’nuff said.
Worldbuilding Wednesday 12/12/18: Water Parks
Happy Magic Water Park, Beijing
This places looks like the stuff of fantasy, but it’s 100% real.
Water parks got their start in the 1970s, 1977 to be exact, with the opening of Wet n’ Wild in Orlando, Florida. From the beginning it boasted a lazy river and a pool with an artificial wave generator and served as the template for imitators around the world. (It closed in 2016, replaced by Universal’s Volcano Bay.)
A year before that, in 1976, its neighbor Walt Disney World had opened River Country, which boasted a fun-filled lagoon which used filtered water from nearby Bay Lake. Its ambiance was that of an old-fashioned swimming hole. However, because it used lake water, it doesn’t quite meet the definition of a water park. River Country closed in 2001 and was left to deteriorate. I’m guessing the terrorist attacks of that year curtailed tourism and might have been the nail in the coffin for an already problematic attraction. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park took up the slack from River Country’s closure.
If you need a name for a water park or attraction in your writing, here are some ideas.
Water Parks
| Cowabunga Splashdown
Tropic Whirlpool Dolphin Beach Triton’s Typhoon Mystery Expedition Tidal Banks Kraken Wave Ultrasurf Park Puffin Cove Pirate Peril Skeleton Falls Aquavortex Voodoo Reef |
Hyperlagoon
Tsunamitron Starsurfer Paradise Marinetopia Paradise Pools Seamax Adventure Hydro Raceway Fusion Waters Super Lagoon Starflume Park Dynorapids Hydropool Arena Leviathan Slides |
The Hermitess
She searches… but for what?
This picture has enough stylistic similarities to Rapunzel and Speak no Evil that I suspect they’re all by the same artist (whose name I could not find, alas). Three morally ambiguous ladies.
Worldbuilding Wednesday 12/5/18: Atlantis
Earthquakes! Death rays! Volcanoes! Togas! Crystals! Greek temples! Hyenas! Atlantis has it all.
Everyone knows about Atlantis, right? In popular culture, it’s most often Grecian, a place sunk by some cataclysm to the bottom of the sea. People may or may not still live in it. Often it’s inside a dome, and just as often, the Greek-like culture is an advanced one powered by crystals with rayguns and watersleds… the latter popularized by turn of the century mystics like Edward Cayce and Madame Blavatsky.
The original Atlantis was an allegory cooked up by Plato. Interesting in its own right, but not as fun as Cayce’s and Blavatsky’s versions.
Though as a theme Atlantis is way tired by now, it is still all too spectacular of a concept to let lie fallow. Technologically advanced, though primitive, people living under the sea, in togas and sandals, swimming with manta rays and friendly dolphins. What’s not to like? Perhaps, with the upcoming release of Aquaman, it is due its time in the sun once again.
If you want to create your own Atlantis, but give it your own twist, just the change the name a little. Or use one of these examples.
Variations on Atlantis
| Alanvis
Atlantilar Antlaidrys Atlantemarsh Atlantale Atyatis Alenphis Aylankis Etlandon Azeuntis Utlantis Archistral Attantole |
Ytlantsal
Avlantis Elantith Atalina Azhlantis Otnemis Udlanit Amlanfer Archelantros Attambris Atlantnik Atlantzul Athenisis |
Atlantenz
Ithlantis Atlantael Aphlantis Atlantum Atlantyna Atabis Aetlantis Otlantis Edlantia Ilanchis Atlantar Arhlingus |
Speak no Evil
When the Princess spoke kindly, pearls and roses would drop from her lips. But when she cursed, fowl serpents emerged. As she was a lover of salty language, the palace was soon full of snakes.
But the Princess didn’t mind. She also had a yen for snakeskin.
Worldbuilding Wednesday 11/28/18: YA Novels
Why write a whole YA book when you can query by title alone? Feel free to nab any of these.
Evocative YA Titles
| The First and Darkest Throne
Above Clouds of Illusion A Pure Sea of Dragons Haunted Breath Godsmoke Unlike Promises of Glass The Fangling Starflame A Mortal Yet Heavenly Prince Among the Gold of Thieves Tale of the Snow Thief Kingdom of the Broken The Gods of Dark and Ruin A Gathering of Ash and Dragons Sacred Rebel Silk and Scales Allies of Iron and Shadow |
Girl, Twisted
Song of the Forbidden Honor’s Thief Wind Like Smoke Black Prison of Feathers The Rubies of Our Breath Key of Promise A Dark and Deadly Riddle The Girl in Electric Silk Of Golden Grace Captive Petals The Blue Princess Glass Souls Envy of Wings and Ash Dagger of the Gods Hearts Empty of Secrets Sisters Above the Blood |
Rapunzel
She let down her hair. Look at what she caught!
Worldbuilding Wednesday 11/21/18: Archaic Clothing
Medieval Undies under the care of a textile conservator
Knickerbockers, tam o’ shanters, farthingales, liripipes… who wears these things anymore? But even if we don’t, we remember them because of their odd and lyrical names. Here’s a list of more you probably haven’t heard of (because I randomgenned them up) but will remember once you hear them. So will readers and campaigners. Use at will.
Archaic Clothing Items
Snydugs: Smocked gray pantaloons worn by rural women.
Tightnubbins: Uncomfortable men’s military-issued underwear made of wool.
Maid-rags: Light cotton, bikini-like undergarment worn by female members of the clergy.
Wrapflinder: A silk-lined dressing gown with stiff, long, sleeves.
Wellinflators: Tall ostrich leather boots worn by traveling minstrels, decorated with wool pompoms.
Dampskips: Waterproofed linen gaiters, usually dyed green, with oilcloth uppers.
Dog-hider: A loose beaver fur hat.
Cinchgams: Small pearl buttons that hold shirt cuffs open at a rakish angle.
Schlertunchen: Soft mink hose only worn by the wealthy.
Groftboners: Heavy wool pants worn by sailors in cold climates.
Popcuts: Soft ponyhide trousers worn by the young and decadent.
Turry-trainers: Body-hugging, scratchy wool hose castle pages wear by Royal decree.
Bessie-Snag: Woman’s lightweight wool underskirt.
Sportmules: Red velvet knickers favored by well-connected gigolos.
Lispfarthings: Ermine slippers with cork soles.
Poppyphorm: A tradesman’s long jacket popular with university students for its many pockets.
Scryskip: Tight laced tunic usually made of silk-lined linen.
Kisroft: A traditional shepherd’s sweater knit from combined lambswool and sheepdog hair.
Stifrane: A woven tree bark coat worn for protection from the elements by poor farmers.
Zincjats: Cheap, casual house shoes fashioned from burlap stiffened with egg white.
Tangleprimp: A loose pleated silk blouse worn at afternoon tea.
Shillywiggins: Short cuffed knickers worn by schoolboys.
Milkduke: A stiff lace ruff in the shape of a square worn at the neck by town judges.
Weskflit: A ponyskin cap worn by small children to protect them from the sun.
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