How to Write Fables? – Another Humanity

Fables are Tales.
More than any other Tale, they are fundamentally Symbolic.
Fables may be the best way to Start writing.
As well as a place to return for one who has Journeyed.
Fables are Cycles.

Summary – 6 Steps to a Fable

The Characters Discover the World.
They Journey to the Place they are looking for.
They meet a Threat.
They Defeat this Apparent Threat.
A True Menace unveils.
They Defeat the Menace.

Fables

Symbols
Fables are Tales.
They are Stories Told & Followed.
They make use of Icons more so than any other Story type.
Fables convey a direct Message.
The Message exists in the Title of the Fable.
It is then developed through the Story.
Fables are Allegories.
They are Parables.

Cycles
Fables are Atemporal stories.
They revolve around Transitions.
And an Illusion of Change.
Change is a apparent phenomenon in Fables.
Though, it never happens.
Conferring them a sense of Eternity.
Repetition is effectively present.
Events repeat.
New Encounters.
New Conflicts.
New Separations.
And still, they bear same Flavor.
A Fable is a Cycle.
A Confusion of the Beginning & the End.

Universalism
Fables are Stories of the People.
Stories for all Humans.
They are a Body of tales.
Tales of Synergy.
Displaying Overlapping figures.
These combinations may be tenuous to identify, though.
- As Humans use different symbols to represent the same concepts.
Fables are visual.
They Show some Pictures in order to Hide others.
They Make the most use of Archetypes.
They Invoke the broadest of Themes.
Any Story can be created through a Combination of these elements.
The Depth of a Fable is conveyed through Belief.

If you want to know more about creating Immersive Stories.

World’s Discovery

Atmosphere
Always, the Atmosphere.
You only need 4 elements to define it:
- The Colors & Light
- The Shape & Forms
- The Inhabitants
- The Vegetation & Buildings
What do you see?
What do you sense?
What do you feel?
How do you transcribe this?
Why do you want the Characters to visit this place?
Why do you want the Public to visit this place?
What are they supposed to enjoy?

Loci
Fables are often Simple Stories.
They need Simple world maps.
A Simple map can be both Diverse & Contrasted.
Place this map in the beginning of your Story.
Complete it as the Story unfolds.
On this map you’ll need to be able to identify 5 core elements:
- Landmarks
- Travel roads
- Organizations
- People
- Resources
When your Characters are trying to reach a Destinations they should always look for the shortest path.

Limits
What can be found in this World?
What cannot be found in this World?
These are the only 2 questions you need to answer to define the limits of your World.

If you want to know more about creating compelling Settings.

The Journey to this Place

A Tale
Your Characters are looking for a Place.
Though, they may ignore it.
They need to be hinted.
In order to Discover this Place.
It may be a Tale.
And the Teller may or may not be familiar.
The Tale should suggest them that such a place exist.
All’s then left to their Imagination.

Their Ideal Place
What is Ideal?
Your Characters may define their Goal quite early.
This Goal will develop through the Story.
It will change as the Character’s Group change.
Their primary Goal should be to find this Place.
A Place where they can live.
A Place they still can’t envision.
This will lead them to a Single End: Reaching this Place.

Diverse Encounters
More than anything else, Encounters should be Diverse.
Sometimes, the Characters will meet a New Character.
Sometimes, the Characters will discover a New Environment.
Sometimes the Characters will face Hostiles.
Or they will meet Friendly people.
They could face Large Threats.
Or Minor Threats.
They could come across Predictable difficulties.
Or come across Surprise Issues.
Create a Diversity of Trials.
Create adventures with a Decision-based solutions.
And others with Violence-based solutions.
Remember that you are writing with a diversity of Characters.
Make use of this diversity.

Creating Relationships
Along their Journey the Characters will foster relationships.
They can be classified by order of Intensity & Destination:
- Friends.
- Allies.
- Opponents.
- Foes.

If you want to know more about creating Journeys.

The Apparent Threat

Minor Antagonist
Define this Antagonist’s Origins early.
Her Origins hint at her Name’s meaning & Goal.
Give her at least 1 Quirk.
Quirks make a Character Memorable.
What’s her Goal?
What is she pursuing this Goal?
This Antagonist, as any Character, will need Resources to reach her Goal.
She’ll also have Resources available in the beginning.
Relationships influence access to new resources.
Therefore, you’ll want to create a Relationship web focused around the Antagonist:
- Who are her Allies?
- Who are her Opponents?
- What’s her Relationships to the Protagonists?
- What’s her Relationships to the True Menace?

Defeating the Threat
How do the Characters meet the Threat?
How’s their 1st encounter?
Pick a Location linked to the Threat.
Which Issue will the Threat bring this Location?
What are the Stakes for both Parties?
How will the Issue be Solved?
What’s the Outcome?
How’s their 2nd encounter?
After the 1st encounter, there can be as many as you see fit.
They all follow the same structure:
- Location
- Issue
- Stakes
- Resolution
- Outcome

The Becoming of the Minor Antagonist
What about the Final encounter?
There should be an end to the relationship between the Characters & the Threat.
This needs not to end by the Antagonist Death.
Only the Threat needs to disappear.
The Antagonist can then become a Support.
However, other Character may oppose this redemption.
The Antagonist herself may choose not to surrender.
And therefore needs to be eliminated.
Does she need to Disappear?
Should she kept under control?
As for the other Encounters:
- Location
- Issue
- Stakes
- Resolution
- Outcome
Add a last dimension: Aftermath.
- What are the Consequences of this Character’s disappearance?
- What are the Consequences of this Character’s survival?

If you want to know more about creating Antagonists.

The True Menace

Major Antagonist
The Origins of a Major Antagonist should be defined before the Story begins.
They will impact the 3 fundamental dimensions of the Antagonist’s identity:
- Quirks
- Name
- Goal
The Antagonist’s Goal needs to be clear.
It does not need to be apparent.
And it does not need to be identified by the Protagonists early.
Once it is identified the Characters opposing the Antagonist should be able to know how to thwart her.
They only need to know how.
Not to be able to.
They need to be able to identify the Resources needed.
As well as the Resources available.
You’ll also want to create a Relationship web focused around the Antagonist:
- Who are her Allies?
- Who are her Opponents?
- What’s her Relationships to the Protagonists?
- What’s her Relationships to the Apparent Threat?

Defeating the Menace
Contrary to the Threat, defeating the Menace is tenuous.
It won’t be enough to simply thwart or kill an individual.
The Menace is greater than an Individual.
It can be an Organization.
Or even a Concept.
Therefore, it can only be defeated on a Conceptual or Systematic level.
An Organization needs to decrease in Popularity to be erased.
Hence, the Characters can’t simply go to war with it.
For, even if the Organization is beaten, it will still have members trying to restore it.

Victory or Peace?
Should the Characters defeat the Menace?
Should they Ally with Her?
Should they Fail?
Should they Sacrifice themselves in order to Succeed?
These are 4 different possibilities you’ll want to consider.
Ask yourself.
What would bring Peace to your World?
Is it the Death of the Menace?
Is Freedom necessary for your Inhabitants?
Should you consider letting the Menace administrate your World?
If she was doing a decent job, why not?
Maybe she was abusing her powers.
Then, have your Team keep her in check.
There are many possible outcomes you’ll want to experiment.

If you want to know more about creating deep Antagonists.