What also worries me is that in Chapter 3 I used a lot of descriptions of the house, like the main characters room and then I had him go to various other rooms, looked at pictures of his family he has yet to meet so chapter 3 had the least story development or social scenes but the ones it had were good ones and I ended it with a scene that creates more development and story hype. I once wrote about imbuing everyday objects with meaning because talisman create great opportunities for symbolism! Through fashion terms you can understand the fundamentals of the fashion industry. Youre more than welcome to join us and wed love to have you on board. In Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Love in the Time of Cholera (1985), we learn of a doctors status through his being the only person at an event who is not smartly dressed: Although it was not customary for invitations to request special attire, least of all for a luncheon in the country, the women wore evening gowns and precious jewels and most of the men were dressed in dinner jackets with black ties, and some even wore frock coats. They also wear talismans, jewelry, and other objects. Never hose for men and probably never puffy breeches. Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Examples of the prior are Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and to some degree Star Wars and Tron. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? Knights werent as immobile as people assum, though I can imagine in a quagmire itd be tricky to get up. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. We naturally link clothing and identity, which is why wardrobe is such an effective tool for building a vivid character. - Mix cultures. Pre-empt this by illustrating everything in layers and completing each layer of clothing. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Pingback: Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Helping writers on their journey and readers find their next favourite story.. I sincerely hope youve found some inspiration for your fantasy medieval armor. In this scene, Gradgrind returns home to find his children playing outside: A space of stunted grass and dry rubbish being between him and the young rabble, he took his eyeglass out of his waistcoat to look for any child he knew by name, and might order off. Then this is their category. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. From time to time we may use affiliate links to help with the costs of running the site. Improving Google Rankings With Keywords And Content, Tips On How To Make An Essay More Engaging, A fantasy writers guide to weaponry Richie Billing, A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing, The Life of the Medieval Lord - Richie Billing, How To Create Your Very Own Living Breathing Fantasy World - Richie Billing, Fantasy Races - The Ultimate Guide To Elves, Orcs and Dwarves | Richie Billing, Killer Diseases of the Middle Ages | Richie Billing, Medieval Cannons: The Essential Guide | Richie Billing, On Writing: Fantasy Without Magic Of Metal and Magic Publishing, The Lives Of Medieval Peasants - Richie Billing, Fantasy Weapons - Medieval, Magic And Other Types - Richie Billing, Great Examples Of The 5 Senses In Writing, 5 Mistakes Men Can Make Writing Women Characters, The Power of Words: Essay Writing Techniques, Mastering Body Language With Former FBI Agent Joe Navarro, A Lawyer's Perspective On Writing Fantasy, Do you want to grow your mailing list, check out. An anxious college student buys a flower crown in the hopes of feeling young and free at Coachella. If a knight fell from a horse, he could quite easily pick himself up, not stuck on the ground like a tortoise knocked on its shell. As a result, feudal England became rife with young murderous men. A scarf for example might be too hot for some areas, but it's obviously easy to leave those out. 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. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. Theyll see it automatically. For more information, please see our For a bigger image, just click on the link above. Clothing reflects the resources available in a specific time and place. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. The reason we fuss over physical descriptions is not because its so important that the readers imagination gets it right. Well come to this below. Strips of leather were boiled in water, though some sources record oil and wax being used, and even animal urine. So this really reaffirmed that approach for me. In Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, the poor, Tuberculosis-stricken Katerina Ivanovnas husband is trampled to death by a horse-drawn cart. With the major shapes in the thumbnails defined, choose the one that best exemplifies the feeling you're looking for. A few small details of clothing may distinguish your characters from each other, highlighting their personalities. Theyre just too important defensively. But if you do want some guidelines, inspiration or just help this guide'll hopefully provide it. I would be great to expand it with armor from other areas, Samurai armor, for example. Besides, these are all just guidelines meant to spark some inspiration in you. Such simple things, but the clothes really helped show Jesus plight. Other clothing pieces could be various types of hats and scarves, (trench) coats and even something as simple as pockets or buttons used for fastening rather than as decoration to name just a few. For fantasy stories to be more believable, we need to understand how it interacts with our characters, especially if theyre enchanted. A possible source of conflict for a story, perhaps! Heres a great visual guide on female fantasy armor by YouTuber Shadiversity. Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. Thanks Liv, Im glad you found this helpful. As well see below, one of the best things about using medieval armor in a fantasy story is the freedom to elevate it in some way. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. - As far as colors go they often seem to be either toned down or bright and happy (or even over the top), depending on the style. 