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Latest Posts by twaeggy - Page 7
Step 1: Where Do They Come From?
Find a general biome that fits what you envision for this culture. If appropriate, make up your own. You want to focus on how plentiful the water is and where it is, what food sources there are, and what natural resources (wood, iron, reeds, etc.) are available. You’ll also want to look into natural structures like caves or cliffs, and common weather phenomenon like hurricanes or droughts.
If you’re writing a premodern culture with few outside influences, you could stop here, since location pretty much gives you everything you could want. The local vegetation and weather patterns will dictate how they build houses. The natural phenomenon will be explained by religion. The availability of water and food/arable soil/animals that could be domesticated will determine if they are nomadic or not. Their natural resources will determine how quickly technology progresses.
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So I'm trying to write a fantasy story, and I'm a bit hung up on one element of world-building. Language and names. I admit I'm not sure how one goes about coming up with fairly usual sounding names that aren't either a jumble of random sounds or just names from real-world languages. Since I'm not trying to write something with the scope of Lord Of The Rings I obviously don't need to invent new languages, but I'm still unsure of how to proceed. What would you recommend?
Oh man I HEAR you I am shit at names. Total shit at names. I’ve been referring to the names in my Nano story as ‘bullshit fantasy crap’ because I’m sure they will have to be tweaked later. If names are holding you back from the for-real writing stage, make a note that they’ll be changed later and charge on.
In most real world cultures, names have a very important context and are very carefully chosen. Even without that context, most parents spend a great deal of time choosing names for their kids. If you want a fantasy culture that is reflective of Chinese culture, for example, you have to research on what goes into naming children in that culture. Your naming conventions in your story are going to reflect your worldbuilding. Is there a particular religion that’s predominate? Names could stem from that. Or they could reflect on where someone is from, or a syllable is added to show which generation they were born in.
That’s all good and well, but actually creating names from scratch is the hard part. If you’re not a master at creating fantasy foreign languages and names, here are my recommendations
Go for nice, pronounceable sounds. Don’t smash syllables together randomly in order to make it look cool, say it out loud to be sure it’s actually something people would use. Xisdhijbur is lazy keyboard smashing, try to avoid it. If you’re at a true loss, pick a real name (Maria) and change it until it seems both different and believable (Maerai, for example).
Steal blatantly from real life. If you want to get in depth, look at a list of the most common or popular names in different languages and see what they have in common (how many syllables, how common are certain vowels, etc). You can make up different cultures based on these different naming trends.
Avoid excessive grammar in names. There are real languages that use pausing and glottal stops (often indicated by ‘), but please don’t make names that look like Ti’pi’la’b’un. It looks silly and sounds even sillier. If you’re not confident you can use this in a way that would make sense in a language, I would avoid them.
Consider nicknames. A lot of American nicknames favor the ‘ee’ sound - Charlie, Christy, Katie, etc. In Chinese, the most common way to make a nickname is to repeat a syllable - Mingming, Pingping, Xiaoxiao, etc. Anastasia can become Ana, and so forth. If your characters have long, grand names, a nickname is often going to be used (depending on their personality). One thing I’ve almost never seen in fantasy is the tendency of people to often share a common name. This is a good way to do that.
For more:
The Art of Fantasy Names
What’s in a Name?
How to Chose Names for Fantasy Fictional Characters
Avoiding ‘Normal’ Names
Fantasy Writing Guide
*winks and closes her eyes. then falls asleep*
Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language
We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it’s easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character’s state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.
by Amanda Patterson
13))
countdown
16 days to 2015 and I still think I’m in 2012
*cracks neck* my time has come
Hello fellow nerds!
A new school year is approaching, and since I have to nail my A* this year I put together a masterpost with helpful links and tips that I have gathered throughout my school years. Good luck this year: you´ll do just fine!
1. Learn ´em languages
Learn terms and glossary in Quizlet.
Learn a language for free on Duolingo.
Learn a language for free on Busuu.
Oxford Dictionaries.
Games and fun activities for English learners.
Irregular English verbs.
2. Do your research
Google scholar.
Scholarpedia.
You can learn anything (KhanAcademy).
Didn´t listen in class? (Crash Course).
Simple Wikipedia.
Learn littérature without having to read it (SparkNotes).
Wolfram Aplha.
TED.
Open 2 study. (Online studying)
Free college courses.
3. Learn how to write like a God
10 practical tips for writing better exam essays.
Writing an essay.
Harvard writing resources.
Writing application essays.
Writing a personal statement.
Genre characteristics.
Writing a literary analysis essay.
Answering essay questions.
Get feedback.
Bibliography maker.
What is the word you´re looking for?
4. Oh yes sweet reading
8 tips to remember what you read.
How to read Shakespeare.
Effective reading and note-taking.
How to take notes while reading.
Note taking tips.
170 free textbooks.
1000 free textbooks.
5. Get your studying and organization game on
Time Management
Get your school life in order with organization.
Reach your goals.
Goals worksheet.
Finding information on the internet.
Using sources.
Get a hold on mind mapping.
How do you learn best?
Sound without music (Such as cafes).
Make flashcards.
6. Stress and anxiety management because school is stressful
Coping strategies.
Stress reduction tips.
Stress relief for students.
Managing test anxiety.
Dealing with test anxiety.
Self help: Keeping calm.
Introverts in college.
Coping and calming down. N.1
Coping and calming down. N.2
Do nothing for two minutes.
7. Go get ´em tests
Study skills for test taking.
Study tips for finals.
Multiple choice exams guide.
The seven days study plan.
15 steps to success.
How to prepare for a test.
Checklist for essay tests.
8. Classroom participation - because teachers love that shit
Active listening.
Classroom discussions.
Presenting projects in the classroom.
Preparation before class.
Participating tips.
9. Software and pages for us nerdy kids
Openoffice and Libreoffice.
Dropnote.
Google docs.
EverNote.
Prezi (Fore presentations.)
Calculator.
Grade calculator.
Grammar check.
Staying focused for Mac, Chrome and Firefox.
Plagiarism check.
Best apps for students masterpost.
Homework help.
10. Yo! Take some time to care ´bout yo´self
100 000 stars.
Workout masterpost.
Movie masterpost of masterposts.
Self-help masterpost.
8Tracks.
Learn and do yoga.
Voulenteer.
Learn to play guitar.
The thoughts room.
Disney games because hell yeah.
When I'm feeling triggered by my body, but I don't have the energy to fully explain that to my significant other
i’ve been feeling rly sluggish and a little down, so just to motivate myself and remind myself
By Charlotte [tumblr | twitter | store]
