This week: Recycle, Reuse Chainmail, and Up-cycle Edited by: Dawn Embers  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
Fantasy Newsletter by Dawn
Taking some consideration in a common act that we do every day, throwing away trash and for some, dividing out recycling. Some thought goes into whether fantasy or science fiction worlds would include thrift stores or other ways to use the different items over the years without ending up with planets of land fills. |
There are times when mundane activities helps to create ideas for these newsletters, which is helpful since I've been doing them for so long and will continue in the foreseeable future. So, I end up drawing some of these topics from regular day in my life activities and start to wonder about speculative fiction worlds with similar activities. This week, the inspiration came from dealing with trash and recycling because for the last month, on the designated day, I have left the cans out by the street for pickup and every other week recycling is picked up. The other weeks... trash is taken but the recycling is still in the bin. Then I have to drag it back to the house still with all of the stuff in it. I don't remember when I signed up the mention of every other week. That makes this frustrating but now I know to only pull that one out every other time.
So, then I start to think about fantasy worlds with witches, different monster looking creatures and world that might not be the same as ours. Like the world I'm using for the Lodestar Contest as a good example. There are elemental fae characters and air ships that actually travel through space so it's not just different countries but different planets that they travel. I started to wonder, on the different worlds, with both air and water ships along with various modes of transportation (another newsletter topic) what happens to things they use or even eat or well, the parts that don't get eaten. Do they have a trash system? I would imagine so. But what about recycling? Do bar maidens have to wash everything to use again? Do some things get tossed out and if so, where and what happens next? What about weapons? And the clothes? Do they get reworn or always handed down? Are new outfits rare and what are they made out of and why?
We have so many things that go on in our worlds and for the most part, so does our characters. The thing about that is, we don't necessarily have to write about them. I would imagine that some of these elements are more extremely handled by anyone that does extensive world building. The more intense the creations of worlds, the more focused on details, the more some of these elements are probably handled. So, for some of us, it's not a topic that comes up because if it's not relevant to the story, then it doesn't get handled.
Since the topic hasn't come up yet in a story, I get to instead write about it here. There are a couple of things that I am starting off with and might focus on individually in future newsletters. Cause I need the topics sometimes. So, this is just a brief let's start considering how these may come up in fantasy or science fiction stories. That is the different options for recycling, reusing and the term for reusing things known as up-cycling.
What is the difference? Let's consider the definitions as that often is a good starting point and one we learned in some education systems as ways to learn about topics.
Recycle - to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse.
Reuse - to use again.
Upcycle - to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original.
So, they are related because one recycling in the hope of the item or the cells that make up the item to be reused in some type of way. And to epicycle is to take old items and create something that is considered better, which is still reusing the items involved if they aren't new. But how the process works and what gets recycled can vary. Some places require the item is clean first. Like even with the soda cans, we are rinsing them out before putting them in the big big. And it's sort of nice to wash clothes before donating them, though I'm sure there are some who just drop stuff off that are dirty.
Which brings the last question. Do the fantasy or science fiction worlds have thrift stores where people can go and peruse or purchase certain items? Or maybe a yard sale. Imagine that in a science fiction world on a different planet, some type of alien or similar to human creature uses their space scooter to go to different huts to see what pieces of things they are offering to sell on the cheap. That could be interesting. What do you think? |
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
What happens to objects in your world? Are thing reused or recycled in the story?
Last month, I discussed first responders with a focus on police, EMT and firefighters with the possibility that magic could create. Here are a couple comments sent about the topic:
Comment by Killer Quokka of County K🤦  :
I sold a piece of flash fiction about a witch-private eye. Very short, but so much fun to write. 
- That is fun. I'm working on a potential witch/detective series too.
Comment by BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  :
All kinds of things are possible in fantasy and sci-fi. The City Watch books of the Discworld series includes at least one werewolf copper that can track folks by scent - criminals use anise as a way to get her off the trail.
- A werwolf does sound like a good tracker. I also saw an episode where it said that goats could distract cadaver dogs from being able to find bodies, the scents their urine produced in particular.
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
Fantasy: October 01, 2025 Issue [#13372]
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
