The Fantasy Novel:

Characters Dialogue & Appearance

When writing the first draft, to proofreading the final manuscript the Fantasy author must be aware of the importance of language in their manuscript. During the first draft, the writer can experiment with different style and voice for characters, and by the final proofreading they should have created simple but effective means of identifying different races and characters from different locations. Here are some of the ways this can be done.

Languages in Fantasy The temptation when writing Fantasy is to use colorful imaginary languages in the way, Tolkien created languages in Lord of the Rings. The aspiring writer should remember that Tolkien was a master of languages and spent years writing the language he used for his elves, long before he wrote the epic novel. As a rule, keep it simple. A good author will cull from their draft copy any words that do not add depth to the story. They will not over do names that cannot be pronounced or languages that don't add anything to the Fantasy world.

Dialogue: Good dialogue can give personality and show a character's origins without needing to be unreadable. Listen to people talk, take notes and watch for mannerisms as people speak. Using these tools, an author can show more about their characters than resorting to a language that doesn't exist except in the writer's mind.

Try and create a style of speech for each of your characters, and for each local community of characters.

Unless convinced their created language adds a dimension to the novel, new authors should consider well before adding language as a device for the story. A few words, carefully placed can add a certain exotic slant to dialogue but use them sparingly and make sure their meaning is clear. Look through the draft manuscript and cull anything that doesn't work.

Mannerisms: Mannerisms can extend beyond speech patterns. Clothing and habits, gestures and sayings can also define the origins of different races in a Fantasy novel. Being creative is fun, watching people and using peculiar habits can be rewarding when written characters come to life. Colorful sayings can show a character's origins and link races or localities. Religion, deities, ceremonies, architecture and foods can also show origins and locations. Think of your people in terms of the landscape they inhabit and the agriculture and industry their country can support.

Appearance: Appearance too can be used to define a race or nationality. The author can think in terms of genetics. The author can use dominant features, perhaps eye color or even a abnormality that links family or village groups. Hair and eye colour, build, skin color and peculiar skills can also tie characters to location or race.

The Fantasy author has the benefit of not being limited by reality, they should though refer to things their reader will understand and can empathize with to keep their audience enthralled as they take them on Fantastic journey.

Things To Do Think of how any mannerisms you see in people around you. You have heard of people who talk with their hands.

Try writing dialogue, for a person who uses their hands to punctuate their speech.

Listen to people talking. How many have certain phrases they repeat as habit. For example, have you heard people use these . . . "So to speak," "And that there," "And so forth," "You know," "To be sure," "It's all good."

Think of ways or phrases your characters can use to give depth to their language.