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?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayden_martin2920h 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.

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nina_butler15h ago

Totally, @hayden_martin29, a podcast said that exact thing.