Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

Baraka_Guru · 10-25-2008, 09:16 PM

Among my favourite motifs include the use of space.

The use of great and/or open spaces is a classic one. Think Frankenstein or Lord of the Rings, with their sweeping and inhospitable terrain.

What may be more difficult to pull off, but is highly effective, is the use of closed-off, isolated, and unknown spaces. Think classic gothic, with dark hallways and unknown (and rather forbidden) rooms in big houses or castles. Jane Eyre is a good example of the unknown and forbidden. And in more modern fantasy, Gormenghast is a good example of isolation.

You can weave mysterious histories into these spaces and can really play with the readers' knowledge of setting by only revealing the detail needed to see what's going on (no matter how obscure). It makes it quite frightening if you let it be known that the antagonist(s) is at home or well-acclimatized in these spaces, giving them an advantage over the protagonist(s).

The key to using space is to set it up as there being no alternative but to traverse the space...the consequence being that to do otherwise if a far worse fate.

You can play with space as symbolic or metaphoric. Different spaces can represent different moods or personalities of characters. The halls of an old mansion can reflect the twisted tormented mind of the protagonist. The barren wasteland that stretches for unknown miles can represent the mindset of the antagonist after he had lost his love, his everything.... the possibilities are endless.

I could go on, but maybe it would be best to have others comment on this.

10-25-2008, 09:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Among my favourite motifs include the use of space. The use of great and/or open spaces is a classic one. Think Frankenstein or Lord of the Rings, with their sweeping and inhospitable terrain. What may be more difficult to pull off, but is highly effective, is the use of closed-off, isolated, and unknown spaces. Think classic gothic, with dark hallways and unknown (and rather forbidden) rooms in big houses or castles. Jane Eyre is a good example of the unknown and forbidden. And in more modern fantasy, Gormenghast is a good example of isolation. You can weave mysterious histories into these spaces and can really play with the readers' knowledge of setting by only revealing the detail needed to see what's going on (no matter how obscure). It makes it quite frightening if you let it be known that the antagonist(s) is at home or well-acclimatized in these spaces, giving them an advantage over the protagonist(s). The key to using space is to set it up as there being no alternative but to traverse the space...the consequence being that to do otherwise if a far worse fate. You can play with space as symbolic or metaphoric. Different spaces can represent different moods or personalities of characters. The halls of an old mansion can reflect the twisted tormented mind of the protagonist. The barren wasteland that stretches for unknown miles can represent the mindset of the antagonist after he had lost his love, his everything.... the possibilities are endless. I could go on, but maybe it would be best to have others comment on this. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 10-25-2008 at 09:27 PM..