Anthropomorphisim: How to?

[Sparkie]

First off, I'd like to both thank and blame Elder the Dwarf for my need to set up this thread. I proposed an idea, he told me to run with it, and now i'm 2000 words into a story and need a little Mythic Scribes magic.

Has anybody had any experience using anthropomorphisim in a story? Specifically, i'm seeking advice on personifying inanimate objects, but any kind of help on this subject is most welcome (talking animals, cognizant locations, forces of nature, ect). I don't want to write about an object in the same manner I would a person, but sometimes that seems to be the only way of doing things while remaining clear.

What do you suggest? Is there a tried-and-true method to anthropomorphisizing? Are there any books or web pages that could be useful?

[Elder the Dwarf]

Uh, you're welcome and I'm sorry? One good example would be something similar to what you're trying, but not exactly. That is the sword Khazid'ea (or something like that, spelling that kinda stuff pisses me off) from Salvatore's books. It is in several, starting (I think) with Servant of the Shard and is still a big part in The Orc King if I remember correctly. There were several scenes through those works from the sword's point of view. The way Salvatore did it, though, was to develop the sword with a personality based on one trait only which was an insatiable blood lust. It was sentient and imposed its will on the swordsman that wielded it.

[Sparkie]

The way Salvatore did it, though, was to develop the sword with a personality based on one trait only which was an insatiable blood lust. It was sentient and imposed its will on the swordsman that wielded it.

See, I was thinking sort of the opposite. The object I have in mind (you know what it is, Elder) would be empathic. It would feel the feelings of it's wielder, not impose it's own on a mortal creature.

[Elder the Dwarf]

Yeah, I figured that was what you were going for. Makes more sense for the story. I think a key question for you would be to figure out if it can communicate or not. I also think that in your case, it might need to have that ability. Other things to think about: does it help out of its own accord? If it communicates, does it have to be touching the person, can it send messages telepathically, or is there another way that I can't think about? How long does it take to reveal its sentient-ness or however you are supposed to say that? How did the object come to be sentient? Does the object have emotions of its own, or does it only adapt to the emotions of the person nearest to it (or touching it)? It could change hues slightly when it gets happy, or get warmer, or perform better. I'll try to think of more things.

[Dreamhand]

I'll just offer a couple observations:

1) How and why did this thing become sentient?
I'm actually not asking for the details but rather suggesting you may find some inspiration if you think about how this thing that wasn't alive came to life. The reader never needs to know if it's not relevant to the story but if YOU know then you can use that to inform your presentation. If a patch of land comes to life because of all the souls that were tortured and killed upon its soil, then that "life" and its expression will be very different from a spirit bound in a medallion by a shaman. The notion of life - and specifically sentience - being awakened or infused into what most people consider to be an inanimate object implies a fairly profound and powerful shift in the natural order, affected by magic or powerful emotion or some other dramatic violation of the natural order.

2) How does it drive the story forward
I'm a big advocate of NOT getting caught up in the "cool things" we come up with (although I do it ALL the frickin' time). The story, the conflict, and the characters, the arc and pace and tone of the story you're trying to write needs to be the ultimate arbiter. If the sword needs to speak, then let it speak. If you want to tell the story from an "alien" perspective to illustrate a point then have it be an empathic watcher. What will do the most to challenge your characters and drive them to the revelation or doom you have planned for them? Or reveal the most about their flaws and/or strengths.

A talking sword is cool for 5 minutes. A talking sword that has bound itself to a character with the soul purpose of utterly destroying him/her (or worse, making the character into a hero when all they want to do is grow rhubarb) is cool for a whole story.

[Leif GS Notae]

Hmmm, this is an interesting situation.

I agree that you must have some reason as to why the sentient object exists and how it falls into the story to drive it home. I believe what might be best is to decide how the thing was created and what the original use was for. Gods/Wizards/Secret Societies.

Make sure it is complex as well, as complex as a regular character would be. If you want it to have empathy, we should have empathy for it as well. Perhaps it was a soul and the last of its kind. Perhaps they thought this was the way to preserve what was left of their society. They were lied to. Now the thing exists to find a way out of the prison AND help those who are in the same situation.

Of course, that is your call to do what you will. Make sure you don't lose the chance to do more with it and make the item stand out on its own.

Hope that helps in some way.

[JCFarnham]

How to write a sentient object or location? From the PoV of your main characters, do they feel an odd sensation? dread? clamminess? elation? fearlessness?

The most ready example I have is the One Ring. Remember how it was always just "a magic ring" throughout, but some how it seemed to WANT to be returned to its master? Maybe you could do something like that. Really it's just a case of treating it as just another character, only one that probably can't talk, but make sure it stays as just an object ... well unless of course you're going for the soul trapped in a thing angle on this.

I've only read a couple of books with anthropomorphised objects, but maybe it would be a good idea to read a couple, see how published authors have handled it?

[Sparkie]

The story, the conflict, and the characters, the arc and pace and tone of the story you're trying to write needs to be the ultimate arbiter.

I'm glad you made this point Dreamhand.

I'm not trying to use this as a gimmick. Rather, I feel that this particular story is best told from a perspective of an object. There are some things that, as a writer, I can do with an object story-wise that are not possible without making the narrative incoherent.

Thanks one and all for your posts! I'm finding a lot of food for thought in everyone's observations.