One thing Ive always wondered is if someone wearing plate could fall down just right in a muddy battlefield, and get stuck there in the same way a large flat rock gets stuck laying in mud. - Furs and other animal parts: A quick and obvious way of making something look more fantasy-themed is by simply adding elements of fantasy creatures. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. These elements are very important when taking into account the previous point. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. So as a way of trying to control them and their behaviour, the code of chivalry and honour was introduced. So have fun with that. If there is one thing I hope you take from all of this, its that none of this is about describing what a character looks like. Helmets were arguably the most distinctive feature of an armored knight. - "Digital look". And if you need a place to organize your complex responses, I recommend Dabbles Character Notes feature. As the battle continued through the day, a rumor grew that Harold had died or fled the field, I forget which. Youre working essential details into the narrative at the moment when they are most relevant. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? The fantasy genre borrows an awful lot from medieval history. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. Do your characters care deeply about looking respectable, or are they more afraid of putting on airs? However, you can show and imply a characters intention without spelling it out: Theyd agreed to meet downtown at six. They mixed more traditional Asian styles with the more Western Industrial Revolution period styles. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. A coat of mail was a complex web of metal rings, each locked with an iron rivet. Lets talk about how to describe clothing in writing organically. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. In some cases because they simply didn't have the technology for it, in others because it was too expensive and/or time consuming for the average person. For a bigger image, just click on the link above. Community . Thank you for sharing this valuable information. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? You can also check out some of my other guides too, like: If you have any questions about this guide on fantasy armor, please get in touch. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. Heres a video showing the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of leather armor against arrows. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters' clothing. Vividly describing the colors of your character's clothing can enliven ordinary writing. Nov 28, 2022 - Explore Anung V's board "Character description" on Pinterest. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. A four-layer, bubble-gum pink taffeta skirt. Our characters are always (mostly!) Improve this answer. There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. Only in certain situations is a description even needed. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. What your character wears can tell us a lot about how they feel or how they want to feel. I love the way clothes can describe a character. As time marched on, small plates of leather or iron were added to the mail to protect key areas, such as vital organs. Dostoyevsky describes how Katerinas landlady, Amalia Ivanovna, dresses for the funeral: the table was properly laid at the time and fixed, and Amalia Ivanovna, feeling she had done her work well, had put on a black silk dress and a cap with new mourning ribbons and met the returning party with some pride. To navigate your way through this guide, just click the links below. The pieces around the vital organsthe chest and headwere thicker and heavier than those on the arms and legs to try and reduce weight as much as possible. I thought if I did that at the beginning of a chapter it would be better but I worry it will turn readers off. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. Does your character need to hide? Impoverished with children to care for, she uses her last money to give her husband a dignified funeral. Whether its a matter of indulgence or survival, feeling good is a deeply relatable goal. Most picture the knight when we talk about plated armorrigid tin men that can withstand all manner of blows. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Is your central conflict a life-or-death situation? To add to the previous mosaic part stealth technology can provide great patterns. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. (Find out more). If done right you could even use these elements alone with clothing of today to sell a futuristic look. Characters wear more than just clothes. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. It can be as simple as making a dress shorter, a jacket longer or sleeves wider and longer. I tend to avoid describing clothing. The geographical setting might suggest that your characters are expected to abide by strict rules for modesty or are celebrated for being wild and free. Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. William the Conquerors society was shaped with war in mind. Also try searching cool fantasy armor, or epic fantasy armor. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. Heating to the perfect temperature was key. Really like your article. To create a more futuristic looking style an easy way of doing it is to incorporate technology into the clothing itself. Also bear in mind that not all clothing descriptions have to be presented as She put on x or He was wearing y. You can draw your readers attention to an item of clothing by having your character draw on their jeans or fiddle with their collar. The fact the clothes seem to stand by themselves indicates just how heavy they are with jewels and embroidery. 28 First of all, beautiful dress and mask! Well come to this below. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? Youre already obsessing over hat styles and what the undergarment situation was at the time of your story. This usually involves dresses from some time pre-renaissance and a tunic or shirt paired with trousers for men and women who are doing warrior stuff. Sweaters or jumpers? If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. (Cough-cough-cough.) ). It really doesnt take much. Allrightsreserved, create an authentic sense of time and place, Use fashion and clothing history archives, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg, 1: Use clothing to show status and position, 2: Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, 3: Describe clothing to contrastcharacters personalities, 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, 5: Change characters clothing to highlight character development, 6: Use clothing details to recreate authentic setting, Build (or thwart) expectations using clothing descriptions, Describe clothing to contrast character personalities, Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling, Change clothing to highlight character development, Use clothing details to create authentic setting. That said, once you describe how a person dresses you shouldn't really keep doing it unless it is relevant to the plot. Of course there are more ways to alter historic designs and the middle ages aren't the only period to draw inspiration from. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. If youre trying to learn how to describe clothing in writing, youre probably like me: Youve only pretended to know what organza is. Also his mother was poor and anyone who knew that might wonder how he could afford such clothing so it hints at the actual story. Sci-fi and fantasy don't necessarily have to be futuristic and historic respectively, but they're commonly associated as such, so for the sake of simplicity that's what I'm going with for the purposes of this guide. