Emissarius
Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2020
- Messages
- 20
Hello,
If your protagonist is set to leave her home planet/ city/ village/ town early on in the book (say, at around 20% of the book/ chapter 4-5), how much
would you invest in that place? Some examples, like the Wheel of Time's Two Rivers and Star Wars' Tatooine invest a lot of detail and history into the place despite the MC spending more time elsewhere. Then you've got places like Harry Potter's Privet Drive which, imo, is so scantily-described that there's hardly a sense of place at all. I assume the rich and hilarious character of the Dursleys' household makes up for it, though.
What would you consider the best approach? I admit I'm currently grappling with this issue in my space fantasy ms. I've planned and outlined extensively for all parts and locations of the story except for the MC's homeplanet, and I don't mind telling u that I've still got no idea if it's going to be an island, a town, or a countryside. How do you make the choice? Do you take into consideration how the MC feels about the place? For example, both Privet Drive and Tatooine were drab and boring in their own way, that's how Harry and Luke saw them, and that's why they wanted to leave. Yet still, one place was given a rich history and details while the other was technically glossed over.
On the other hand, Bilbo's Shire and Rand (from the Wheel of Time)'s Two Rivers are beautiful places and I guess it's no coincidence that both MCs were forced to leave instead of wishing for it. My MC is in the Luke/ Harry category. He can't wait to get off-world. Should I aim for a depressing kind of setting, then? Does that mean mountains and greenery are out? What about Edwardian/ Gaslight settings? Both are personal favorites of mine, and none of them will feature on the planet the MC travels to after the fifth chapter (that one will be technologically advanced and full of skyscrapers). I thought that having him live in a green countryside homeworld or a Victorian one with no tall buildings whatsoever would actually be a nice contrast to the other planet and would fill him with awe. But is it really feasible to write about a setting you love like a green countryside/ village and have your MC despise it?
If your protagonist is set to leave her home planet/ city/ village/ town early on in the book (say, at around 20% of the book/ chapter 4-5), how much
would you invest in that place? Some examples, like the Wheel of Time's Two Rivers and Star Wars' Tatooine invest a lot of detail and history into the place despite the MC spending more time elsewhere. Then you've got places like Harry Potter's Privet Drive which, imo, is so scantily-described that there's hardly a sense of place at all. I assume the rich and hilarious character of the Dursleys' household makes up for it, though.
What would you consider the best approach? I admit I'm currently grappling with this issue in my space fantasy ms. I've planned and outlined extensively for all parts and locations of the story except for the MC's homeplanet, and I don't mind telling u that I've still got no idea if it's going to be an island, a town, or a countryside. How do you make the choice? Do you take into consideration how the MC feels about the place? For example, both Privet Drive and Tatooine were drab and boring in their own way, that's how Harry and Luke saw them, and that's why they wanted to leave. Yet still, one place was given a rich history and details while the other was technically glossed over.
On the other hand, Bilbo's Shire and Rand (from the Wheel of Time)'s Two Rivers are beautiful places and I guess it's no coincidence that both MCs were forced to leave instead of wishing for it. My MC is in the Luke/ Harry category. He can't wait to get off-world. Should I aim for a depressing kind of setting, then? Does that mean mountains and greenery are out? What about Edwardian/ Gaslight settings? Both are personal favorites of mine, and none of them will feature on the planet the MC travels to after the fifth chapter (that one will be technologically advanced and full of skyscrapers). I thought that having him live in a green countryside homeworld or a Victorian one with no tall buildings whatsoever would actually be a nice contrast to the other planet and would fill him with awe. But is it really feasible to write about a setting you love like a green countryside/ village and have your MC despise it?