  Fantasy
This week: Wings are Possible Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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An Elf (written) Fantasy Newsletter
Wings are a common sight in fantasy stories and there are different approaches to their use. This newsletter explores the topic of characters with wings.
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Product Type: Toys & Games
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I used to be in an online critique group and there are many different conversations we had during the couple of years that I still remember, even though I quit about 5 years ago. One included the topic of wings. I had a scene that involved a dark angel type whom had lots of power and he wore a suit. One reviewer in particular ranted against it because wings won't fit under a suit and they had a site that showed what size a man's wings would have to be in order to follow the laws of physics and be useable. Valid point, to a degree. But one counter argument is... magic. Not everything has to fit within the laws of the world we know (especially in fantasy stories and such).
Or there is the line from a Bee Movie: According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. It's wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don't care what humans think is impossible.
Some fantasy creatures have wings, though not all will fly. Instead of worrying about the exact physics (unless the realistic factor is important based on the world of the story) we can focus on what makes that specific character work. Why do they have wings? Why not have wings? So many questions to consider.
Check out this neat item I found when searching for things to showcase this week. It gives some interesting things to consider when working with characters who have wings: | |  | Invalid Item
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#1948754 by Not Available. |
I don't have all the answers for how to create characters with wings, nor do I even have the time to write about all the factors that one could consider, so let's focus on a couple key points. What type of creature is the character? Angels are one of the more obvious choices, along with dragons and faeries but they aren't the only ones. There are less common creatures that you can pick, or if you want, it's okay to use a common one but find a way in the story to make the character stand out. Me? I'm working on worldbuilding a story with faeries in it. That's my current wing focus. So, next we look at the wings themselves.
What type of wings do they have? What are the wings made from? Feathers are a common one for angels in particular but others can have feathers. There are other animal-like varieties as well. Then there are plant materials or descriptions such as gossamer that showcase wing material. In the book Wings by Aprilynne Pike, the main character has wings that are a flower and it grows as one would, following similar botanical patterns. While not my favorite faerie book, I did like her approach on wings.
I'm going with elemental ones with some that can be created at will but very short time frame and others that have wings all the time and have to deal with them. I went with a less common set of elements though: fire, water, earth, metal and wood. My main character (the fae one as there are 2 main point of view characters) is a wood fae. I'm still working on the how but he will be able to hide his wings but they are technically there all the time. Unlike fire and water, who can have wings appear out of their elements but they don't last long.
Next big question? Can they fly? And if so, is there magic influencing it or is it just, they fly? Sometimes, it's nice that they can't fly, makes for a complication at times. Others will need to fly though or one might wonder why have wings at all. Though one can fly part time and not need to fly all of the time. Most of the ones I have figured out so far won't fly much, if they can. The water might use theirs in swimming, sort of, but since they have magic connected to their element that is still questionable if it's using the wings or just using their abilities tied to the magic. As I said earlier many questions to consider. But that's what worldbuilding is for, right?
And that is my final bit of advice. It's okay to spend some time worldbuilding and figuring your characters out, either before or after writing. I sometimes write the first draft first but every now and then, I create notes ahead of time so that I know what is going on in the worlds I create. Take the time and consider before using wings. But don't be afraid to have a character who has wings even if it's not possible in our own world. Have fun writing it too.
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Couple of contests to check out:
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#1948208 by Not Available. |
Some items I found when searching for "wings" in fantasy:
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#1980493 by Not Available. |
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#1974126 by Not Available. |
Submitted to the newsletter:
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Have you used wings in a story? Who is your favorite character that has wings?
Last time I wrote about finding places that accept short story submissions for fantasy and sci-fi. Here are a couple of the comments I received. Thank you everyone that provided feedback and don't worry, I plan to do other publishing topics in the future.
Comment by: Elfin Dragon-finally published 
I'm glad you wrote on this particular subject. I've been wondering about publishing for the past few months. This is going to help me a lot. I'll just have to think about which site I want to use. I've only had a few poems published in contests, but as I've found out, some publishers will count that as being published.  I hope to do better. Thank you again.
E
- Thanks. I'm glad you appreciated the newsletter. There is a lot involved with publishing but luckily there is a good amount of information available for those that search.
Comment by: brom21
I truly am grateful for all the publishing sources you gave. I’m in the process of writing a story and once it is finished and spruced up I will look to submit to ones you’ve mentioned. The thought of getting published is exciting. I hope it comes and good luck with your work!
- Thanks for commenting and I'm glad the newsletter was helpful. Good luck with your story.
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Fantasy: April 02, 2014 Issue [#6243]
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