Tag Archives: wildenwold

Why research for Fantasy or Sci fi?

Suspension of disbelief for the reader is contingent on getting the facts right. It doesn’t matter that this may be a fantasy, or a sci fi world. Things have to stack up on the believability level. If I give you a green cat, then I have to feasibly justify why the cat is green. Not that I have, but this is an example.

Setting is everything. If one component is out of place, then the whole thing falls down like a pack of cards. This is where research comes into play. Every single aspect of that which is relevant must be correct. Grounding the fantastical, or the  speculative, needs a solid platform of known facts that are correct and that can be correlated as correct. 

Does it matter to a reader if they see the word ‘league’? Yep, It is an archaic definition.No, it is not essential to point out that a league is three miles. It is essential to get those leagues into an actual frame of reference that is legitimate. If I find a position A is thirty miles from position B and I want to use the word leagues, then I know it must be ten. Maybe a reader will care and look it up, or maybe they won’t. Doesn’t matter, because I will know. I have to get it right. 

 

Fun Artwork Challenge.

There is a lot of indoors happening in the Northern hemisphere this time of year and it is a great moment to take out the art supplies. Just for fun, who would like to try their hand at giving a picture of what some of my characters look like? The main characters in Shadow Over Avalon are Arthur and Ashira. In Darkspire Reaches, they are Raven, Connor and Kryling. Of course, a person could pick any charcter in their normal setting, or freestanding.

This is just for everyone to see how all perceives these characters and won’t, in any way, be used in a book by me. The pictures may be posted here. Just put your name, or designated tag on the body of the picture, and who it represents, so it cannot be pirated. I would love to see what you all think. It can be in any medium, but please, no stock images, which are licensed and need to be paid for.

I will start you off with one I have just finished for a Work In Progress. Image

And here is the first. A picture of Raven, from Darkspire Reaches by Gillian O’Rourke.

 

Gilly's Raven

 

Apparently my site is not being cooperative so can pictures please be posted on my Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/C.N.Lesley. Thanks.