Do you think things should be explained and how things work (once again a clumsy question)? For example, explaining why silver kills werewolves (the Lycantrophy virus attacks the silver and thus is leaving the human being, making him a normal human and vulnerable to the attacks), how magic works, how the great demon "whatever" was born, why the "whatever" creature follow someone orders... Do you think it makes the story a bit more realistic, or does it take away a certain something away (the magic, the fantasy)?
-
Welcome to the Fantasy Writing Forums. Register Now to join us!
Explaining everything.
- Thread starter Endymion
- Start date
Ophiucha
Auror
Depends on how important it is to the story and how interesting it is, really.
To use the lycanthropy example, does the reader really need to know why, exactly, silver kills werewolves? Odds are, they don't. Even though your reason isn't the same reason as the mythology around werewolves, it's still well accepted lore by most fantasy and horror fans that werewolves are weak to silver. Also, it'd be hard to find a place to drop that tidbit without it seeming a bit dry and pseudo-science-y.
Not everything you describe has to be necessary, but it should at least be interesting if it isn't. Lots of magic systems fall under this category. Let's be honest, we're fantasy readers. If we see someone drawing a symbol on the ground in their own blood, saying some words in pseudo-Latin, and then a demon appearing... we don't need it to be explained. We get that it's magic, and our suspension of disbelief is already in place by nature of the genre. But... if you have some intriguing lore to add, something that adds flavour to the story, then you can still describe it if you can find a place for it. For instance, perhaps you have a very math-based magic system, and the symbol you draw on the ground has to be perfectly round with a certain diameter, and each shape within needs to be of a precise length and width. That's certainly something different. Find a way to describe that, and nobody will mind that it wasn't necessary.
And no, I don't think describing it necessarily takes away from the magic... unless your description makes it a science, I suppose. But explaining that carving a certain symbol into your skin is an prayer and an offering to a goddess, and through it you can channel Her magic, that's not really taking away from the fantasy when that's still fantastical. In your lycanthrope example, you're delving into pseudo-science, but in the right story, that's not breaking the illusion. A modern American werewolf story, for instance, can totally have a pseudo-scientific werewolf without it seeming odd. Breakout lab experiment or something.
To use the lycanthropy example, does the reader really need to know why, exactly, silver kills werewolves? Odds are, they don't. Even though your reason isn't the same reason as the mythology around werewolves, it's still well accepted lore by most fantasy and horror fans that werewolves are weak to silver. Also, it'd be hard to find a place to drop that tidbit without it seeming a bit dry and pseudo-science-y.
Not everything you describe has to be necessary, but it should at least be interesting if it isn't. Lots of magic systems fall under this category. Let's be honest, we're fantasy readers. If we see someone drawing a symbol on the ground in their own blood, saying some words in pseudo-Latin, and then a demon appearing... we don't need it to be explained. We get that it's magic, and our suspension of disbelief is already in place by nature of the genre. But... if you have some intriguing lore to add, something that adds flavour to the story, then you can still describe it if you can find a place for it. For instance, perhaps you have a very math-based magic system, and the symbol you draw on the ground has to be perfectly round with a certain diameter, and each shape within needs to be of a precise length and width. That's certainly something different. Find a way to describe that, and nobody will mind that it wasn't necessary.
And no, I don't think describing it necessarily takes away from the magic... unless your description makes it a science, I suppose. But explaining that carving a certain symbol into your skin is an prayer and an offering to a goddess, and through it you can channel Her magic, that's not really taking away from the fantasy when that's still fantastical. In your lycanthrope example, you're delving into pseudo-science, but in the right story, that's not breaking the illusion. A modern American werewolf story, for instance, can totally have a pseudo-scientific werewolf without it seeming odd. Breakout lab experiment or something.
Christopher Wright
Sage
You don't need to explain everything, you just need to present everything consistently. You don't need to explain exactly how silver affects werewolves unless you think the explanation makes the story better. For example, if you had a scene where a werewolf recoils in horror from a mirror, because the mirror is using silver as its reflective surface, so the werewolf's own image is essentially causing it pain, a) that's very interesting and b) it probably needs to be explained a little. But for the most part, if the readers sees lycanthropy reacting to silver in a specific way all the time, then they become familiar with the rule and the rule becomes a foundational point of the story. The mechanics behind it are largely irrelevant.
Feo Takahari
Auror
I think you need to know how your magic works, and you need to either stick to any rule you've used, or modify every previous invocation of the rule in accordance with how you change the rule. You also need to know exactly what your characters can do, and not have them suddenly demonstrate powers in later chapters that would have made life much, much easier in earlier chapters. However, you don't necessarily need to reveal all of that to the readers, unless you include a supplemental appendix.
