Welcome to another day in the A to Z BloggingChallenge. Find the entire list here. My theme this year is world-building.
Mostly I’m asking questions that I believe need to be considered whether you
creating a medieval fantasy world, a science fiction story or even a
contemporary novel. The ideas I present aren’t in a particular order as I had
to fit them into the alphabetical order needed. And don’t forget to visit the
other blog I’m part of during the A to Z Challenge over at the IWSG. Now onto
your world.
What are your people eating? Food! Do they grow their own? If a medieval world, how do they preserve it? Is there enough to go around? In medieval societies, few things were more important than food. Most hours of the day revolved around getting enough food. Winters were difficult. How do they cook their food? Open fire? Cast iron stove? Zap it in some kind of futuristic re-hydrator? What utensils did they eat with? Any special manners or rituals involved with eating? Are your characters vegetarians? If you've invented a world you might also invent your own flora and fauna. Do your people ride horses or dragons? I have fun creating new creatures for my Recon Marine books and my fantasy series. Sometimes its easier to make everything the same as the real world, but even a few little twisted plant-life or animal form can raise your story to the 'unique' realm. The possibilities are near the endless but you have take care that the wonderful things you invent don't distract from the story.
Have you ever invented a plant or animal for a story? Do you have fun with the food in your stories or is it part of the background? Do you know how to cook over an open fire?
27 comments:
I usually don't think about the foods my characters like until I actually need to write/draw a comic strip of them eating...oops. I should probably put more thought into this, heh...
I prefer books that have some highly unusual plants / animals / technology / customs, but still have enough familiarity to them that I feel grounded.
I tend to have characters who cook...I think that's because food is so important to me!
Food is such an important part of my life, so I tend to make it important in my books as well.
I guess I do use food in my stories. Although, what some of my characters eat might not be what we consider food…. :)
Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
Minion, Capt. Alex's Ninja Minion Army
The 2014 Blogging from A-Z Challenge
Now that I think about it, my stories are rather lacking in critters...
It's kind of the old joke in fantasy novels that everyone eats stew while they travel -- which is kind of silly, given it takes so long to prepare it.
But, yeah, food is sometimes difficult to figure out. My characters eat a lot of stale bread, cheese, and jerky as they travel. At home they tend to eat mutton and beer. :)
Food I just slap in whatever works, but animals are there, always mix them in somehow
Hmmm... Food? I recently submitted a story for kids, and have used one of the food staples common here at my part of the globe.
I know how to cook--indoors, that is. :-) If it's outside, and there's no oven that I could use, someone has to start the fire first. :-)
My characters eat. I admit I don't go on and on about food. Some people can write about this sort of thing and keep it uber-interesting. Me... not so much.
Did you watch the show 24 when it was on? Did you ever notice that in that 24 hour period Kiefter Sutherland's character, Jack Bauer, never once ate anything or used the toilet? I can understand not eating... saving the world is tough business. But doesn't everyone have to pee eventually????
Oh yes, I totally agree that invented plants & animals help transport me into a different world - it's one of the things I love most about the Harry Potter series.
For the WIP, I just finished revising for the 100th time, I had fun creating unusual food and fauna and flora.
I mentioned in a previous comment that I have invented my own plants, trees, flowers, and (I'll add to that list now) even animals.
If you're creating a new world, you HAVE to invent new flora and fauna because it's unlikely a different planet will have the same plants and animals as Earth. Just think of Avatar. ;)
Oh, and I also invented different food. :)
Again, another excellent post!
I've found that food is a universal draw in books and stories. Great "F" post.
You know, the more I learn, the more astonished I am by the strange plants we have in this world. I think taking the truth and throwing some of those unique plants into a fantasy world would be amazing.
Aaah, the possibilities you explore could be endless! That must be why I write contemporary romance. Much easier to have your world already there. lol! Love the questions you're raising. :)
Agree that food is central to any world and plants, too.
I do know how to cook over an open fire. I can even bake biscuits. This is due to an extended camping trip when we ran out of bread. :-)
Can't answer your writing questions but I'm glad you liked the movie. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
I think creating new flora and fauna adds to the fun of discovering a new setting inside the story. I once invented a scientific formula in a political thriller I wrote to drive the hunt for a scientist. Based on truth in part, of course.
Mmmm, food, my favorite!!! Great reminders about how important food was in ages past - it's good for us to remember that people really did spend most of their time trying to get enough to eat.
Yes! Food. We're all interested in food and much exposition can come at meal time with dinner chatter. We might as well know what's being served.
Lee
A Faraway View
An A to Z Co-host blog
If I'm writing fantasy, I often throw in foods, plants, and animals of my own making, or, make use of the Latin name so that it sounds foreign but isn't. There's a lot to creating a whole world.
I have invented plants and animals, and races of new beings. It's so much fun to world build! I do know how to cook over an open fire. I hope to go camping and do it more this summer.
Hi Susan! I love you theme - world building is so important and really has to be consistent.
It really irks me when a series will be set on another planet, in another world, etc and then be eating the same foods as on Earth...even though they don't show any signs of having the same resources.
Michelle @ In Media Res
I'm still studying herbs and foods for my fantasy novel. Really unusual stuff out there.
........dhole
Food is one dimension adding to the multi sensory experience... and everybody loves to taste new things... so it's something to think about...
Oooh, I absolutely love your theme! There are so many ideas and things you can do with food. Food is such a huge part of culture!
Random Musings from the KristenHead — F is for 'Fringe' and 'Firefly': First-class Sci-fi Shows
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