I'm writing a medevil fantasy, something between high and low fantasy. What I wanted to get your opinion on is this: Is it too cliche to have the hero inherit a sword of sentimental value that was forged by elves? It has ZERO magical properties, and is not super strong or anything like that of the one in Lord of the Rings. I'm not a big fantasy reader... my fantasy knowledge is fairly limited to LOTR and Harry Potter (sad I know), so I don't know if this is overused in other fantasy novels as well. What do you think?
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Is it too cliche?
- Thread starter jtom
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Saigonnus
Auror
I don't think it's particularly cliché in the way you described it when many medieval cultures put great store in heirlooms, especially weapons (especially ones that "protected" ones father/grandfather in battle) so I think it's reasonable to have an elf-forged blade handed down from father to son and have great meaning within the story. Even if it did have magical properties or was super strong etc it wouldn't be cliché since weaponry tends to be a staple within any fantasy and often the more fantastic, the better.
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- #3
Alexandra
Closed Account
Hereditary weapons are not uncommon, even in the history of our mundane world. Whether the sword becomes a cliché depends upon how you introduce it and subsequently use it throughout your story. Give the blade a believable background and a good name and you should be fine.
MadMadys
Troubadour
You're writing a fantasy novel with a medieval setting, elves, and swords so I wouldn't worry much about cliche because you've sort of started in one as far as fantasy goes. I'm not putting this in a poor light, simply trying to say that you shouldn't worry about falling into tropes and such because we all do it whether we can help it or not. I've read so little fantasy that I'd be flogged if anyone found out but it hasn't stopped me. In other words, write what you like!
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- #6
@Alexandra do you think I should give the blade a name? I hadn't planned on giving it a name because doing so to inanimate objects seems borderline idol worship to me, which I was going to avoid in my story.
@MadMadys, thanks. The elves actually play a minor role, and really only appear in a major way in book 3 (out of 4). I appreciate all of your opinions!! I'm a long time writer, but this is the first original novel I plan on seeing through.
@MadMadys, thanks. The elves actually play a minor role, and really only appear in a major way in book 3 (out of 4). I appreciate all of your opinions!! I'm a long time writer, but this is the first original novel I plan on seeing through.
wordwalker
Auror
I'd say the cliche boundary doesn't even begin for a ways.
Inheritence, with sentimental value? everyone has those. It's a weapon? almost ditto. It's elf-forged? okay. It only begins to get cliched when you start focusing large parts of the story on the weapon as a magic force (which it isn't) or a symbol of leadership (which is common sense anyway, a family weapon a natural symbol of power and responsibilities taken up).
And even if the story becomes all about what the sword does to his place in society, people often like that "cliche" if it finds its own way of doing it. Good writing is making the story true to itself, and that makes it unique enough.
Inheritence, with sentimental value? everyone has those. It's a weapon? almost ditto. It's elf-forged? okay. It only begins to get cliched when you start focusing large parts of the story on the weapon as a magic force (which it isn't) or a symbol of leadership (which is common sense anyway, a family weapon a natural symbol of power and responsibilities taken up).
And even if the story becomes all about what the sword does to his place in society, people often like that "cliche" if it finds its own way of doing it. Good writing is making the story true to itself, and that makes it unique enough.
Yeah depends what you do with it. Incidentaly on the naming idea Earthdawn has a good format- an item with a name has power. Names are important so if you endow an object with a name then it becomes something more. You may not get a sword of slay goblins or whatever but "Hlolonda" now has that little bit extra than regular swords.
Write the story you want to write... who cares if it is a cliche, many people expect the stock elves, swords and lost kings.
Write the story you want to write... who cares if it is a cliche, many people expect the stock elves, swords and lost kings.
Darkfantasy
Inkling
Well, you get a lot of stock characters in things and its like a stock prop lol...I quite like it myself as long as its not to Exculibar like. I don't see a problem with it, you are writing a fairly cliche story already imo, and when you write something that cliche people expect those cliches.
So when I read a book like yours and it didn't have elves or a sword I wish that was in it.
All The best
So when I read a book like yours and it didn't have elves or a sword I wish that was in it.
All The best
Shockley
Maester
My advice, and remember that I'm still an amateur at these things, is just to write your story and write it the way you want. Some of it will be cliche, that's going to be true of any work, but what's more important than that is how much of you is put into the work.
Alexandra
Closed Account
Jon Snow to Arya, "All the best swords have names you know." Arya wields Needle. Bilbo, and later Frodo, wielded Sting, in fact Middle Earth seems to be littered with named weapons. The protagonist in my novel is very fond of her yew longbow which she made, tis not yet named but it will be soon. There are many reasons for naming a weapon, I don't think any of the examples I've cited here borders on idol worship. Should you name your blade?... that depends upon the history of the weapon (would the smith have named it?) and the present owner (would your hero know the blade's name? Would he/she care enough to remember it?). To name or not to name—tis your call to make.