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. This one is simple, right? Most clothing throughout history consisted of longer pieces of fabric and with minimal tailoring and cuts. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Do all your characters embrace it? As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. So let's delve deeper into the details of how to actually figure out what your character wears. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. I used to be under the mindset that describing attire was boring and it was better to let the reader fill in those details but especially with the novel Im working on now, I have used clothing to portray more about their character. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. You can go for standard quasi medieval fantasy clothing. This is further influenced/confirmed by the show Forged in Fire where the judges were a half step from putting their heads in their hands when a smith put his hot blade in water instead of oil to cool it down. Whenever other races or species are involved, like elves and trolls, it's often best to give them clothing that differs from whatever humans (and other races) wear, even if those differences are subtle. In one single piece of clothing description (a pink-eyed bundle of shawls), Dickens conveys how timid and ailing Mrs. Gradgrind is in contrast to her bullish, overbearing husband. Casual. Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? But thats the case wherever you go. In both of these it was mostly the rich who had the extravagant clothing, which brings back the earlier point of how culture influences what a character might wear. Once blue, it is quenched a second time, permanently fixing its hardness. Your main character just put on some makeup and changed into a fancy dress, complete with heels and a tiny handbag. Clothing description is something I have to actively choose to create, too. Helpful links to blog posts, articles, videos and guides are shared every day. Cookie Notice Baggy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' Youre still not off the hook. Or one who was forever wearing poorly-fitted clothing that appeared to be handed down from friends? Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Now add a thick, layered scarf or attach a hood to this tunic and you're already well on your way to a customized look. I'll make a separate point for sci-fi/futuristic clothing and fantasy/historic clothing. This description generator will create a mostly random description of either a dress or a suit, fit for formal occasions and other fancy needs. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. Fashionably elegant and sophisticated. As soon as the actor enters stage right or left, we have an inkling of whether theyre a wealthy landowner or peasant, an elegant heiress or humble flower-seller. One character might demonstrate their power by showing up to prom in a designer gown. He took off his helmet and a Norman archer made a lucky shot that put out Harolds eye and ended the battle.It should be noted that, with the helmets of the time, it wasnt necessary for Harold to take off his helmet, either to be seen or to get his eye shot out. Hello, I am attempting to write my first fantasy novel (and my first novel), and I'm having difficulty visualizing what kind of clothes my characters should be wearing. show how hard is to escape in a narrow street. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. One very important aspect of describing attire well is understanding why youre describing it in the first place. Thus, "a dress" is inappropriate for a (male) prince, unless he is pretending to be a woman. But let's take a step back and look at what kind of clothing is usually associated with futuristic settings. Shoes made with bendable displays already exist, allowing you to change your shoe's design on the fly. - Taboos and nudity. Make it look very clean and smooth and it immediately feels more modern. The more you know about real clothing and armor, the more tools in your bag of tricks for describing awesome fantasy pieces. The description will describe a lot of clothing pieces, some of which you may not need depending on where your character lives. What is the prevailing value in the society of your story? Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. What the description shows is that many of the inviteesplay at status through fancy dress. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. This is less important for non-visual arts as clothing isn't always described in writing, but it can still be incredibly helpful to have a fully detailed character in your head or written down somewhere for reference and just to make everything feel more real and alive. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. Any suggestions on how to properly do this? With these two changes alone you already have an item that didn't exist in medieval times, but is familiar enough to work in a fantasy setting. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. Its a bit OCD of me. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The appearance of armor was a big deal for knights. Characters can also comment on or react to one anothers clothing, as long as the exchange reveals something about the world or relationship. Much of the clothing we wear today were either rare or completely nonexistent a hundred years ago. See how Dickens contrasts the fact-obsessed, overbearingteacher Thomas Gradgrind and his wifes personalities through (among other details) their clothing description. A common (wood) elvish theme is to have lots of green tints, flowery elements and intricate embroidery. Beyond medieval Europe, you have the Far East, the Romans, Viking Before you know it youll have designed a full set of fantasy roman or viking armor. Mention the familiar swooshing of the neighbors tracksuit as he runs by the house every morning or how the aunts jacket always smells like cold air and pine needles. Finally there's the aspect of fashion to take into account. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. Look how she sits with her mouth open! If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. You can weave clothing description into your process when using our story planner for writers. Characters Wear More Than Just Clothes. I second the idea of describing the reactions of the characters to the city. The padded material could absorb blows from blunt weapons and provided some protection from cuts, but against well-forged weapons they were useless. Use your first-person narrators senses sight, hearing, touch, etc. Or they could be frantically running errands in leggings and a t-shirt. For example, if a character is going on a date, you could write: Gem wanted to look sexy for her date downtown (but not easy), so she changed into more comfortable clothes. Those warriors came from the people who lived on the lands under the watch of the knights. Discover an extensive list of terms you may want to know here. The bully Gradgrind is the type whod wear a waistcoat concealing an eyeglass for catching people out. Its about building a life and a world, and that is something you can do. Think armor, bulletproof vests, and bandoliers. Both doublets and chain mail were worn in conjunction with plated armor for that added protection, particularly for areas plate could not cover, such as arms and the groin. how to report damage from a pothole, tony stewart rotherham net worth,
Maryland Mva Schedule Appointment,
Minecraft Things Mod Gleaming Powder,
Articles H