Enkelli's Rules for Writing Fantasy

-
So, this is more of a list than an article. But I've noticed in various forms of media some (probably nitpicky things) that pull me out of a show, movie, or book. Because of this, I have developed a list of things to avoid while writing a medieval styled fantasy story.


  • People do not sing, they chant. Swords sing. (If you want to be poetic)
  • A sword has a blade length of ~25-30". A long sword could have a blade length of ~33"-43". A great sword would have a blade length of ~48"+
  • Swords are dangerous and inflict terrible injuries. There are plenty of videos of sword tests on line. Example
  • A warrior "lays upon the enemy" (If you want to be poetic)
  • Arrows are not "fired", they are "loosed"
  • Haybales do not exist; hay stacks do. Hay bales are a product of the Industrial Revolution
  • Axes and spears are more common than swords. They are cheap to make and easy to learn to use. Also, everyone has an axe to cut wood.
  • If you must have a non-knight/non-noble have a sword, have them carry a "Messer" (So this isn't completely true. But swords are very expensive.)
  • Armour is not as encumbering as you'd think. Here are some videos: Can you move in Medieval Armour, Mobility in Medieval Armour
  • Studded Leather armour is bullshit, and should never be worn
  • If someone doesn't have chainmail, give them a padded gambeson
  • Bracers are only worn by archers
  • Arrowheads are "glued" on with beeswax, it is impossible to pull one out of a person.
  • Arrows are unable to be fired back, because previously stated reason. (Though there are some rare exceptions)
  • If a group of people are fighting another group, don't have them break up into single combats unless they are sieging a castle, where fighting in formation is very difficult
  • Armour is made to be protective.
  • People don't die as fast as you think.
  • Warhammers are not as large as most pop culture makes one believe.
I will probably add more as I research more.

Cheers, Enkelli Arn Robertson

Comments

  1. BeucephalusNovember 9, 2019 at 1:36 PM

    Solid list. These are the things that make a reader step back from the story and say "hey wait, that's not true". I am one of those people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Enkelli Arn RobertsonNovember 9, 2019 at 1:40 PM

      Thanks man! My goal for this blog is to give my opinions on storytelling and worldbuilding, and to hopefully give helpful information!

      Delete
  2. woodorwoodsNovember 11, 2019 at 6:23 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. woodorwoodsNovember 11, 2019 at 6:27 AM

    This is a great list. I haven't ventured into writing any Medieval Fantasy mostly because I'm intimidated by it, but these rules are on point.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movie Review: Jojo Rabbit

-
Image
I just got back from the theater. I thought about it a lot on my way home, and I'm not sure where to begin. I'm not going to discuss spoilers, so don't worry. So, Jojo Rabbit. Where do I begin? Well it takes place in Nazi Germany and our main character Jojo is a member of the Hitler Youth. Oh yeah, his imaginary friend is Hitler (played by Taika Watiti). Because I feel the movie is so powerful I don't want to say any more about the story. The cast is absolutely fantastic. Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo gives an incredibly performance. I think he is going to go far as an actor. Taika Watiti as Adolf is an absolute riot. He really nails what a ten year old boy would think of Hitler. Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa is amazing. She is completely believable as a scared young girl who is also very intelligent and cunning. Scarlett Johansson is delightful as a single mother trying to raise her son. Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf was one of my favourite characters. You can tell
Read more

Ancient Appalachia

-
 The Appalachian Mountains are old. They are were around before the dinosaurs. They were formed hundreds of millions of years ago. When one visits Appalachia they are filled with a sense of history, something ancient. They were around before the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chippewa, Delaware, Eel River, Haudenosaunee, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Miami, Ottawa, Piankeshaw, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wea, and Wyandot tread their ancient hills. Though they are no longer tall, the Appalachian Mountains hold an untold majesty. They once stood as tall as the Himalayas, proud and powerful. But through the inevitable passage of time, they have been worn down and become small. But that does not take away their history. Their caves have no bones because they were around before bones. They hold ancient, eldritch memories that our human minds can't comprehend. Their subterranean passages run deep and hide many secrets. Down in the darkness, not even God can say what lurks in the umbral fog deep underground. An an
Read more