posted
I'm looking for some kind of magical character that would be found in a forest. I've been informed that elves are overused, and I'm looking for something to substitute. I checked out gnomes but would like something larger. I'm thinking at least waist high to a human? Any suggestions are welcome along with a brief description of the character as far as what they are like or what kind of magic they possess.
Posts: 1320 | Registered: May 2008
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posted
Wikipedia has a disambiguation page titled "List of Greek Mythological Characters." Of the bunch, the nymph category holds the best promise of the source material you seek.
[This message has been edited by extrinsic (edited June 13, 2008).]
posted
I don't worry that much about whether people say something is over-used. Frankly, you'll be told almost anything is over-used or a cliche or done to death at some point. Women fighters: a cliche. Medieval settings: a cliche--(at least one of the WotF judges said he would be unlikely to vote for one). Quests: a cliche. Magical objects: MacGuffins and cliches. *shrug*
Supposedly everything in fantasy is just one huge cliche. Funny thing is it still sells.
The questions is: are you doing something original with it?
posted
Googling KDW's words on elves and other stock fantasy types might prove benefitial. Perhaps check the WOTF forum, especially the Q&A discussion she gave many moons back. Also, the WOTF board on SFF.NET might prove benefitial. There may be something you can do differently that will prevent her rejecting the story because of having a stock character.
Posts: 1275 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
My own personal challenge is to write about elves, dwarves and so on but making it anything but fairy-like. It will include murders, incest, torture, you name it. And I'm practicing making characters as complex as possible.
Posts: 1271 | Registered: May 2007
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posted
Or you could take some aspect of the forest that's not trees and bring it to life. Mushrooms, ferns, bushes, moss, etc. Or, you could take something that lives in the woods and transform it into a magical people. That's been done with owls (They weren't owls, they just looked like owls), but you could do deer, raccoons (raccoon tribes, that would be interesting), mice, shrews, etc. Only I recommend that you think through something to make them magical, rather than merely giving them speech. Or, you could take some aspect of the forest that you find bewitching, such as shadows, wind in the trees, whistling through the branches, etc, and make it so that there's a magical people that controls that aspect. Or, take something that animals do, such as woodpeckers hollowing out trees or animals digging burrows, and have a magical people that "borrows" the empty ones or maybe even lives with those creatures
Or, take elves and do something different with them. You could either go the Tolkienesque route and try to think of some different consequences, or the folk legend route, which makes them quite dangerous, or you could go the "tiny" route, and make them friendly, but think of something that you might change about them. Or combine two mythological peoples. What would elves and dryads mixed turn out to be? Or transplant something that doesn't usually go in a forest, such as werewolves or vampires (though coming up with something that would make vampires of the woods different from the regular vampires might be challenging.)
Hopefully these suggestions spawn your own brainstorming session
posted
Holy moly!!! I can't believe all the ideas everyone has come up with in such a short time. I must admit I'm a bit overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, I've decided to go with something entirely different. You see; there's an old tale told about the state forest that I've ridden in for years. My story is based on this. It's been told two different ways but with the same result. One is with elves and the other is with American Indians. So, I've decided to go with a Native American shaman of my own imaginings and introduce this in the beginning of my short story (though I think novella would be a more correct term .).
Thank you so much for all the help. I can't believe how helpful you've been, and I'm sure it won't be long before I'll be picking your brains, again.
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