Lore

MYTHS, LEGENDS AND GODS – Terrible Writing Advice

One of the many Youtube Channels to which I subscribe is Terrible Writing Advice. The videos are always on point, funny and have a charm that I can’t help but like. And the most recent video released is very pertinent to a current project: The Kingdom of the Lion, the tale of Pryad of Sumeria.

The video:

If you are interested in writing, I’d suggest liking, sharing and subscribing to Terrible Writing Advice.

But what impact will this have on Pryad’s story?

Gods and Goddesses

There are established Gods and Mythology from history from the civilisations of Ancient Sumeria, but I’m not an expert on them. I have researched a few to add into the tale.

For example:

To the sneak-thief, it was like he was being dragged through Kur, the realm of the dead, an endless cavern-system where all there was to eat was dust.

https://imagineerratically.home.blog/pryad1/

When Pryad is being dragged to the garrison of the penal army, I made a simple reference to Kur, the Sumerian underworld, and added a key detail. Could this be important later on, perhaps? Who knows!

Another example:

“But he trained at the Ziggurat -”

“No way he’s spell-wise.” Pryad pulled Sarhu back from the corner of the building. “What’s got into you? Can you do this or not?”

https://imagineerratically.home.blog/pryad1/

The initial draft of the story contained more references to either magic, ‘lore’, or historical gods and goddesses but I removed them. Why? Simply put, they were not pertinent.

When I write, sometimes I try to be too clever and end up making my story more like a textbook with a narrative in it. Clearly a character flaw, I try to make sure that it doesn’t leak into the finished product. I think these two half-explained details make the world far more interesting than not having them in, and both are needed to explain things that happen afterwards.

Terrible Writinng Advice has hit the nail on the head when they say that lore should be sprinkled across the text. In the Harry Potter (by J K Rowling) series, from the first instalment to the last, the lore is never fully handed over to the reader and they have to work for the secrets they learn. In the Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula le Guin, the readers don’t understand about the antagonist until the final act, and even then not entirley.

What does this mean for my writing? Well, if you were hooping for a info dump in the first few chapters, you are going to be disappointed. While there will be some Lore, I have tried to spread it out so thinly it is hardly noticeable until it is needed.

Thank you, Terrible Writing Advice!