How to Make Culture a Driving Force in Your Fantasy Story

When a fantasy buff curls up for a good read he is geared up above all else, for an inventory of unfamiliar customs and practices which—new ways of using the bathroom may make the list—will definitely break the back of convention. And that’s because the plot is more often than not, set in a parallel universe. Many of these yarns brim over with strange creatures which are totally alien to the knowledge we possess on this planet.

In most cases, writers of the fantasy genre do not beat themselves up about culture when creating their stuff as they do say, world-building, original language, and of course, plot and character development. When you add it all together, what most writers really do is ‘allow’ the ‘way of life’ in their created world shape itself as the events in their story unfolds.

You know, I looked up the word, Culture in the dictionary. Here’s what my little research churned up:

G The taste in art and manner that are favored by a particular group;

A All knowledge and values shared by a society;

B The attitudes and behavior characteristic of a particular social group or organization

According to the definitions above, all the practices, customs, rituals, language, in point of fact, all the peculiarities which draw the line between a fantastical universe and the one in which we live are all really one thing, ‘culture.’ It’s amazing when you consider hundreds of stories have been written just by imagining “The taste in art and manner; knowledge, values, attitudes and behavior operating within a particular society totally different than ours.”

1. Use Culture to Create Story Resonance

Often when a writer considers establishing cohesion in his setting the word that most easily comes to mind might be ‘world-building’ rather than moderating ‘the characters’ way of life.’ I think that a wealth of resources is cast away if culture is treated as a passive reaction to story. Observing the way the folks in your story behave and making it trigger the tension—causing the actions in the plot to arise out of their habits and superstitions and inconsistencies in keeping up with rituals—gives you a better shot at sustaining a viable streak.

2. Use Culture to Address Real Life Issues… in a Different Light

When your story people adhere strictly—too strictly, if I may add—to a set of rules and get boxed into awkward situations, you can exploit it for your own benefit by turning it around and making it deal with real life crisis. It may throw light either on a positive or negative subject and your character may stick out his neck for a set of principles and get it ripped off his body in the process. What matters is to get the message across with a little bit more force by consciously making the ‘tastes and behavior’ of your character drive the plot.

3. Use Culture to Explain Paranormal Activities/Magic

There’s a scene in ‘Wolves of the Calla’ (Book 5 of the Dark Tower fantasy series by Stephen King) where Roland Deschain pours gold and silver coins out of a sack he called a ‘grow-bag.’ The catch is the leather sack was otherwise ‘empty’ before and after he tipped it and poured out the stuff.

            Roland explained it as a gift from his father (the sack, that is) and claimed, “Most of the magic I once knew or had access to is gone, but you see a little lingers.” This comment is significant when we contemplate culture as ‘knowledge shared by a society’ and without it, that leather sack would be nothing but a deus ex machina and we’ll be forced to regard Roland as a gunslinger-turned-sorcerer. The story would barely hold together after that scene.

4. Use Culture to Distinguish Peoples/Societies

This one is a little bit obvious, you will agree. Culture can be really helpful. You can exploit it to create and sustain suspense if you weave it seamlessly into the fabric of your entire plot.

            Creating a fantastical setting is like you telling the reader, ‘it’s a different world from where you come from.’ But when there is another universe or community of people within the same story, culture presents itself a vital material for inventing unique identities. The separate peoples might still share similar values but fiddling with the cultural background might be the perfect way to bring in stunning peculiarities and of course, create conflict.

5. Use Culture to Enhance Character Traits

Sometimes, a setting might invite characters to react in not-so-agreeable ways; situations in your story might evolve and make demands for your story people to act queer. If you’ve been listening to yourself read all along then you know exactly how to get out of a rut. Let culture do the talking.

            You can make almost any odd situation sound plausible. Just call it ‘the old ways’ and have it done with. Better yet, make one of the characters explain how and why it came to be that way. You can use narrative as well or employ flashbacks. But when you need to insert an otherwise inexplicable trait or peculiarity into a character’s profile… think culture.

This unique article of fantasy writing has what it takes to hold a complex plot together and render the characters and plot genuinely legit.

Keep your pens bleeding!

Akpan