New worlds

[Sneaky Devil]

I am attempting to write a fantasy novel, along with a few other types, where i create my own world so to speak...actually the character can travel back and forth between her world and ours using some form of magic.
is this a tricky thing to do? is it something that interests people?

[JHillman]

Probably the best example of the back and forth stuff I've seen is "The Talisman" by Steven King and Peter Straub. I seem to recall reading somewhere that King wrote one segment and Straub the other to give each a different flavor.

But that's certainly not the only example. And if it's done well, yes, it is interesting. And yes it is tricky.

[Sneaky Devil]

sweet book! so is the sequel "Black House"
my girl's world is dominated by magic, they have no idea what a car is let alone a computer, and they have demons and such all over the place, of course there's good and bad magic, you can't have one without the other in my opinion
the traveling in my book will probably have something to do with the main female character trying to find a way to turn the main male character back to good, she can't find a way to do it from her world so she thinks something in ours will help...
i don't know though, now that i've written out my intentions instead of just thinking about them it sounds pretty cheesy
and...ssshhh! that's sort of where i got the idea (SK) from his stories about Jack Sawyer and his Dark Tower Series. i like books like that, where the characters travel back and forth so you can see just how different the two, or more, worlds are

Probably the best example of the back and forth stuff I've seen is "The Talisman" by Steven King and Peter Straub. I seem to recall reading somewhere that King wrote one segment and Straub the other to give each a different flavor.

But that's certainly not the only example. And if it's done well, yes, it is interesting. And yes it is tricky.

[Nivarion]

well, if its sounding a bit cheesy lets take the cheese out or serve some wine.

heres a few questions to help you get it less "cheesy"

first, who is you main character? not what she does and how she looks, but who she is (i doubt this one can be answered in a post.)
second, what is her relationship with the Male MC?

third, what is your opposition? why will your MC's get involved?
fourth, why your MC's? as in, why are they picked to be the victims or heroes.

lastly, how does this travel help your MC? How will this all be resolved?

these are not all of the questions that will have to be asked, but enough to get you started.

and rember, this will all be absolutely serious to your characters. show the seriousnessnes from your characters POV and your readers will feel it too.

[Sneaky Devil]

look for a private message so i can answer :)

well, if its sounding a bit cheesy lets take the cheese out or serve some wine.

heres a few questions to help you get it less "cheesy"

first, who is you main character? not what she does and how she looks, but who she is (i doubt this one can be answered in a post.)
second, what is her relationship with the Male MC?

third, what is your opposition? why will your MC's get involved?
fourth, why your MC's? as in, why are they picked to be the victims or heroes.

lastly, how does this travel help your MC? How will this all be resolved?

these are not all of the questions that will have to be asked, but enough to get you started.

and rember, this will all be absolutely serious to your characters. show the seriousnessnes from your characters POV and your readers will feel it too.

[tehuti88]

Well, my entire fantasy series is based on a character who can travel back and forth between her (modern, regular) world and the other (fantasy, antiquated) world. Much of the fantasy world is based on reality, albeit in different time periods, BUT there are also fantastical parts of it. I don't find it cheesy or boring in the least; I love such stories. I think no matter how many times they've been done, if the writer is truly passionate about creating their world and making it "real," it'll work.

That's just me though. *shrug*

[Sneaky Devil]

1-she's (Angel is her name) a witch, an extremely powerful witch who uses her magic for good
2-she and Bryce fall in love but there is something that she doesn't know about him...that's he's only half human
3-a "demon" uses his powers to bring out the demonic side of Bryce and reaks havic on the world, there is only one who can stop him, Angel
4-i just like the idea that she could save him in the end and they can be together (that's another cheesy part i guess)
5-in our world there is a knife that was made by someone from their world and brought over, it's the only thing that Angel can use to kill the demon in Bryce and save him at the same time
**there is also a prophecy about the two made many years ago stating that one will end up killing the other though it doesn't say which one

what do you think?

[Liosse de Velishaf]

it can be very tricky to develop both "worlds" into interesting dynamic settings, but if you can do it, there are plenty of people interested in this type of story. It's a classic structure, and some very well-known fantasy stories use it. If you want, I can give you some more examples.

[Nivarion]

1-she's (Angel is her name) a witch, an extremely powerful witch who uses her magic for good
2-she and Bryce fall in love but there is something that she doesn't know about him...that's he's only half human
3-a "demon" uses his powers to bring out the demonic side of Bryce and reaks havic on the world, there is only one who can stop him, Angel
4-i just like the idea that she could save him in the end and they can be together (that's another cheesy part i guess)
5-in our world there is a knife that was made by someone from their world and brought over, it's the only thing that Angel can use to kill the demon in Bryce and save him at the same time
**there is also a prophecy about the two made many years ago stating that one will end up killing the other though it doesn't say which one

what do you think?

okay, first battery of questions answered, and your story seems more serious now.

first question need a bit more looking after. Who is your character? what makes them tick, what makes them different from everyone else?

