Re: Time on Fantasy worlds

Mary K. Kuhner <mkkuhner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

The setting of my fantasy WIS has five seasons rather than four.

Cool. I'd be interested in how exactly the fifth works, when it is, and
all that.

(I've got Night as a fifth season, but it's acknowledged to be not quite
the same as the normal four that circle the year, just as Magic is no
normal element.)

I didn't ever explain this. I used the season-names (Eastwind,
Southwind, Westwind, Darkwind, Northwind) when they came up and
gave some hints as to which was which ("It was the hottest
Southwind she could remember" followed by a description of
everyone dressing as lightly as they could). I carefully avoided
using spring, summer, autumn, winter even in metaphors (that was
a little harder).

I can imagine that just fine. It's not the same words, but a very
similar problem I have with my funny folks in the trilogy. <sigh>

No one who's read the manuscript ever commented at all, so
apparently this is invisible enough.

That's neat.

I do wonder whether I'd enquire about Darkwind if it were implied to
come from a direction, though. I'd wonder which one.

It's a complication, and maybe not a necessary one, but in all
the years I've known that setting it's always had five seasons,
and I think of it that way--changing to four felt like a small
but real loss. It also fits the theology, where gods tend to
come in sets of four-and-one.

I just adore ideas that have some kind of balance, rythm to it,
especially when it turns up in every day things, small and almost along
the side-lines, but significant.

--
Tina
WIR: Seasons & Elements trilogy, a serial in three parts.
WISuspension: Magic Earth series, a serial in six parts.
Posted to Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.sf.composition.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Time on Fantasy worlds
    ... managed to identify the exact difference in our outlooks ... I enjoy rereading it anyway. ... Seasons & Elements trilogy, ... Magic Earth series, ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Structure and pace
    ... don't know how to recognise what's happening, even, whether I've got ... What I've noticed is that the PoV changes decrease in my series, ... Magic Earth series, ... Seasons & Elements trilogy, ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Time on Fantasy worlds
    ... Southwind, Westwind, Darkwind, Northwind). ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Thread stolen from rasfw; Magic and Society
    ... WIP: Space: 6002 words ... WISuspension: Seasons & Elements trilogy | Magic Earth series ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Thread stolen from rasfw; Magic and Society
    ... WIP: Space: 5514 words ... WISuspension: Seasons & Elements trilogy | Magic Earth series ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)