine concerning this fellow student [i was right].

i told him that i was in one of my research phases, and left it at that. most people follow up with 'what are researching now?' he followed up with 'oh, mythology and whatnot?' [this proves my theory correct, but i won't go into why here.]

'no,' i replied, 'i largely create my own mythologies, and don't rely too heavily on already made up ones.'

this threw him for a loop, apparently. it was a pleasure to witness. and a fun game to play. not only had i twice responded in an unexpected manner, but i had also twice eluded capture.

with mere moments before class began, he took the bait. 'do you always research your writing?'

'oh, yes.'

'even fantasy?'

'especially fantasy.'

then class started, and his little thinker was working on overdrive for the duration.

i may not care for this fellow student, but i do not consider him stupid, dull, or incapable of intelligible thought. he's irritating, not incompetent. so i was shocked when, after class, he revealed he had not been able to think of what would require research in a fantasy.

our professor was still putting away his projection equipment, and i was still packing my baggage for the trek home [though i ended up wandering the 4th floor for two hours...]. still feeling cheerful enough, and not in an easy position to escape without answering, i threw out some real information.

i described our thundering metal carriages and ocean-defying metal boats. in a world set before most of our modern technologies, certain less modern technologies are used. an author worth his or her salt needs to know these technologies in and out, or at least be well enough versed in them to write them intelligently and accurately. a little fantasy magic does not alter the function of a horse-drawn sledge on a snowy village street. likewise, ships need the full and correct accoutrement of sails and rigging to function, regardless of magic.

i was challenged on that.

at which point, i half-conceded that magic can be used in the enhancement of these things, but that research is even more necessary in that case. in order to determine how well-imagined magic will affect, say, the sledge being driven to temple service in winter, one must know how the sledge works without magic. only when the various parts are put together mechanically can shortcuts be made via magic. otherwise, all you end up with is a hodgepodge of magical assumptions that a savvy reader can and should see straight through.

transparency in this knowledge is what keeps it from clunking. the author ought to know at least ten times more research than is actually included in the work. this is where professor spoke up (apparently quite fascinated by the conversation) and mentioned the scene in LotR where wormtongue leans over the black powder-filled ball, and saruman freaks out. a very true-to-times curiosity and innocence, and a very real reaction. we all left the room, but i'll continue here on the transparency of knowledge:

for instance, if the medieval forms of alchemy are being used in the world, the author will need to know, bare minimum, the following:

-arcane terminology == what will the characters call stuff? can't use the modern terms.

-the philosophy and goals that make up the spirit of old alchemy == your character might well share these, or these can be realistic breeding grounds for altered developments.

-basic reactions that are being written about == duh. you'll need to know what color stuff turns, and all that, or how will you describe this?

-basic alchemical laws == unless everything is completely magical, and therefore, not terribly believable, even to the uber-suspended readers, you'll need to know basic interactions in order to predict what might happen if someone bumps a table. too, it is rare for alchemy to be involved in a novel without some sort of apprenticeship also being involved... what is the master going to be teaching?

-the attitude toward certain chemicals == and how, then will your characters handle these potentially life-threatening and/or life-giving elixirs? if you are (and you should be) using real substances, the real life attitudes are probably called for. those alchemists didn't all die from drinking liquefied orpiment; they had some healthy fears.

-the level of impurity [measured by today's standards *and* by yesteryear's standards] in various substances == see the next point, and recognize that most likely, your characters are not working with chemistry-classroom-grade materials.

-what that impurity will mean for the reactions being written about == depending on the most common impurities, something could turn out highly toxic that would otherwise be only so-so toxic, or a cure could be found that can't be replicated due to an unknown impurity that is actually the cure that can't be isolated.

-the colors, smells, tastes, textures, sounds, legends, fears, of or surrounding individual substances and combinations of those substances == i think i mentioned it above, but you'll be describing this shit unless you can find a clever way around it. it will help to know what you're describing. get color pictures, and read up on the non-printables.

-perception of alchemy as an art, and of alchemists == again, this might not be accurate to your world, but it is a good starting place. people had good, human reasons for these perceptions, and no matter how fantastic your world, there is an element of the human psyche in there, or readers will turn away in droves. remember, your readers are human.

-the types of mishaps common to that era == if for nothing else than use as a peripheral plot point, or an anecdote about the last apprentice, or something. having a list of these handy is good practice. when stumped for some low-level catastrophe, reach for your list. a well-researched list of bad things is a good thing.

-the types of mishaps common today and throughout the intermediate time == those that are the same point directly to the human in us that can't be purged by accumulation of knowledge. these are good things to include. remember your audience.

-most common cause of death in alchemists == they don't typically die peacefully in their sleep at the ripe age of 98. the things that go wrong regularly (see above) are the things that will probably take someone out. chances are high your alchemist knows a buddy who died by (reach for handy list), or has a warning to share with an apprentice. might could find a nice death for your character in here, or a near-death.

