Cottagecore World

[BunnyJen90]

While trying to come up with creative ideas I keep finding myself going back to the imaginary world I made up when I was only about 5 years old. I never mentioned much about it just that it was a peaceful forest world. Still I think it might be fun now that I'm older to use it as a setting for a story. I imagine as a forest world the world would have a cottagecore aesthetic to it however for now thats all I can think of.

I imagine the world looking something like this

Any more world building ideas and tips would be appreciated.

 

[CupofJoe]

Have a look at the images that "English Cottage" brings up.
I know [and have visited] whole villages that are filled with cottages like these.

 

[Queshire]

Makes me think of the Shire. I like the Shire. =0

 

[Finchbearer]

Ah, I’m a big fan of an English country home aesthetic. Or ‘cottagecore’ as it seems to get dubbed these days. Don’t get me wrong I like lots of different styles, but I do like writing in these sorts of settings for at least a small part of my writing. I think Tolkien must indeed have felt the same way. I don’t know if he was actually inspired by Bagendon in the Cotswolds, but it would be a good enough guess.

Recently I’ve been considering writing some really relaxing slice-of-life stories. Or ‘cosy fantasy’, which is a genre that has really taken off in popularity. Waking up somewhere like this, making some tea and toast, tending to the orchard, harvesting vegetables…basically my ideal life is the life of a Hobbit! I try and emulate that as much as possible in real life, but real life gets in the way!

You’d probably like the Brambly Hedge books, or Wind in the Willows.

 

[Finchbearer]

Tolkien’s Hobbits and The Shire I think must have been inspired by his English home and all its comforts, and I think the plot of Lord of the Rings was in part influenced by his experiences during the war, which is a stark contrast - the everyday ordinary man going off to war and fighting evil forces. I think it’s a common theme that therefore runs throughout fantasy storytelling. Maybe this sort of thing represents the comforts of home, or humble beginnings, then there is all that peril that drives an exciting plot to contrast it. I suppose that’s all pretty obvious.

 

[Prince of Spires]

One of the bigger inspirations for Tolkien was the disappearance of the English countryside, and the industrialization and mechenization of England. It's very obvious in the Scouring of the Shire chapter, and in his description of Saruman and his workings. He was born in 1892 and wrote the Lord of the Rings in the 40's and 50's (mainly). Just imagine how different the world was he was born into and the one in which he wrote Lord of the Rings.

And yes, the first world war and his experience in that was another source of inspiration.

 

[buyjupiter]

You might enjoy looking into things like The Secret Language of Flowers, which tells you about the Victorian/traditional meanings behind certain flowers. You may also want to look into traditional uses of herbs, for cookery as well as medicinal uses.

 

[BunnyJen90]

One of the places I would really like to visit is the UK. Something about the UK kind of interest me. Also I'm mostly British in decent so it would be a way to learn about my heritage. However the thought of traveling as nice as it would be Also gives me some anxiety.
buyjupiter
I already know some of the meanings behind certain flowers and herbs but always a good idea to learn more. I imagine a fantasy forest world would be more into the traditional uses of plants.

 

[pmmg]

I dont know what to add to this.

My brain sees that house, and I start to see what it would take to have it. Trees, stone, glass, shingles.... It cant be there with out a lot of supporting systems to build it.

It looks like a quaint idyllic setting. Maybe a house like the fairies would keep young Briar Rose in. For me, it conjures up a fairy tale, or something very dark, like the before picture before the ring wraiths get to hobbiton.

I also get the image of this being on an island, kind of sequestered from the rest of the world.

 

[skip.knox]

I will once again make a plug for writing anything *but* England, which gets far too much play in fantasy settings. Consider Spain or Italy or Poland. Anyplace but England. Even Scotland would be okay, so long as it's not 17th-18thc. <g>

 

[pmmg]

17th century Scotland...Here I come

 

[BrittleBones]

I will once again make a plug for writing anything *but* England, which gets far too much play in fantasy settings. Consider Spain or Italy or Poland. Anyplace but England. Even Scotland would be okay, so long as it's not 17th-18thc. <g>

As a British person, I appreciate our colonization of fantasy worlds.

 

[Ban]

As a British person, I appreciate our colonization of fantasy worlds.

Ah (cultural) colonization, one of the last things empire-despising Tolkien would have wanted. Mordor has won.

 

[BunnyJen90]

My plan isn't to base my fictional world on the UK though maybe this is because I live in the US I find the UK interesting. Anyway I'm still in the very early stages of world building this world. I never really thought much of this imaginary world of mine. I was just a little kid when I first made it up anyway. Suddenly wondering what kind of technology they would have in this world. I really hate the idea of fantasy worlds that don't have much technology. Keep thinking of steampunk when it comes to what kind of technology this world has. Maybe I could even mix some steam punk in with the cottage core aesthetic

 

[pmmg]

In the sense of world building, a whole world would not likely share that architecture. It would just be something somewhere, and very different from everything else I might encounter if I traveled. Obviously, its not something I would expect in the Sahara.

One can argue that magic remove the needs for a lot of technology, and there by could stunt its growth. But...the house in question does not conjure up steam punk for me. Where are the copper pipes?

I suppose the great thing to all of this, is you get to make it up. How could that not be fun?

 

[BunnyJen90]

True and who says I can't mix different aesthetics it is an imaginary world after all

 

[Queshire]

Hmmm.... imagine the whistle and click of the coffee machine on a lazy afternoon. Ivy wrapped around pipes. Clockwork horses pulling carriages.

 

[Finchbearer]

I will once again make a plug for writing anything *but* England, which gets far too much play in fantasy settings. Consider Spain or Italy or Poland. Anyplace but England. Even Scotland would be okay, so long as it's not 17th-18thc. <g>

Hard disagree…but I am biased.

Of my writing, most of them are set on the British Isles across varying time periods, and one is set across Italy and Tunisia - but that is set in the 17th century! But it’s a Shakespeare retelling so…

 

[Ban]

I'd actually encourage anglophones to continue writing in British settings, as well as other places that speak English. To start a tangent (oh no, Ban is at it again!) there has been a whole lot of discussion in the West about diversity in the past decade, including cultural diversity, but I find actual, honest and proper depictions to be far more important than simple inclusions. Cultures and nations are not mere stage dressing, but fully-developed lenses through which to view, experience and interact with the world. It is far too easy to misrepresent or misinterpret a culture or nation if you don't delve deep into them and all that they entail. Quite simply, it's a whole lot easier to get that blend at least approximating "correct" if you can at least speak the language that binds the culture. A certain leeway is always needed, especially with derivative cultures that display a faux-English fantasy counterpart, but it's more reasonable to expect fantasy writers to learn the basics of the land that developed English, than, say Sakartvelo. Where on the map lies Sakartvelo? Exactly what I mean.

 

[Finchbearer]

It would seem that you’re just a twisted tangent starter.

This is my own tangent altogether, and as a British person who has not just a good amount of knowledge of my own culture, but also who likes to research into it, I certainly like to try and bring my fantasy / historical fiction up to date, that is authentic feeling and well thought out (hopefully).

The UK is made of lots of different cultures and is a diverse population, both historically and currently that has always been the case, and also part of its wide criticism. One criticism that I have about modern fiction that aims to tackle the gargantuan subject of post-colonialism, is that much of this work ends up becoming not a exploration or a criticism, but more of a poorly researched hate letter towards British people, and that’s not progressive in my opinion, it’s regressive.