[Bardos]

What do you need to create a fantasy world (aside from imagenation:P)? What a fantasy world must have to be realistic and... fantastic, of course? How much of its history you need to know? Do you need to know the world's inportant personalities from the beggining? A good map, a simple piece of paper, or... no map at all??

[wolfshead]

This is only personal opinion, of course, but I think a good grounding in all the world mythologies is a help. When i first became interested in fantasy and wanted to write it, I read all the norse myths, Arthurian legends,Welsh, Irish and Scottish myths and legends, books on British fairylore, the german 'Nibelunenlied', the Finnish Kalevala, the Sumerian 'Epic of Gilgamesh', Beowulf, the epic of Roland, and, of course, as many fantasy novels as I could get hold of. Later on, I studied paganism, wicca and 'earth mysteries', as well a British history (esp. medieval) and prehistory (I even took an anthropology course.)If I am using a setting in a fantasy piece that contains a gloomy barrow or ruined clifftop castle, i find it quite good fun to find an inspiring real-life place and describe it. ( I am lucky enough to live in the UK when barrows and castles abound!) The ruined castle of Dunstanburgh in northumbria is one I've 'used' in a short story.
I am a big fan of maps, esp. for long, complicated novels. It's good fun creating them too!

[KATS]

I agree with Wolfshead. I have so much detail in my worlds it’s almost sickening. But it’s one of my favorite parts of writing the story. I know a lot of people do not have a lot of detail, nor do they necessarily need it. I happen to be a bit neurotic so I tend to take it farther than necessary.

Just a note on studying “paganism, wicca and 'earth mysteries'”. Ever try to explain to very Christian parents why you have those books? http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif By the way, I’ve been looking for a good book on symbols and their historic meanings. Anyone have any suggestions? Perhaps a site that gives some good background on symbols. I have a book but it just give a brief history of each symbol, though it does have quite a few symbols.

[Bardos]

Check this out

http://www.celtic-art.net/index2.htm

Its pretty interesting.

[Umesha Chalanie]

Hey Kats - I take it you had to go through the whole explaining to Christian parents about interests in areas like what you mentioned? My mate goes to a Catholic school - they found a book of Wicca in his bag, and he's in danger of getting expelled. How did you explain to your parents, and any advice for him?

[KATS]

No advice. All I said was they were for research and my mom didn’t really say anything. She just gave me religious books and started making little comments about church. Kinda annoying, but no big deal really. Hehe Of course by then I was living on my own.

Actually even reading and/or writing about fantasy is against some religions. I went to a Christian boarding academy and they would confiscate any books that even looked like it might be fantasy. I can’t imagine if they found a “How to be a Witch” book.

By the way Bardos, thanks for the site. Pretty cool.

[wolfshead]

I grew up in a Catholic household too. My mother went ballistic when I borrowed a book of white witch's spell from the library as a teenager, and she threw away my frazetta poster of a mailed dark rider holding a big axe because she thought it was 'evil'. Managed to convince her not all fantasy was bad because tolkien was a catholic too1 Gradually she got used to it all, and never batted an eyelid at the books in my bookshelf. I also think she got less religious as she got older too1!

[Bardos]

So you corruped your mother, eh?! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif Don't get me wrong -only a joke- and I hate priests (don't get me wrong again, if you like them! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif).
...I have "corrupted" my mother also... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif
http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[adellana]

I did the whole fantasy witch thing too, and I was soooo serious about it http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif my mom never really found out but my sister found the books and started getting into it too. the only problem is, she was much less discreet. I guess I was blesed with an understanding family, but just kinda let it ride. People either get over it, or else you lie your ass off.
Also, I like the points about building a good fantasy world. Reading from current mythology is always a great idea, and the best ideas come from it...after all, human nature can only change so much, no matter what world (or can it?) http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Lady_Linda]

*spontanous comment*

How awful to go to such a school! What happens if you'd go to a chatolic school and decided to covert to Islam or Buddism or something? (Can you really be expelled for that?!)

I'm glad I'm not going to school in the USA... (No offence people http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

~Linda~

(This was kinda off topic, about words I think that the more details you've got the better, but don't use them all - not at once at least http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif