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Fantasy Dictionar
Chatterbox: Crowd Sorcery
Fantasy Dictionar
Fantasy Dictionary
Writing a fantasy story often involves world-building: creating the setting in which your story takes place. Physical location is an important part of this phase—the house, cavern, mountain, forest, town, ship, island, or any other space your characters inhabit. But it is more than just a place. Building a world may mean thinking about the history, art, music, language, clothing, and customs of the story’s people—how they earn a living, what they do on holidays, and what everyday objects they use.
Of course a writer can’t design every aspect of a culture. If you did that, you’d never get around to writing the story! But here is the key: you want to think carefully enough about these things so that the reader believes your fantasy world goes on beyond the edges of your story. You want this imaginary world to feel real. And you do that with some well-placed, clear, creative details.
So let’s do some world-building! Please come up with objects, places, words ... any ideas for a fantasy story’s world. Tools, animals, types of clothing, dwellings—any of these and more may become necessary elements in our story! You may suggest as many as you like, or even post a strange word and let others suggest meanings. If you want, you can also write a sentence using the word or describing the fantasy place. Here are two examples:
haloris – a lantern that gives off both light and a pleasant scent. It is used by people who live near the swamps to counter the odors of mud and decay.
“Quill’s boots sank into the moss, deeper at each step, and ahead she could see a swamp, moonbeams glittering on pools that lapped around the tree roots. Catching the stench of stagnant water, she pulled the haloris lamp from her pack and set it alight.”
gnawk – a large, black bird with a raucous cry and uneven feathers that always look ruffled and untidy. Gnawks have a fondness for pecking and chewing on rope, and they are notorious for setting free dogs and farm animals tied with ropes. They unmoor boats tied to docks, and have been known to free certain fortunate prisoners.
Can you see how story ideas practically ooze from your Fantasy Dictionary, once you get your imagination going?
(April 23, 2014 - 10:11 am)
Yay, it sounds cool.
(April 17, 2015 - 7:30 am)
lewulfred: mythical object told to give three wishes to a person who drinks holy water out of it
Does that sound good? Just asking.
(November 16, 2014 - 11:43 am)
Hi! My sister and I are writing a story about a boy and his spirit animal and were wondering if we could use your term Renheart. It would be a really big help.
Thanks!
(July 27, 2016 - 6:51 pm)
Hi! My sister and I are writing a story about a boy and his spirit animal and were wondering if we could use your term Renheart. It would be a really big help.
Thanks!
(July 27, 2016 - 6:54 pm)
Earthgard and Skyhide – Earthgard and Skyhide are the two districts of the great northern kingdom of Lenorth, once ruled by the Golden King, but now ruled by the Senatorium (basically a parliament). Earthgard is where things are made with steam and elbow grease, iron is wrought, clockwork is created, and darker magics are woven. The highest role you can have in Earthgard is that of a clockmaker, but whatever role you have, you work hard, every day of your life, to stay alive. Magic is despised, because the honest workers view it as cheating, or the easy way. In Skyhide, however, magic is viewed as "the only right way," and those who live there are proud, rich, and noble people who believe that the hard workers in Earthgard are "beneath them in all things."
skoulhales – Basically giant whales that can fly and breathe air instead of water. They have holes on their undersides that push air from their lungs down to keeep them off the ground. Eats clouds and small birds. Lives in Skyhide.
clordeep – Sheep that are created by clouds, and can fly. They are hunted greatly for their luxurious, soft-as-a-cloud wool. Doesn't eat anything, lives for the life cycle of an insect, and has all of its nutrients when it is born. Lives in Skyhide.
lumensbug – A glowing bug that eats live coals. It doesn't burn up because its skin is as fireproof as iron. Lives in Earthgard.
midlana – A sculpture or gargoyle made of mud. Created with dark magic, it will follow its creator's commands and can be used to steal and trap a human's spirit. Woe betide you if a midlanag is your renheart.... Lives in Earthgard.
(April 24, 2014 - 5:11 pm)
Oh, one more...
quartari- A mother who has adopted a child.
(April 25, 2014 - 7:00 am)
WOW ! That is epic !
(July 14, 2014 - 6:09 pm)
These ideas are tremendous! All you who have created words and ideas here so far are amazing -- every one of them suggests a story! We're off to a fantastic start!
(April 25, 2014 - 4:53 pm)
I got another one for you:
youlden: a dragon's egg laid at midnight of blue moon
(May 3, 2014 - 2:32 pm)
Cool! Could this dragon have special powers or glow like the blue moon?
(September 7, 2014 - 7:29 pm)
slen -- the aviary of guardian birds used to protect ancient kingdom and queendoms
vectarso -- a demon that lurks in ponds that possesses you
lunarea -- a magical time of night when everything turns a pale blue white, and you can see particles in the air magnified
braksinf -- a type of plant that is popular in fantasy characters' homes, it is a milkweedish thing that is a vibrant blue
moonlark -- a term used ro describe one that can only survive in the moonlight
(April 25, 2014 - 8:33 pm)
efflorescencier -- something that makes small things bigger
(April 26, 2014 - 8:42 pm)
haha, awesome word!
(May 23, 2014 - 2:39 pm)
blamble berry -- a poisonous plant that grows on vines, but sometimes it is mistaken for blue berries and has a fowl taste and only grows in the woods.
Smith was walking walking in the woods. He was starving, he ate the last of his food last night. As Smith was walking around he came across a tree with little berries on it. He picked 1 and put it in his mouth but immediately spit it out due to its taste. He looked at it closer; it was a blamble berry.
drail -- a special place for prisoners in a castle.
Kingzen was found breaking a law and was put in the queen's drail.
(April 27, 2014 - 11:10 am)
Did Smith die of poison eventually?
(May 16, 2014 - 6:42 am)