Request for Feedback

[RiverOtter]

Quick question--

I just posted the beginning of a story that takes place in a fantasy setting ("The Amazon Queen,"--I know, not the best title). My question is, do readers prefer it when the details of the fantasy world are fully fleshed out--ie, should I give a history and proper place names, etc.?

When I wrote it, I didn't even mention the name of the kingdom in which it takes place. I thought such details would just make the story seem "silly" (not that it isn't already :P). Reading other stories, though, I find that such details can enhance the enjoyment of a story and make it more believable (ex: "A Slave For Tracy").

Which do readers prefer?

[Rhabbi]

I personally like little details like that, but sometimes they are extreneous to the story. After all, how often do you talk about living in whatever city you do?

[anonymouse]

I personally prefer fantasy stories rich in detail but I try to be careful not to let such details interrupt the flow of the story. If you're creating a history for your setting always ask of all your details, 'what has this got to do with my story?' Creating proper names for places can also be fun but again, look for ways to tie such names into the plot of your story.

A research technique you might try is browse Wiki for various 'kingdoms' and then frame your story around one. Change the names, of course (unless you want to write historical fiction) but doing this can help create a very believable setting. I think the interesting thing about 'kingdoms' is they invariably allude to a well defined (and often guarded) locality. The question to ask then is does anything or anyone else exist outside of this kingdom?

If you were to model your kingdom on the Roman Empire, the answer there would be 'no', even though obviously other cultures still existed outside the realm of that empire. Similarly, you might look to a much smaller realm such as Lichtenstein. This is perhaps a good modern-day example of a 'kingdom'. A contemporary reason for kingdoms such as this existing is they're tax havens. A simple extension of that in fantasy is your kingdom could be a haven from all manner of other conventional laws.

Just a few random thoughts. Good luck with everything :)

[anonymouse]

After all, how often do you talk about living in whatever city you do?

Rhabbi also raises a good point here. Given that your audience online is an international one, unless there's a reason for choosing a specific city, ambiguity as to the location can enable readers from everywhere to envisage the setting as somewhere familiar to them.

[Clevernick]

The longer the story, the more I think a reader will come to expect these details to be slipped in casually. This is just my experience and opinion, not real rules. But I read a whole lot.

In epic tales (like, say Lord of the Rings, or Dune), the author practically has a book full of notes they do beforehand to flesh out the details of the world -maps, place names, economy, history, sociologies, tribal and economic conflicts, old grudges, previous wars, you name it.

In novels, about as much of these details as are needed for the story but usually not much more.

In short stories, it often is fine to keep the locale anonymous, unless the locale is a focus for the story.

[Dragon's muse]

Basic rule of thumb ~~

The longer the work, the more details you will need.

The longer you are asking the reader to sustain disbelief, the more details they will need to do it.

[RiverOtter]

OK, since the story goes on for a while I went back and dropped in a few place names and references to events that affect the plot. I agree it's better to do so naturally, such as in the course of conversation.

Also, I started work on a new story in a Roman setting; I think this one has potential.

Thanks for the feedback.