24
Got told my fantasy world felt like a generic medieval Europe copy
A beta reader for my novel draft in Portland last month said my setting had no unique cultural details beyond castles and kings. I spent the last three weeks rebuilding it around a society that trades in memories instead of gold. How do you make a fantasy setting feel truly fresh?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
hayden_martin291mo ago
Honestly the memory trade thing sounds way more confusing than just castles and kings lol. Sometimes a familiar setting lets readers focus on the actual plot and characters instead of learning a whole new economy.
-1
nina_butler1mo ago
Totally, @hayden_martin29, a podcast said that exact thing.
5
shane_martinez4418h ago
Learning a whole new economy" is exactly it, I feel like some writers focus so much on being clever with the worldbuilding they forget to make the story actually compelling (if that makes sense). Give me a good character arc in a standard castle any day over a confusing currency system I need a flowchart for.
-1