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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Oct 2010 : 08:09:34
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| Well ... that seems to have answered my question. Most of the richness of the Harry Potter setting seems to come from the novels (or at least the original author), not the movies. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2010 : 16:07:36
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| I'd like to see a Realms movie - but not about Drizzt. Please. And not the direct-to-dvd type. A big-budgeted movie which the greater populace could appreciate. And perhaps one SCRIPT-WRITTEN BY ED HIMSELF, SO AS NOT TO DISAPPOINT US, REALMS-LOVERS. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2010 : 17:38:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
<snip>And I have tried to use that same sort of tying things together in my own writing, by adding bits from other stories into later ones, hopefully while still keeping each distinct enough to stand on its own.
Good plan - and good luck to you on your writing career. That format is why I eventually grew to love Ed's writing, even though I didn't care for it at first (Gasp!).
I was a fan of the novels (Drizzt) before really becoming a Realmsfan, and was still running GH in those early days of FR. Whereas Ed's novels referenced lots of esoteric stuff I didn't give a rat's arse about, RAS cut right to the chase and got down to the action.
As I started studying the Realms material I had (I bought everything TSR produced back then, regardless), I realized that those 'esoteric bits' were all part of a grander tapestry, and he was forever hinting at deeper secrets and greater knowledge long-forgotten (hence the theme of the setting). That is what made the Realms come to life for me. Lots of people can write a good yarn, but to create a living, vibrant world takes true talent.
You can't just be a writer - anyone with an education and a typewriter can do that. You need to be a storyteller. I think years of Ed being a GM helped him write his stories, because he had years of experience bringing them to life before he ever wrote his first full novel. You become immersed in the world itself, and story almost becomes secondary.
For instance, in the Harry Potter novels we don't just hear about Harry buying a wand at a wand shop - we actually go inside Ollivanders and see that choosing the right wand (it actually chooses you) becomes a time-honored process. Not only does he get his wand, but we find out a juicy little tidbit that goes with it. Rawlings dropped a 'Red Slipper' (great term I borrowed from Dennis L. McKiernan) - something she could pick-up later and run with.
And if writers like Rawlings and McKiernan have learned the secret of dropping said slippers, then Ed Greenwood has air-dropped Imelda Marcos' Shoe closet on us. That's why he gave the advice to Realms designers and authors that "For every secret you use and loose-end you tie-off, create three more". That's not advice for a casual author - that's advice for someone who wants to build a complex and living environment for their stories to take place in. Someone who plans on making a career out of bringing their characters to life.
That's long-term advice, and is probably the best piece of advice for an aspiring author I have read. You don't just want to write a story, you want your readers to crave more, and if you don't leave juicy tidbits lying around they are not going to get hooked. That's what Rawlings did - she didn't just write a story about Harry Potter - it may have ended there if she had. What she did was create a `A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma'. The tale may have been over, but the story was far from finished.
This is why I always smile ruefully when I see folks here crying about the NDAs - its those very NDAs (and the mysteries hiding beneath them) that keeps us coming back. How interesting would anything be, if we knew everything about it? Man is curious by nature, which is why we have science, philosophy, and the arts. Its what sets us apart from the animals. We don't just hide from a storm, we why to know what is causing it.
So weather you are a Realms designer or author, official or homebrew, or you have your own world you wish to write about and develop, keep those mysteries coming. Gygax built a game company around such things - would we have had the Circle of Eight if folks weren't curious about all those cool-sounding names attached to the spells? Name-dropping is key to world building, be it a location, item, or personage - they inspire us to learn more. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 18 Oct 2010 17:44:53 |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2010 : 06:54:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
Who would you suggest it be about then? El? The Seven? Evermeet? There's a lot of choices, but very few that would have a broad appeal. My guess is that Drizzt would be the most popular choice, with El a close second. The Avatar books might make good movies, if a bit too obscure for some audiences.
For a first movie, I'd love to see the juxtaposed version of the first three Elminster books or the Netheril trilogy, provided of course that the heroes won't be a ridiculous blond barbarian and a demented she-elf.
I wouldn't want the Avatar books to hit the screen, at least not yet. It would appear confusing to non-FR fans, and if the director tries to (over)simplify the story, he'd only succeed in killing it. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Harry Potter in the Realms