80s-inspired. You may have imagined a man in an expensive suit or a woman in designer clothes. Its a good time. Theyre the kind of thing that often happen organically, but you can actually make use of character secrets to make your stories better. Thanks, Teresa, and for sharing that great example from the stage. It took leaving the Midwest to recognize it. When heated, steel turns from yellow, to brown, to blue, to red. Look at this picture, is it insane for an author to try to describe this on a character? They give you the chance to offer comic relief, a dash of wisdom, and just some good old fashioned friendship., Sidekick characters. Only when youre keeping secrets in fiction, you can make them even darker and deeper than any you might ever have in real life. One reason clothing descriptions can start to feel like a tedious laundry list (see what I did there?) The answer can guide you towards certain fashion trends to inspire your characters wardrobe. For example, headphones aren't really a piece of clothing, but they definitely affect our style. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. The details create an authentic sense of a prominentcardinals dressin the 1500s. Clothes can betray our greatest joys and our deepest insecurities. One way to deal with clothing is to not try to be unique. The fact that Mantel describes the cardinals vestments: They bring out the cardinals vestments, his copes. 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. By playing around with this you quickly create very subtle, but more unique fantasy-themed items. 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. (Hopefully, I dont really know your life, so maybe not. Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. Whether its a beekeeping suit, climbing helmet, knee pads, or sun-protective fabric, what your character wears provides a clue about whats at stake in the coming scene. Another type of cheap armor, one up from gambesons, was boiled leather, also known as cuir bouilli. Look how she sits with her mouth open! - Taboos and nudity. Wearing a suit of armor was like being in your own private world. The eye slits were narrow to prevent all sizes of arrowheads from finding their way through. Not to mention the social status of a person. 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. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. Another might claim power by striding in wearing torn jeans and a tank top. In pre-thermometer times this was difficult as you can imagine, so instead, armorers observed the colour of the heated steel. That works. Again, I don't mean make your character walk around naked, but add elements of covering up or exposing certain areas of the body. Our imaginations can do a surprising amount with just a few key details. Youre not infodumping. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. What your character wears reveals where they come from, how they rank in society, how they want to be perceived, and even how they feel about themselves. They were warriors first and foremost. Or are you writing a spy character who dons Lululemon to infiltrate an upscale yoga studio? Although such armor exists in fantasy worlds, its important to understand how things work in the real world, even at a basic level. If you arent keeping at least a few secrets from your friends and loved ones, are you really living? s a fantastic image that Thomas Feichtmeir, AKA Cyangmou has put together. Get free books, an invite to my exclusive writing group, writing tools and guides and much more when you join my community. As with mail, steel was the best material due to its hardness, which was obtained by heating the steel to extreme temperatures and then submerging it into cold water, a process known as quenching. Like Marquez, compare and contrast characters clothes to reveal important details about their social status or position. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. But it provided an odd sense of security. Note that with the camouflage patterns it's best to use this style, but make them less randomized to avoid the military look, unless that's what you're going for of course. Particularly in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, clothing can help to create other worlds (or a long gone era of our own). Required fields are marked *. Either way, their goal is to be desirable, whatever desirable means in this situation. If youre good at talking clothes, you can sit this one out. 70s-inspired. With historical fiction one interesting aspect is to bring back the reader to that time period. A pair of starched Wranglers. Id be willing to bet each of these items immediately brought to mind a semi-clear character. At least in most cases. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Using this site means trees will be planted. If you want futuristic fantasy simply follow the sci-fi/futuristic tips more or mix and match both sides. That was the theory. It's something we have today as well, but they're oddly uncommon and work great for more futuristic looks. Similarly, find out (or, if youre creating a fantasy world, create) the garments your characters would wear in a particular time and place. And right at the heart of it were the leaders of societythe medieval lords. If your character comes home and immediately sheds three layers of down and fleece, Im going to assume theyre not in San Antonio, Texas. So its unsurprising to see soldiers wielding swords and axes and shooting bows. 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. ), Your character and communitys financial resources. You can immediately show a character is wealthy with descriptions of fine clothing. Let it hang diagonally across their chest and over their shoulder instead. It's also an indirect way to describe their physical appearance by examining how the clothes fit them. Amalias dress thus comes across as insensitive to her; malicious even. Which of these clothing types is your character most likely to reach for when starting their day? See more ideas about character description, fantasy fashion, fantasy clothing. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. For example, a meticulously dressed character who is discovered in a disheveled and poorly dressed state. Thanks Chuck! Its fun to play with power in clothing, because it's a relative concept. I never thought of there being a uniform for Midwestern ladyness. So here are some more ways to alter a design while sticking with familiarity and a more historic feel: Maybe your character heads out on the town wearing a daring leopard print jumpsuit, only to have their best friend immediately ask where they got the kitty costume.. (Where do they buy their clothes? There's also the element of technology that has to be taken into account. One does not refer to "a garb". My story feels like its set more in medieval times, but I don't want my characters running around in full out tunics and. 