Laurence
Inkling
If you want elves that you don't want to be how people imagine elves then why call them elves? You obviously want something about them to be similar. Work out what, then you can make sure nothing else about them is.
The "angels" in my story were basically created more as astral bodies that could travel through space and were sent to find a planet suitable for the gods to use to create their first world when the cosmos first manifested. Once it was established they were given a physical body to dwell in, and then "ruled" over things. At least until problems arose.
Why are people still responding to the original post? This thread should have derailed into talking about jazz and disco elves.
Why are people still responding to the original post? This thread should have derailed into talking about jazz and disco elves.
That's more interesting than thirty different shades of "don't avoid cliches unless you do avoid them in which case, follow your heart or something".
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People shouldn't talk about the jazz listening elves, as it makes me sad no one's written about 1950s elves fighting communism. Honestly one of the greatest ideas I've ever seen on the internet.
Well I have decided that I will write about my 50's space elves while an ongoing cold war with the communists is happening. Currently I am writing the outline for the story. So about a decade from now you might be able to read about it.
Precisely. It's also the very frustrating part about changing up elves: will fantasy readers accept your version of things? Like right now I'm struggling with why an elven lord would marry a human. That's absolutely a rarity given all we've grown up reading. So then my heroine had to also become an elf because I don't feel like coming up with a lame explanation as to why the hero would choose a human--someone who is going to die waaaay before he does--to be his lifemate. There are just some things I'm willing to change about elves but when it comes to social/relationship customs, I tend to just honor what's come before my time.If you want elves that you don't want to be how people imagine elves then why call them elves? You obviously want something about them to be similar. Work out what, then you can make sure nothing else about them is.
Precisely. It's also the very frustrating part about changing up elves: will fantasy readers accept your version of things? Like right now I'm struggling with why an elven lord would marry a human. That's absolutely a rarity given all we've grown up reading. So then my heroine had to also become an elf because I don't feel like coming up with a lame explanation as to why the hero would choose a human--someone who is going to die waaaay before he does--to be his lifemate. There are just some things I'm willing to change about elves but when it comes to social/relationship customs, I tend to just honor what's come before my time.
Lol I know, but it still doesn't make sense. :/ At least not in my world.Um...Beren and Lúthien, Elrond...
Precisely. It's also the very frustrating part about changing up elves: will fantasy readers accept your version of things? Like right now I'm struggling with why an elven lord would marry a human. That's absolutely a rarity given all we've grown up reading. So then my heroine had to also become an elf because I don't feel like coming up with a lame explanation as to why the hero would choose a human--someone who is going to die waaaay before he does--to be his lifemate. There are just some things I'm willing to change about elves but when it comes to social/relationship customs, I tend to just honor what's come before my time.
Precisely. It's also the very frustrating part about changing up elves: will fantasy readers accept your version of things? Like right now I'm struggling with why an elven lord would marry a human. That's absolutely a rarity given all we've grown up reading. So then my heroine had to also become an elf because I don't feel like coming up with a lame explanation as to why the hero would choose a human--someone who is going to die waaaay before he does--to be his lifemate. There are just some things I'm willing to change about elves but when it comes to social/relationship customs, I tend to just honor what's come before my time.
You're right. There aren't any examples of this and we can only speculate as to why that is. I read an interesting article about how it wouldn't be/seem right for male elves to give up their immortality for a human--the way it's been done with the reverse gender, and that they would be reducing themselves in status/class/rank to marry a human. But elves in my world aren't immortal so...that's not really a problem.p.s. Pedantically speaking, neither of Beren or Elrond are examples of elven lords marrying humans; in fact, I don't think there is a single example of it in Tolkien's work. A fair amount of human lords marrying elves, but zero the other way about.
Banten, thank you for those ideas. I've been marinating on the fertility one and you just added on to its possibility.
And to answer this:
You're right. There aren't any examples of this and we can only speculate as to why that is. I read an interesting article about how it wouldn't be/seem right for male elves to give up their immortality for a human--the way it's been done with the reverse gender, and that they would be reducing themselves in status/class/rank to marry a human. But elves in my world aren't immortal so...that's not really a problem.