Finchbearer
Istar
How many of you have included or intend to include an origin story into your work? How have you / will you go about it? What do your origin / creation stories comprise of?
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Origin Stories
- Thread starter Finchbearer
- Start date
Queshire
Istar
Do you mean character origin stories or world origin stories?
- Thread starter
- #3
Finchbearer
Istar
I meant world origin / creation stories, although I’ll include character origin stories. And by this I mean as part of the narrative prose, as part of the plot or as a prologue, rather than part of worldbuilding notes.
Queshire
Istar
I did have a world origin story, but it's looking like it's destined for the cutting room floor. The setting is called the Burned Heavens due to a climatic battle between the gods in the past that lead to the majority of gods either dying or agreeing to stay hands off when it comes to the mortal world. The creation story for the world is useful for explaining several aspects of why the setting is the way it is, but it distracts too much from the war between the gods for my tastes.
Orilindë
Scribe
I'm thinking about hinting at the creation through the traditions and religion in my world. My first hint is that a demi-god founded the land where my story takes place. The land itself is part of a world with several lands. In this way, I hint that higher beings are above that demi-god and that there are lands outside the land where the story takes place that could worship the same god/gods in different ways.
pmmg
Myth Weaver
I have a timeline written out that begins with the creation of it all, so....there is an origin.
But none of the characters, or peoples, know the story as if they could look at my notes. Many of the various tribes and groups have their own versions of what happened, that to some degree share with things that are true, and some degree not. There is no character who knows the origins and has definitively said... One of themes is of races of people coming and going (not dissimilar to the Greek with their clay/bronze/iron/flesh people creation evolution), and those people all have a different version of events.
It is not likely I will reveal to the true creation story. Its not relevant to the events of the story or its conclusion.
I might include it in supporting materials if I ever have a fan base
But none of the characters, or peoples, know the story as if they could look at my notes. Many of the various tribes and groups have their own versions of what happened, that to some degree share with things that are true, and some degree not. There is no character who knows the origins and has definitively said... One of themes is of races of people coming and going (not dissimilar to the Greek with their clay/bronze/iron/flesh people creation evolution), and those people all have a different version of events.
It is not likely I will reveal to the true creation story. Its not relevant to the events of the story or its conclusion.
I might include it in supporting materials if I ever have a fan base
Mad Swede
Auror
I did write the origins of the world story/legend for my setting but it hasn't appeared or been mentioned in any of the books yet because it hasn't been needed for the story.
Demesnedenoir
Myth Weaver
I have multiple origin stories from various religions, and then there is the truth. So far, I only graze them in the stories as they don't really come up in the flow.
- Thread starter
- #9
Finchbearer
Istar
I’m toying with the idea of including a whole section of ‘creation / origin story’ into my narrative. I guess it’s just a case of ‘see if it fits’. If not, I can always remove it.
pmmg
Myth Weaver
I am sure you are aware, but it could be the origin according the perspective of a people, and so, has room to not be 100%. Thus, it cant really 'not fit' cause its still what they are going with.
Though, I may add, I did write a story once with a mythology behind it, and a comment I drew was along the lines of 'but you said that was their god' and I was like...that was their mythology. Its not really clear if it true or not. The reader did not like that explanation. It was like I was being a dishonest narrator. So...I don't know.
- Thread starter
- #11
Finchbearer
Istar
I think I know what you mean. I already have the mythology filtered through the narrative that is either alluded to, or talked about by the characters themselves. It was more an entire text in itself I was considering, like the start of the Silmarillion, (but way shorter) and not the whole story.
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Well...as the big all seeing one behind the story, I do like having clear what is actually real going on behind the scenes. I've only written a timeline. I dont think I will write the rest of it out, unless I get a huge fan base, and want to give them more to consider.
I am not sure what I will do when book 5 is done.
I am not sure what I will do when book 5 is done.
- Thread starter
- #13
Finchbearer
Istar
Book 6 of course
pmmg
Myth Weaver
I dont think I will do a book 6. I'd have to really have something more to say with it.
But...nothings impossible...
I do have a SciFi story in mind. I think it is 2 books. It may expand.
Renè Williams
Minstrel
In my current WIP, the planet the story takes place on pretty much all believe that they know the truth of the universe, although it's only vaguely hinted at or explained what their actual supposed 'knowledge' is beyond a few key details. By the end of the book, the reader learns that clearly these people have no idea because some of these 'truths' get revealed as either misunderstood, wrong, or flat-out lies from the Ancients or Spirits Above themselves. They aren't all wrong, and this becomes apart of the underlying thread connecting all the novels in the series i have planned. Ill take some time and try to type up a short primer on what the agreed upon Truth is and then some tidbits on how this gets changed throughout the story and/or why it gets changed or was wrong to begin with.
Although, one thing that NEEDS done for me right now is coming up with some fringe religions/groups and what they believe and their evidence for such beliefs, something that they must have if they believe something that goes against the planets widely held notion and proof that they know the 'truth'
Prince of Spires
Auror
I will and will not include an origin story. Yes, both at the same time. At least, that's my plan now.
For my current project (which should be something like a 6-12 novel series) I don't plan on writing a chapter or a whole novel about the origin of it all. However, the story is about the second breaking of the world. I know what happened in the first one (more or less). The goal is to make sure the reader also knows by the end of the series. It's dropping references throughout, maybe even a paragraph here or there. Just like any other worldbuilding, I'm adding it organically. Starting with a "this is everything you need to know about the world" encyclopedia entry is a good way to get rid of readers in my experience.
For my current project (which should be something like a 6-12 novel series) I don't plan on writing a chapter or a whole novel about the origin of it all. However, the story is about the second breaking of the world. I know what happened in the first one (more or less). The goal is to make sure the reader also knows by the end of the series. It's dropping references throughout, maybe even a paragraph here or there. Just like any other worldbuilding, I'm adding it organically. Starting with a "this is everything you need to know about the world" encyclopedia entry is a good way to get rid of readers in my experience.
Aldarion
Archmage
I included it in the background but I don't even remember what it was any more. X-P
Gurkhal
Auror
Given that I'm angling for a 19th century setting the origin story in a mythological sense isn't really that important to my stories. There are so many more ways to make sense of the world and society that any great origin story for my world is being moved into the background. At least for now.