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. A self-conscious kid tries to disappear inside their oversized sweatshirt. But they are a common element used in fantasy clothing in all sorts of works of fiction. Some helmets had chain attached which hung around and protected the neck, called an aventail, and most were padded inside, for added comfort. Well also take a look at female fantasy armor and those used by, Mail was particularly effective against glancing blows. The surrounding culture dictates what they cant wear if they want to be seen as free-thinking individuals. I love the way clothes can describe a character. I'm talking about the jagged, triangular shapes you find on some stealth planes or the digital camouflage patterns. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. clothed and we should definitely be using them to portray our characters personalities. You suddenly know which details to include, which to leave out, and whether to call it a blood-red cloak or a goji berry wrap. Metallic works well too, but make sure any metal bits or metallic looking bits are smooth and clean looking too, otherwise it might look too historic. Ive always wondered that too! 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. Because it actually is possible. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. Just click this link and dont even think about touching your wallet. The important thing to remember is to remain in the character's point of view. is because we get stuck on what things look like. 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. And what does she put that cap on for? Clothes that are loose and hanging in folds. A scarlet pantsuit. This article has compiled 100 different words you can use to describe clothes, and below the main list of 100 words we've explained our reasoning for a lot of the top picks from that very list, for your personal enjoyment. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. Non-visual senses are big, too. By using fur for decoration you quickly create fictional pieces in no time. Mail was lightweight and flexible. This may seem like a tricky thing to do as there's so much out there already, but it can often be as simple as simply changing a texture, the patterns used or the amount of fabric. Using the work of Alexander McQueen, this unit guides students through the analysis of a fashion collection, introducing them to the critical language and methodologies needed to evaluate fashion design and runway presentation. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Love this topic!! 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. These detail could suggest that your character is miserly or down-to-earth despite their wealth. Does your character need to hide? Well cover everything from helmets and plate armor to chainmail. Continued successes could see knights rise higher up the ranks. - Gadgets, hair styles and accessories. Who is your character at the beginning of the story, and how can you dress them to establish their normal? I mean what your character wears provides a clue to how they see themselves, how they want to be seen, and even how others see them. As far as guidelines go this is the first to be broken though, consider this one more of a starting point rather than something to necessarily end on. "A dress" (or using "the" to refer to a particular "garment") means an item of clothing that is normally worn by women. As I write this, I am wearing jeans that are too big, a gray t-shirt I inherited from a former roommate, and a pilled hoodie from a lighting vendor that works with my friends husbands company. Achieving glory in battle was one way of earning a knighthood. His writing offers a masterclass in how to describe clothing in stories. Clean, powerful strikes were needed to disable a foe wearing mail. These are deep questions. This is often enough to make something look more futuristic, especially if used on something that looks glossy, shiny and/or smooth. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. Do they need a ghillie suit to blend into the natural environment? The train hums and throbs in place as people rush to pile in.. Think touchable fabrics and the light scent of lavender soap. An owl, a real owl! Consider this example from Hard Times. You can keep track of your characters signature style, upload photos, note how their style evolves, and keep these ideas right at your fingertips as you write. How were women treated in the Middle Ages? All of these advancements will become more and more common as time goes on, so it'd make sense for them to be part of our clothing in the future. its obviously black with a centered zipper is easy but then the various pieces, the shapes, the colors, like two rows of this then a row of that, you get what I mean? Here are five examples: 1. Cookie Notice document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' Changes in characters clothing can help revealcharacter development. Added on top of that the condition that they had to supply him with soldiers too. Without decriptions of the clothing it's a bit boring, the novel becomes a list of people the reader can't imagine doing things. "He was wearing a spandex tank top" is an improvement from just mentioning that your character's wearing a shirt; but consider adding the element of color: "He was wearing a black-and-yellow-striped spandex tank top.". What I would like to ask is how you would go about describing very specific details on more complex clothing? We often express ourselves through our clothing, at least when we have the freedom to do so, so knowing who we're designing for is the first step in creating the perfect outfit for a character. Casual. 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. And if you dont write historical fiction? What does your character wear to feel safer in their world or in their own skin? Who doesnt like being comfortable when killing? - Christine, on How to describe clothing in a story (with examples), 8 story hook examples (how to grab attention), Story structure examples: How to create payoffs for readers, How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide), How to write deep POV: 8 tips and examples, 9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions, How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies, Writing great characters: 5 lessons from modern novels. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. What would high stakes clothing look like in your story? Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. Theyre probably less concerned with how they look (unless they want to look intimidating) and more concerned with things like survival or victory. One of the first things I learned when I moved to L.A. is that writers do not dress professionally for big meetings in Hollywood. Think of the process like dressing a doll: start at the beginning and up build the layers. This is great! That decorative belt?