It’s Been Done Before

Uh oh, Spaghetti O (yeah, I committed necromancy. I raised a horrible 90s phrase from the dead!)

People have said that speculative fiction–well, literature as a whole–is mostly derivative. But I still think I may be in some sort of a bind. Major, minor. Perhaps it’s of my own making … *shrug*

I’m working on my first “serious” novel (40+ pages of worldbuilding, plot notes and extensive outlines, and about ten start-overs. This is surely it!). I’m pretty sure that many individual ideas and concepts within were/are utilized by writers. One particular idea, however, may be old or may be fresh as ever. Not sure.

The world of my work-in-progress is loosely “steampunk” (some suggest that the “steampunk” brand can only be used if your tale is somewhat historical fiction. Most typically take place in the Victorian through 1930s eras); in actuality, the technology of my novel’s world doesn’t really run on steam or what we think of as fuel, so perhaps it doesn’t apply at all.

There are certain airships in this sea-influenced island-world, Verdigar, called orca-craft: massive, metallic ships in the form of killer-whales, used for trade by affluent merchants and corporations, and in combat (battle-orca) by the opposing States. This is a new technology–highly expensive to make and run.  However, while lurking on my favorite book-review sites, I came across this one book by Scott Westerfeld called Leviathan, and it mentioned airships of that sort–I’m not entirely sure if they are “metal-airship whales” or “genetically modified whales” (the series sounds pretty awesome, though! Methinks that’ll be on my summer reading list).

I preceded to worry and nagged my sleepy sister about the whole thing. Will I have to trash the entire idea? If I go through with the orca-craft, will I be sued? If that doesn’t matter, will I be burned alive by an army of angry fans? (haha at the last one).

Is it only acceptable when everyone’s doing it or when the idea is broad (such as elves: you have wood-elves, biker-elves, Keebler-elves etc., but elves have been around for centuries)? I mean, I’ve never come across metallic airships designed to resemble whales in literature before. Or have I?

Somewhere, somehow writers are bound to come up with the similar ideas and concepts. That’s pretty likely. There’s no such thing as originality. I’m just trying to figure out the level of acceptability before treading into “You’re in Trouble” Territory. I’m a broke college student!

Talking to Yourself

Perhaps this activity could battle the mind-lockdown. And one should, of course, not perform this activity in a room full of strangers.

I actually tried debating ideas (and playing the Ultra-Bionic Reader who scans for plot-holes) out loud today. Low and behold–a huge chunk of sensible storyline for Sentinel of Mirrors fell out of the sky onto my keyboard.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed while trying this activity–you’re a writer. We’re supposed to be out of our minds.

A Brief Vision of Verdigar

Verdigar, the world of Sentinel of Mirrors, contains quite a few geographic locations. I was a bit giddy today and wanted to share slice of my vision of Verdi, so I found some images around the web that somewhat resemble what I have in mind:

Verdigar, an archipelago, is composed of eight “main” islands, a cluster, and reef/sandbar sprinkles of islands, sort of like the Caribbean below.

Caribbean Map, geology.com

The eight main islands were formed from a hot spot known as “Deep Forge”, a volcanic region. Deep Forge is also considered “Hell” in Verdi folklore.

Underwater Volcano, dsc.discovery.com

Most islands contain lush beaches and mountains.

Island, le-caribbean-islands.com

The largest island contains both a swamp and a mountainous desert.

Swamp, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Mojave Desert, californianature.net

Other locations:

Grasslands, travelbyphotos.com

Rainforest, Illinois State School of Biological Sciences

***

These aren’t geographic, but I also wanted to share the idea I had for the rival States, inspired by Rome and Venice.

Rome, internationalliving.com

Venice, travelworldmap.com

Dude. Where’s the Map?

A few days ago, I continued reading a book I hadn’t touched in a few months. I remembered crucial plot points in this book, but forgot locations where these points took place. And so, I flipped to the front for a fast, memory-jogger and some insight into the Otherworld’s design (you know, since I’m a worldbuilding freak).

Oh. I see. Ok. Yeah …

No map.

I’m not melting (melting!!) from the lack of a map … but I was rather disappointed. A few authors (including a recent favorite of mine) have decided not to include maps in their fantasy novels. To be honest, I can’t figure out why (well, I think I remember some saying that it makes the plot more predictable, and some writers tend to make characters visit every location on their world’s map. Diana Wynne Jones picks at them in The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, hehe), but that’s their choice. It doesn’t really subtract much from the work.

First Page Maps are warm, fuzzy privileges I do enjoy. I think the inclusion of maps is an asset to fantasy novels since they give the reader a general design (geographic details and whatnot) of the Otherworld. Personally, maps connect me to that world on a slightly deeper level. That’s probably not the same for everyone. I guess my love for physical geography is a heavy factor.

I’ve already designed a rough-sketch of Verdigar, the world (well, “mainworld”) of Sentinel of Mirrors. As old-fashioned as this is, it’s been a minor aid in plot so far, and it helps me remember geographic details (one influencing how Verdi even came to exist), and why certain peoples live and certain industries thrive in those regions (weather, agriculture, and religion are also taken into account). The map is done by island, so cities and villages aren’t outlined.

I heart maps, hehe.