Friday, June 15, 2007

A Writer's Landscapes

When I first started "telling" stories to myself as a pre-teen, without writing them down, I set almost all of them in a fantasy landscape that was essentially an expanded version of the farm where I was growing up. For example, we had 7 ponds on our land, and so my fantasy world had 7 seas. Real world creeks became fantasy rivers, and small groves of trees became forests. Even today, some of my fantasy stories take place in a variation on that original world building.

I also know that Robert E. Howard, among other writers, did much the same thing when he began writing. A lot of his stories use the Texas landscape where he lived as the background, although it certainly isn't called "Texas" and quite often some green-walled ruin will rear out of the harsh landscape.

Is this actually a common practice among writers? Is this how everyone gets started? This seems like a potential essay idea but I'm just in the beginning thinking stages about it. Maybe some of the folks in the fantasy world called "blogosphere" might have input?

12 comments:

Bernita said...

Not sure I qualify, but yes - every place I include is based on a real place, and usually one where I have lived.

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernita, considering the beauty of the scenes you've written I'd love to see some of the places it's based on.

Randy Johnson said...

Growing up, my friends and I ran through the woods behind our homes, roved far and wide, explored old buildings we found, played Cowboys and Indians or war/army. We imagine all sorts of scenarios. Great for world building later on in life, Right?

Charles Gramlich said...

Randy, I think it's great to have woods especially. Great for the imagination. But old buildings could become ruins of an ancient civilization. I'm glad I grew up before children's lives became so regimented. It was great to just run and play and let the imagination soar.

Randy Johnson said...

It's a whole different world out there today, alright. I remember, as a kid, jumping on my bike and riding miles across town to play ball. Mom never worried about me and nothing ever happened. Nowadays(shudder)!

Susan Miller said...

Yea, I think that's where the "magic" must start...in a child's mind before they are given all the rules and regulations for what is and what is not. For me the colors were vivid, the animals and insects understood and there was mystery everywhere.

Michelle's Spell said...

I think it's very true -- I don't do it so much with a physical landscape (although I'm working on that aspect a lot because I think quite often that setting is the most important part of any writing), but I do it all the time with an emotional landscape. Change a few details here and there, but all the while using reality as a springboard. And now that I think about it, my emotional terrain matched the difficulty and beauty of my physical one on the edge of west Texas so it was a good fit as a child.

Erik Donald France said...

Yes, definitely. Lots of slight shifting in landscapes and people. I used to take people I knew and drop them into slightly different realities for stories (still do, I guess). The idea of coming upon ruins and uncorking some alternate reality is still a way cool method. Stumbling onto the formerly unknown, unlocking secrets. Yeah, it was great to be a "free child" allowed to explore, much like today as an adult.

Lucas Pederson said...

Yes. I think it is common practice. I know that's were I come up with a lot of my landscapes. Although I rarely delve too deep into that part of the story. I'm usually all about story.
But yeah. I think every writer has his or her own ideal world where they subtly insert it into their writing, one way or another.
Of course, that's just me, and I don't really count since I am unpublished. Great post. Sorry I haven't been around lately.

Charles Gramlich said...

I agree Susan. I had so much fun using my imagination as a child. Still do.

Michelle, our childhood terrain becomes part of us. Can't be escaped.

Erik, yes, an adult can do those things too, although sometimes they don't realize it.

Lucas, everyone counts. And no need to apoligize for real life keeping you busy.

Steve Malley said...

I too started out telling myself stories. I lived in (yeah, lived, like it's past tense. Riiiight...) an elaborate fantasy world.

Try as I might, though, I never did find the entrance to that Batcave I was sure was somewhere under the house!

Cheri said...

Think of someone like Flannery O'Connor. She did that.


My scenes are always based in some sort of background that I've been in, like a store, or car, or bar. Sometimes I find that my memories of places and their realities are far different. And it's hard to choose which one I'd like to use- the one of my frolic or the harsher, less gilded reality?