Building A Fantasy World

[Black Tulip]

Marsipanne,

However, I did see the beginning of one book, I forget what it's name is, something to do with 'Kings' and the opening was practically a list of names and towns and stuff. It was absolutely ridiculous!

You said it all!

 

[comp|icity]

Originally posted by Marsipanne
One of the biggest problems (actually, it's probably THE biggest) in my novel is this chunk of exposition in the first chapter. It's broken up by one passage of dialogue, but other than that, it's just plain exposition. Once I realised this problem, I tried to make the narration of it more witty, cut down on what to say and such. The thing is, I can't not put in this bit of exposition, because seriously, nothing would actually make sense. The fantasy world I've created and the situation my characters are in are not typical of regular fantasy so I need some extra explanation otherwise the reader would get confused. The narrator does (I hope) have an interesting way of explaining things--she sounds kinda sarky and excited, ironic and so on. I also have a very catchy prologue to tide over this length of exposition.

I don't like Tolkien's style of writing--it seems a bit lifeless. I enjoy all the stuff with Hobbits, so the beginning of Fellowship is good, and The Hobbit is good, but anything serious becomes deadly boring. I'm not bothered so much about exposition. However, I did see the beginning of one book, I forget what it's name is, something to do with 'Kings' and the opening was practically a list of names and towns and stuff. It was absolutely ridiculous!

Yep, this is definitly difficult in fantasy as, like you say, sometimes it is unavoidable, and sometimes it works fine. However if you are looking to remove it here are some methods that may work:

1) Use a flash back - have one of the characters describe things but from their point of view of it
2) have a character describe to another 'what they like' about aspects of the world i.e. have a character do the exposition to another character.
3) Reveal only what is needed to make sense of the next chapter, therefore breaking it up across many chapters
4) Try and use analogy rather than definition

But it's very difficult. Hope this helps, Good luck!

 

[Marsipanne]

I'm just going through the first chapter again--which is basically a mini-autobiography of the main character. It's about what has happened to her so far in her life. This chapter does have one purpose other than explaining her life story--it tells a humongous amount about the character and what has shaped her. The thing is, a lot of the stuff doesn't have any room to go anywhere else.

I mean, chapter 2 places you right into the middle of the action: everything starts moving. The only place of inertia, really, is chapter 1. Chapter 2, meet love interest/bad guy, chapter 3, assassination of leader, chapter 4, escape, chapter 5, recapture, chapter 6, agh, just realised there's more exposition here, but it's such important exposition (in fact, the whole story practically revolves around it) that it doesn't matter. Hm, there seems to be two chunks of exposition, but I don't think it matters too much. I've had three people read the book from beginning to end, and they didn't complain about the exposition so I just left it really.

 

[Weird Harold]

I mean, chapter 2 places you right into the middle of the action: everything starts moving. The only place of inertia, really, is chapter 1. Chapter 2, meet love interest/bad guy, chapter 3, assassination of leader, chapter 4, escape, chapter 5, recapture, chapter 6, agh, just realised there's more exposition here, but it's such important exposition (in fact, the whole story practically revolves around it) that it doesn't matter.

Chapter one is absolutely the worst place for your story to have any "inertia." Check out some of the older threads where "The Hook" has been discussed for more info, but it boils down to "if Chapter one is boring, chaper two will never get read."

 

[Marsipanne]

The problem is, I can't shift the 'inertia' anywhere else without disrupting the whole story. Having a catchy prologue helps quite a lot, but there are quite big things I need to establish early on that can't go anywhere else. It's very annoying, but certainly something I'm constantly working on.

 

[Black Tulip]

You thought of a prologue already. That is very acceptable to me as a reader.

Or you can have a prefix like part from "The History of ...." to explain important facts. By not calling it a chapter 1 you make it clear to your readers this is merely information they need before the actual reading starts.

At least that is how I look at things like that when I start a new series/book.

 

[Marsipanne]

Prologue is hooky. Girl being murdered on her wedding day and making her groom promise that he will wait for her until she returns (reincarnation). Chapter 1 is actually called 'My Life as Yet'. I also have an intermediary bit between the two which is a little speech by the narrator of the tale, which makes her sound deranged/mad etc.

 

[Black Tulip]

Sounds like you did all you could to make it as painless as possible. LOL

Will you post this on Lit, or is it a real life novel? Like a publisher who *gasp* pays for it?

 

[Marsipanne]

I'm going to try and get it published. I'm currently looking for an agent (sent off stuff two weeks ago). *fingers crossed*. Thing is, the story is not exactly erotica, so it wouldn't exactly fit in here anyway.

 

[Black Tulip]

Well, I'll do a little wishing for you then. Hope it works.

Will you let us know?