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I’ve got a question, or two. I like elves, dwarves, dragons, pixies, and the like. And they pop into multiple of my stories. In one story I put in every single one I could think of, that was fun. 🙂
What are your favorite faerie creatures? How did you put them into your stories, if you did at all?
How did you make cool creatures without having them cliche? I have problems with that.
I think Gail Carson Levine does this very well in her stories. In Ella Enchanted the ogres are smooth talking and can make people do what they want. Instead of beasts that grunt and use brute force to hurt people.If you have any thoughts about this I would love to hear them!
The Scattered Writer
Last year, my brother’s soccer team’s name was the Firehawks. I thought it was a really cool name, and later when I started my fantasy, I decided to make a creature called a Firehawk.
I also love elves and dwarves, due to my fascination with Tolkien and Lewis. I have not used them in any of my stories yet, but I pretend that I’m elvish or half-dwarf all the time!I think this is a great forum topic and, honestly, I’m kinda surprised that no one has mentioned it yet.
I hope this helped a little bit, Shaina!
Thank you for your thoughts Tatiana!
Firehawk? Sounds cool, does it resemble a phoenix at all?
Ha! My friends and I tell each other who we resemble and/or which race we are in Lord of the Rings all the time! I think the decision was half elf half hobbit for me….. With emphasis on elf. Which is great, because I love elves.The Scattered Writer
I love dragons and griffins…only I’ve ‘created’ a griffin based off a picture that actually looks more like a white winged mountain lion. They are normally used as mounts (in addition to horses) in my stories. I like elves too…but as a race, not as mounts. 😉
As to using fantasy creatures without using cliches; well one thing you could do is figure out what the common cliche is, then make the creature the exact opposite. That could add some humor as well. 😉 I also like to give my ‘animals’ their own personalities.
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
@Shaina— haha! I had to laugh about what you said— telling each other what Middle-earthian race you resemble. Only a diehard Tolkien nut would do something like that.
Which I am. And have. Unfortunately I fall almost purely elf— which is too bad, because Hobbits are my favorites, then dwarves. Not that elves aren’t fascinating and all that…
But anyway. Ahem. Cliches. If I had a dime for every time someone used that word on this forum…
But that’s a good thing. It’s great to talk about this stuff. One thing I have found helpful is taking a cliched race (let’s just say elves, since they seem to be the most overused) and changing its values around. Tolkien elves are obsessed with knowledge and beauty and water and flowers and light— especially light.
What if instead, elves were obsessed with something entirely different? What if they hated the light? What if the light hurt their eyes, so they lived underground or in the deepest woods and only moved at night?Or let’s just be crazy and say they were obsessed with culinary art. What if your social status was determined on how good of a cook you were? Actually that’s starting to sound like the Shire. 🙂 But seriously, do this. It’s great to think about old things in new ways.
Gracious, you could even take two distinctly defined, pre-existing cultures and switch them. What if dwarves were obsessed with knowledge and beauty and water and flowers and light? What if the elves were the smiths? What if the elves were obsessed with gems and metals and stone and fire? The possibilities are endless, and I’m beginning to feel like a child in a candy shop with all these tempting ideas…
Something I had fun with too in my work was taking an immortal race and exploring the origins of the word ‘elf’— at least, the origins of that title in my world. 😛 😉
I have this immortal race that in reality is called the ‘Naldo’, which means ‘great’. But… people don’t call them that. They called them ‘Eilief’— immortal. And after many, many decades, ‘eilief’ became… guess what… ‘elf’.All that to say that just because your race is called something doesn’t mean they have to be that something. Or something like that.
How did you make cool creatures without having them cliche?
By inventing your own. I think I might do that, just for fun. I wouldn’t write a story of of them, but I would just have fun creating the most insane unordinary creatures imaginable.
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Thanks guys! Fantastic ideas. Yeah, yeah, we are kind of Tolkien nuts. I’m glad we aren’t the only ones though!
Switching up the roles of dwarves and elves is such a fun idea! I should do that in one of my numerous stories. And, oh! What if we made the elves personalities more like the elves in the shoemaker story and other stories like it. Helpful, sometimes, but tricksy and full of pranks and laughter. But, they still looked like (and maybe still had the power of) Tolkien elves! It would be hilarious!
And what if the pixies were the wise ones that could prophesy the end of the world and all of that stuff?
Hmmm, I hadn’t thought of creating new creatures. I should do that instead of using the terribly overused (see! I didn’t use cliche! 🙂 ) oges and trolls of lots of different names. What ever the creature turns out to be, it has to have tiny wings that actually work. Kind of like a bumblebee.
The Scattered Writer
From Webster’s original dictionary …
A Faerie Dragon-Fly:
“A small winged creature ranging in length from 1/2 to a full foot. They inhabit all warm areas but certain species have different preferences. The common faerie dragonfly may be found anywhere except in caves but principally inhabits the northern meadows. The argock species is known for it preference for caves. Dimwilt faerie dragonflies are principally to be found in swamps and dense forests. The faerie dragonfly has a slender body with small scorpion like stinger at its rear end which it rarely uses unless threatened. They are slower creatures than birds but are still able to fly at twice the speed of an average man in a sprint when they wish to move quickly. There are plated with a strong scale like substance which will resist much, but can be penetrated with force. They are given over to mischief and are loyal to no one but themselves. They are adept with languages and accents and can mimic almost anything.”
Webster was a well traveled gentleman
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I love it! The poison in their stingers can render a man paralyzed for two days. More than enough time for them to get away. Now, where can I find this dictionary? It would be very helpful in my writing.
The Scattered Writer
Funny you should ask. I’ve been wondering that myself. I happened to lend it to a traveling sales man and – well … don’t do that. If you happen to find it though, let me know.
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Forgot to mention, they also have intelligent looking faces and can camouflage like a chameleon. Their life span is about 20 years. Until they are 2 their scales do not harden. Past the age of 15 they receive the title, “Æglis”. They remain awake all day but immediately go to rest when the night comes.
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I do dragons, but not like the talking ones. Just the giant lizard animal ones. It’s fun playing with writing the animals that used to be.
Anyone ever read the book “After the Flood”? The dragon stories in there are mind blowing. Like a newspaper interviewing these Welsh farmers about dragons in the area and the farmers saying that they were worse than foxes for stealing chickens.I’ve not read ‘After the Flood’ yet, but I’m hoping to soon! My sister only just finished it, and she had to share some of the dragon stories with me. I agree. Absolutely mindblowing.
As to writing dragons, I have both kinds. Lizards, and magical dragons. The magical dragons were once only lizardy dragons, but… um… something happened to them to make them not lizardy anymore? It was kinda like a sort of magical… um… sorcerer… thingy’s… fault? But I won’t say anymore. Reasons. 😛
Writing dragons is so much fun. Everyone should do it, if only to gain an appreciation for evil. Assuming of course your dragons are evil… most of mine are. I still haven’t figured out how to get them to talk. I mean they talk to me, but it’s not like my characters can understand them.
Oh well. So much for that.
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