(and this is where i get a bit weird) in your world, you are playing the role of god. by the time you are done you should know EVERYTHING about your characters. you don't have to show it or even really think about it, you should just know it. eh, hard for me to wrap me mind around(weirdiness ends)

honestly i have never been able to put who someone is into words. it is a set of complex thoughts that are hard to pick out of the what they do. the easiest way i have found to find who they are, i put them in a different body, in a different place, with a different job.

i have one character who i know better than any of my others. he has many names (Ni'Vidion, Ma'Hanadel, Ri'Relidon, Michal Sanders, and one that i have yet to find) he has a few jobs respectivally, king, bounty hunter, Aram Warlord, secret police officer, and Aram Warlords aprentice plus Aram traitor.

these are what his name is and what he does though. but through it i found who he is. he is selfless. he is callosed and blunt, a hero in his very fibers.

even though they have nothing in common with their life styles, he still handles things the same as he would have in the same body. you can look at them and see the others in the one he is at the time,

imagine the kung fu movies, where the sensei is asking his student over and over again abot who she is. about the same question, ive just been taking the hard way of it.

enough on that question. and again, i doubt it can be put in words, but you should be able to see them in things if you change their outside. its an abstract for your knowledge.


in respect to five, why was it made? why was it brought here?

and in respect to four. tis a bit cheesy, but it can be worked. think of the knife. if it has some rule that it is supposed to save those you love, then she would be the only one able to use it. this one fills the point. (and is just an AdHd Idea.)

and prophecies can be great fun. if used right they will provide more confusion than they clear up. i enjoy using them.

and that cursed bell just rang on me again.

[Sneaky Devil]

gimme gimme!!

it can be very tricky to develop both "worlds" into interesting dynamic settings, but if you can do it, there are plenty of people interested in this type of story. It's a classic structure, and some very well-known fantasy stories use it. If you want, I can give you some more examples.

[IdiotsRUs]

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for starters. :D

It's a very common trope.

[Sneaky Devil]

1-good point!
2-it was made to kill what i call Two-Sideds (i don't really like the name, i plan on changing it) they are half human and half demon


it was brought to our world, by a member of Bryce's family after the prophecy was made by a member of Angel's family, to keep it away from Angel


the way the knife works is that it will kill the demon part of Bryce therefore he will be "saved", otherwise the only way to get rid of him is to kill him completely


does that make sense?

okay, first battery of questions answered, and your story seems more serious now.


1-first question need a bit more looking after. Who is your character? what makes them tick, what makes them different from everyone else?


2-in respect to five, why was it made? why was it brought here?
and in respect to four. tis a bit cheesy, but it can be worked. think of the knife. if it has some rule that it is supposed to save those you love, then she would be the only one able to use it. this one fills the point. (and is just an AdHd Idea.)

and prophecies can be great fun. if used right they will provide more confusion than they clear up. i enjoy using them.

and that cursed bell just rang on me again.

[Nivarion]

well that answers it up and gets rid of the cheese.

a story is a bunch of questions, and the answers that come with them.

good luck im going to go surf around.

[Liosse de Velishaf]

gimme gimme!!


Guy Gavriel Kay has the "Fionavar Tapestry"; as mentioned, C.S. Lewis and "Narnia"; I believe "The King of Elfland's Daughter" is one; "Neverending Story"; "Mordant's Need" and "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever" by Stephen R. Dinaldson; a bunch of YA series I can't remember the name of; sort of "His Dark Materials". I'm sure there's more, I just don't remember them right now.

ETA: Cannot believe I forgot "The Wizard of Oz".

[Dommo]

I swear I saw an anime with a similar plot once.

[Sneaky Devil]

that's not good

[Liosse de Velishaf]

I swear I saw an anime with a similar plot once.

There are a ton of crossover anime. "Noein"; "12 Kingdoms"; "Bleach"; "Digimon"; "Inuyasha"; "FMA"; etc... but I'd have to think harder to remember what anime is really close to Kerri's plot.

[IdiotsRUs]

that's not good


Why?

If, as they say, all plots have been done and it's all in the execution, it's not a problem. Unless you're doing Pokemon in prose form obviously. :D

[Ruv Draba]

I am attempting to write a fantasy novel, along with a few other types, where i create my own world so to speak...actually the character can travel back and forth between her world and ours using some form of magic.
is this a tricky thing to do? is it something that interests people?

It's tricky but doable Kerri, and readers generally love it. What makes it tricky is the hole in the crucible problem: often, conflict is created by taking characters with opposing aims and putting them together in a place they can't escape. If they can escape to some other place where the conflict doesn't exist, then the tension can sputter and die.

But it's been done successfully. For instance, in CS Lewis' Narnia stories sometimes the main characters can't get back (e.g. cos their adversary has the keys), or maybe they're afraid to go back. In Garth Nix's Old Kingdom stories, the conflict is often between the two realms themselves.

[Pthom]

Charles de Lint does it ... Happens several times in the opening chapters of "The Onion Girl."