But the definition of sneaky depends on your characters situation. - Use nudity. Pfoo, the owl! Your email address will not be published. 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. So below, well take a look at the relationship between the genre of fantasy and medieval armor. Am I trying to blow the interview? Follow edited Jun 17, 2020 at 9:43. Blunt weapons were effective, causing haemorrhaging and concussion, so padded garments known as a doublet or gambeson were worn underneath to provide added protection. Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire is one series that wonderfully explores fantasy armor and weapons. Share. You really can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, or what they dont wear. For instance, if I'm reading a story and the narrative mentions jeans right off, I'm thinking mid twentieth century or later (while dungarees would be late nineteenth . Why this arguably works better is the details of getting dressed tell us multiple details about Gem. Thats a good example of using clothing to reinforce the narrative of a characters arc. I really loved this article, but I have one question, it was very helpful. Technology goes beyond simply what kind of clothes could be made though, it also relates to how technology is incorporated into style in general. Pauldrons, gauntlets, and even leg armor were fashioned into elaborate designs. Ill add it to my to do list . And when Mother Nature gets involved, even the best suit of armor can have problems. It's easy to try this out too, at least the simple line version. Examples of the latter are The Fifth Element and The Hunger Games. But status can be communicated in more subtle ways, too. It's part of culture, so it's definitely something to keep in mind since your fictional universes will have some form of culture as well. Here are five examples: 1. For example, fur usually wasn't used as a piece of decoration for clothing and if used at all was often worn around the neck and shoulders or underneath other (often hide) clothing to keep warm. Pingback: A fantasy writers guide to Castles and Keeps: part one Richie Billing. And what does she put that cap on for? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. In my case my character is new in town and this description of clothing doesnt come until hes getting ready for the party in chapter 4 and its in the context of getting dressed, there are reasons behind it, the party is a very big deal for him getting his foot in the door with other teens in town and he wants to be impressive or maybe wants lot of attention with all the sparklies. Which is to say, if you write from the point of view of a character who thinks of clothing only in terms of the simplest descriptors, that's just fine. Im writing a little in the Epic Fantasy genre and there were quite a few useful notes I wasnt aware of here. Is your character trying to attract positive attention? Lets take a look at some ways you can develop those unique ideas: In this section, well take a look at some cool pieces of knight armor in fantasy that people have designed over the years, to give you even more inspiration for your own designs. As such, the contemporary tales that have followed, like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between, have paid homage to that era. Another similar and perhaps way more popular example of this is Steampunk. The fact that Imagine your own armored knights storming through the battlefield like iron giants. If sturdy is a top consideration, your character might be expecting trouble or adventure. Stealthy clothes bring to mind burglars clad in black outfits and soft-soled sneakers. 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. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7bbcc198c936bc1af3fbda128514c44fcfc10f0513ea31cad7c21ae61ba0ab0.jpg. And medieval warfare was a bloody affair. Thanks Benjamin! Maybe theyre wearing an article of clothing that once belonged to someone theyve lost. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. 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. Those of us who dont get all jazzed about writing clothing descriptions often fail to consider that a good wardrobe has layers. Delighted to hear youre finding this useful. Maybe their goal is to entice a mate. Characters wear more than just clothes. In a fantasy setting, you may be trying to conjure up a certain feel right off the bat based on how you describe a character's clothing (and the words you use to describe them). One very important aspect of describing attire well is understanding why youre describing it in the first place. A simple t-shirt could be cut diagonally in the front, give both shoulder parts a different style from the arms, elongate one side and so on. The Victorian author Charles Dickens is widely regarded as a master of characterization, for good reason. Trendy: Modern, fashionable, and up-to-date outfits. When shes not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that. They can tell us what era they live in, and even a persons current state of mind or intent. You can also fulfil (or contradict) impressions your characters (or readers) form based on appearances. A few easy changes are to make one side longer than the other, so basically creating a diagonal cut instead of the standard horizontal one. The rope belt is solely decorative and a status symbol. In a book, none of that is true. Arrows will bounce off steel crafted in such a wayunless from close range, as we discussed, We mentioned gambesons above. Give your wealthy character a pair of Louboutins and dress your non-wealthy characters in hand-me-downs. The aim is to arm you with what you need to enrich your tales with brilliant detail. It illustrates brilliantly the differences between fantasy armor and the boring armor of reality, in this case, Gothic armor. Sneak around? Or at least they know what century theyre in. Do your main characters tend to steal the show in your novels? The final design with all its layers will often hide elements of the clothing that a client may want to see later. Hi Paige, thank you (and thanks for your question). A lowly one at that, but one very much capable of climbing the ladder. But I find looking back in time to the likes of the medieval period can provide some wonderful and unique ideas. 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. A knight, by definition, was a lord. I mentioned my online writing group at the beginning of this guide. These were worn on their own by those wanting greater speed and flexibility, but also by those unable to afford stronger armor. That would depend on a few things. This is great! Now turn the edges a different color or make them light up and you immediately have a more futuristic looking suit. Blades hacking, slicing and puncturing, cutting open gaping wounds and severing limbs and heads from bodies. But the biggest challenge can sometimes be simply making something look futuristic or historic fantasy-ish, which is the main focus of this guide. You could even move the buttons to the side and have it close diagonally instead. And if you want more, this documentary is excellent. This one is simple, right? A pair of starched Wranglers. Chain mail is a great piece of fantasy armor to use in your stories purely because of its flexibility. It was pretty easy to make, though laborious, and easy to repair. Its because concrete details are incredibly effective in communicating abstract concepts. As with body armor, great efforts were made with the designs of helmets. They work, they're safe and in many cases have become a standard. For a bigger image, just click on the link above. Such coats were made from brass or iron, though steel was deemed best due to its toughness. Do not describe a character's clothing except as that point of view character would do so. Required fields are marked *. )Secrets might not be something youve specifically thought about when youre drafting a story. What would you think about a wealthy character who looked as though he shopped at thrift stores? Normally I dont dress characters with such complex clothing that takes more than a few sentences to describe but the vest was inspired by a picture I saw and it took at least a paragraph to describe. Our characters are always (mostly!) Before I delve into the more detailed aspects of creating clothing there's one final thing to keep in mind and that is that fashion repeats itself. In writing, the clothes kind of do make the (hu)man. If you write historical fiction, youre probably way ahead of me. - Use lines to break up a piece of clothing and create a kind of mosaic. Use the Character section of the Idea Finder to develop quick story ideas and flesh out your storys cast. Read these tips on how (and why) to describe clothes with examples from well-known novels: 1: Use clothing to show status and position 2: Build (or thwart) character expectations with clothing descriptions 3: Describe clothing to contrast characters' personalities 4: Show clothing to avoid over-relying on telling Does your character need to hide? Some materials are used more than others, some colors are more desirable than others and some accessories are more desirable than others and these all changed throughout time. On the other hand you may wish to add layers for the same purpose. How to describe clothing: 6 simple tips Use clothing to show status and position 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 Choose A Chapter The Fantasy Genre And Medieval Armor Chain Mail Plated Armor Helmets Other Types Of Armor The Medieval Knight Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Some had pointed snouts, the purpose of which was to deflect arrows when walking into arrow storms. But let's take a step back and look at what kind of clothing is usually associated with futuristic settings.