-dangers of the profession == slightly different from above. continual exposure to toxic fumes (without the handy knowledge that they are toxic) would result in ... that's right. unhealthy lungs. this gives you a chance to research healing teas and etc to help your character fight lung damage. these you could make up, but it's better to know terminology and basic herbal lore to get your fake herbs sounding right. too, your alchemist is probably leather-skinned and pock-marked. chances are high he or she has been burned several times, is likely missing an eyebrow, and may have lost some sight. get to know the dangers the real alchemists faced, because yours will face them too.

-"medicinal" mixtures and their opposites [ingredients, recipes, perceived effects, actual effects, etc.] == your alchemist could be involved in the making of these. if medicinal, this could be a good plot point, and could endear your alchemist to the local healer or the populous. if not, why is your alchemist brewing poisons? for whom? to what gain? to be used how? if you can't find a way to work this in, i pity you. this is cool stuff.

-the methods by which alchemical substances are created == i've probably done this in an earlier explanation. but dude. you're going to describe it, right? then get it right.

-the raw materials used in the processes == i mean the raw ingredients to those ingredients. where in the world is your alchemist getting all this sulphur? how about the spirit of nitre? sure s/he gets sugar of lead from lead oxide and vinegar, and yeah, the vinegar could come from the local grocer. where's the lead oxide found? i doubt there's a friendly alchemist shop around the corner. if there is, how does it stay stocked? where does it get stuff? how will trade routes affect the availability of certain things?

-the types of commerce and ecology necessary for the existence and transport of those raw materials == your alchemist likely cannot stay well stocked in a war zone. or during a famine. or if there's a drought, or particularly stormy weather in the trade channels. what kind of problems will affect his or her ability to lay hands on that hot new chemical from down continent? and how much will circumventing legal bans cost?

-various dangers involved in transportation == see above. is there a black market on azote [nitrogen] due to its potential to explode? what kinds of shady folks might be involved? what are their stories, and how might they affect your character? if your character has to transport stuff him- or herself, then there's much more that goes into this one.

-and much, much more! == i'm mercifully letting you off the hook.

refresher: "for instance, if the medieval forms of alchemy are being used in the world, the author will need to know, bare minimum, the [above]"

notice how many avenues are opened just by the knowledge. and if you want to add magic to that, you can explore the equipment being used (which i just noticed i left off my list), and add, harry potter style, single-temperature magical fires to avoid dangerous temperature fluctuations. or magically sterile and ionized containers and water (ionized shouldn't appear in the text, though... maybe "pure" or "holy" would work, depending on context). or protective spells for the alchemist. or specially magicked chambers. or heatless light sources. etc. but it helps to know what you're doing, and that knowledge on your part will show in the text.

sadly[?] i could do that kind of a list for any number of things, and all that is just the research portion of writing in a fantasy world.

we don't need that much research to write "real" things. if i wrote about crossing the state in a car, i'd need to research terrain and attractions for scenery's sake, but would not have to research cars. i'd pick a make, model, year, see what the gas mileage was, find a color, make up a license plate, and pack it full of characters and granola bars. end of research. i know enough about cars to be fine with that unless the dang thing breaks down. then there's some research to find out what went wrong, and what kinds of crap my characters are going to encounter at the small town "fix it shop" because jennifer forgot her AAA card in her other pants and neither tommy nor joe nor cathy had thought to prepare for car trouble either.

if my characters are crossing even a river in the fantasy world, then i have to pick the kinds of horses jeonnifre, thomlyn, jau'mareth and k'thayzh would be riding (what can they afford, what are their riding skills, especially jeonnifre, who can only ride side saddle because her father has her gussied up in a very biting chastity belt), what those horses need in terms of food, how our adventurers will obtain or carry that food, where they'll be keeping the rest of their stuff, and how much of it they can pack into saddlebags. i'll need to know something about how harness works, looks, is cared for. i'll need to know what happens when a horse throws a shoe. i'll need to know about how horses would react to being asked to cross a river. if there's a ferry, it gets more complicated.

let's say there's magic that makes the horses cross as if on solid ground. cool. but i know horses wouldn't be okay with this floating on water sensation. does the magic calm them? what if they are beset by robbers? are the horses too calm? how does the magic work? is it in the harness? the shoes? the river? amulets worn by our adventurers? a song being sung or chanted by thomlyn? how does thom play an instrument and ride? or is it a cappella? what's his pitch like? what if he's interrupted, or chokes on spit during a repeat? just in case, can the character's swim? would jeonnifre's chastity belt weigh her down? would she die a watery, virginal death? or would a river elf rescue her, unlock the belt, ravage her, and make her bear his scaly babies?

say that this magic, however it worked, was so normal as to make this all foolish thinking pointless. how is this? what laws of magic govern the world that supersede laws of physics? what's the magical fibre of the world like? how thick is that fabric? does it ever tear? i'll bet that's a bitch. what kinds of horrific things take place where the fabric is weakened? isn't that where the story needs to be? and not on a foursome of nobodies crossing a dumb river?

so yeah. it's getting late, and this is already far too long. here's the summary:

research: necessary.

even for fantasy?

especially for fantasy.

love and peace.