For explaining how the great demon was born, I think the more the demon fits within the context and understanding of the heroes, the more explanation you need. If the heroes are demigods, and they have intimate dealings with demons, you should probably explain in detail the nature of this particular demon's grudge. If the heroes are ordinary folks, but they know a little occult lore, it's enough to explain that there's a demon wrecking stuff up, with maybe a bit of motivation and backstory. If the heroes have no prior concept of occultism, and they directly fight an occultist who's only indirectly powered by demons, it's entirely allowable to never explain the nature of the demons. (The Princess and the Frog does this very well with Facilier's mysterious "friends on the other side," which are never explained beyond shadow powers and a desire for souls.)
For explaining how the great demon was born, I think the more the demon fits within the context and understanding of the heroes, the more explanation you need. If the heroes are demigods, and they have intimate dealings with demons, you should probably explain in detail the nature of this particular demon's grudge. If the heroes are ordinary folks, but they know a little occult lore, it's enough to explain that there's a demon wrecking stuff up, with maybe a bit of motivation and backstory. If the heroes have no prior concept of occultism, and they directly fight an occultist who's only indirectly powered by demons, it's entirely allowable to never explain the nature of the demons. (The Princess and the Frog does this very well with Facilier's mysterious "friends on the other side," which are never explained beyond shadow powers and a desire for souls.)
gavintonks
Maester
you do not know science in a science fiction story of space ships, you do not have to do a 3 year course in engineering to know a boeng flies so by default if it is the story well and good if not it should be written as it is a tool
I can tell you that I get turned off by stories that don't make sense. I understand that we are writing in fantasy which contains subjects that are not logical. This alone isn't a weakness. In fact, its a strength!
To take your example: Why does silver kill werewolves. The first werewolf was the product of a sorcerer who wished to use the werewolf as guardians to protect his magical tower. He had foresight and made them vulnerable to silver. He placed a magical leash of silver spikes around their necks. At a command word the leashes would activate, killing the werewolf.
See?
Everything should be like that. I don't like it when:
"Garlic will kill the vampire. Stuff his mouth with garlic and wait."
"We're out of garlic. How about onions?"
"No, it has to be garlic. Everyone knows that!"
Why? Why does it have to be garlic? Why are vampires immune to every vegetable except garlic? Carrots look like wooden steaks, why not use those?
To take your example: Why does silver kill werewolves. The first werewolf was the product of a sorcerer who wished to use the werewolf as guardians to protect his magical tower. He had foresight and made them vulnerable to silver. He placed a magical leash of silver spikes around their necks. At a command word the leashes would activate, killing the werewolf.
See?
Everything should be like that. I don't like it when:
"Garlic will kill the vampire. Stuff his mouth with garlic and wait."
"We're out of garlic. How about onions?"
"No, it has to be garlic. Everyone knows that!"
Why? Why does it have to be garlic? Why are vampires immune to every vegetable except garlic? Carrots look like wooden steaks, why not use those?
Feo Takahari
Auror
I vaguely recall a horror story called Bad Dog that featured vampires in addition to killer fleas that liquified people. (Yeah, I was really bored when I read this.) Anyways, the defeat of both hinged on the properties of allicin.
Which is fine. The story at least linked the reason for garlic to work. The point is to justify why certain things work. Although in your example I'm assuming that vampirism is a virus or bacteria of some sort. It wouldn't work or make sense if vampirism was explained through another fashion.
Which makes you wonder why are vampires vulnerable to light? If its UVA/UVB then if they wore sunblock would that be a defense?
Point is, explain why stuff works so the reader can be comfortable with what is going on (at least for the readers like me that question logic).
Ireth
Myth Weaver
I think the vulnerability to sunlight is more a symbolic thing than anything. Light = goodness (in most cases), after all, so sunlight would be harmful to a creature of the night. Also there's the kind of punny idea that "sun" sounds like "son", which could be a reference to the Son of God, i.e. the Light of the world -- also possibly where we get the word Sunday from. Most vampires are vulnerable to Christian symbols such as crucifixes and holy water. (My vampires are an exception: they were created by a pagan goddess of darkness and death before Christianity was popular in the area, and are therefore vulnerable to symbols of the goddess' counterparts of light and life, as well as iron, like the Fae. Direct sunlight reveals them for the monsters they really are rather than killing them.)
Bloodywake
Scribe
See that's what I love about writing fantasy fiction books. I don't have to explain anything that goes with the genre's some what established thought process from all the writer's before me, but if I am going to completely tear down already established overall thought's about something, then I better have a good explanation for it like ^ Ireth
Helen
Inkling
I'd only do it if it adds to the story. I'd skip it if it's just filling pages.
Similar threads
