For DiceMonkey, who got me riffing about this yesterday (thanks for the inspiration!), and for anyone else to whom I have never gotten around to explaining this properly.
If you’re from the gamer side of my audience, you’ve probably read something in epic voice. The writers might have managed to avoid it, depending on breadth and specialization in the fantasy genre. It’s a useful thing to be able to write, but far too easy to abuse; as a result, it’s one of my pet peeves. I can’t take it seriously for very long.
To explain it, I’ll have to use an example. Let me see:
(Obligatory pause as the nose is pinched and the eyes are closed)
Long has epic tone towered over the landscape of the fantasy novel and game. It comes with thunder, adjectives its sword and adverbs its shield. Never does it state when a metaphor or simile will do; nor does it feel that there is such thing as too many words in a paragraph. And its metaphors must be Bold, and Intense, and Feel Like They Should All Be Capitalized To Add Extra Gravity. When read aloud, it feels weighty, and every other word clamors as ravens above a battleground, calling to be emphasized, to be emboldened, to be shouted forth. A character of this style cannot merely walk, nor eat, nor even excuse himself for the privy; no, even these most mundane of tasks sound like the fate of the world rests upon them.
Unfortunately, this voice is highly popular in fantasy. Yes, I mean unfortunately. It’s very hard for people coming in from other genres to take seriously, and it gets heavy after a while. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t go more than three or four chapters of this at a sitting (and I’m the kind of person who can read almost anything in one go otherwise).
This isn’t to say it shouldn’t be used at all. It’s very good for legends, particularly when being used to set the legend apart from the rest of the story. In cultures where boasting is an art form in and of itself, this is also a useful style (though I find it a lot harder to believe that such people talk like that all the time). And of course, a lot of slack can be cut for poking fun at it!
But novel-length? Please, don’t. And even if you must use the tone in general, do not write a novel in this voice in first person. The sheer presumptuousness, the utter feel of “I think I am the greatest hero ever to walk the face of the earth”, is enough to make even the most sympathetic character seem like he needs to be taken down a notch or two.
Similarly, unless you know the rest of the group is specifically into this sort of thing, think twice before using it in a backstory or a game description. Particularly with D&D levels below three or four or so. And—and I know there are people who are going to object, but I have a reason—starting builds in Exalted. You’re not that epic yet. (I’m inclined to say this still goes for established characters who actually have notches for major setting antagonists on their blades. “And lo, I stabbed forth, and my blade ripped through ghostly flesh, and the mighty foe was shoved into the beam of holy purifying light, and its screeches as it burned away resounded through the atmosphere, but its dying curse destroyed many of my brave comrades” doesn’t impress me near as much as “So there he was, between me and the beam. I couldn’t kill the guy myself—his being dead didn’t help matters—but I could certainly push him back. The good news was that it vaporized him. The bad news was that he decided to take most of the rest of the people there with him.” More on this here.
Like it or hate it, it’s best to know how to use it.
Hi,
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand this rant at all. I understand you’re saying that epic tone is to be avoided, but I’m left with very little idea about what epic tone actually *is*. Picking apart that paragraph, the features *I* would point to are:
- Archaisms (”long”, “nor”, “as” used in that way)
- Inversions (”Never does it state…”)
- Unattached noun phrases (”Adjectives its sword”)
- Biblical double statement (”Never X; nor Y”)
- Heavily broken-up sentences (”When read aloud, it feels weighty…”)
- Climax (”To be emphasised, to be emboldened, to be shouted forth”).
Whereas reading the content of the paragraph rather than its form, it sounds like you’re saying metaphors are to be avoided, and I’m left without the faintest idea how to write (or avoid writing) a sentence that “when read aloud, it feels weighty”.
But that aside. I can definitely agree that an entire novel written in this tone would be atrocious; but what about the big emotional climaxes, the really epic battles? Can’t we match our use of language to the tone of the particular scene? And aren’t some of the devices mentioned above legitimate figures of speech? Is it the combination of all of them that’s so bad? Or where do you draw the line?
I am so confused….
It is indeed difficult to explain exactly what epic tone is, but the example given is certainly an accurate one…
It’s tough to prohibit use of epic tone in any area, really…because even in places where it may not generally be appropriate, a good writer/narrator can make it so…
Speaking of Jean-Luc Picard, his is one of those voices I hear when I read epic tone…
But yea…novel length is bad but treated properly, epic tone can be used almost anywhere…
Michael: I couldn’t get it across with the description alone. Try reading the paragraph I did in that voice aloud, and see what it sounds like. That’s what matters. It isn’t just any single one of those elements; on their own they’re fine. When you put them together, though, you get something that sounds straight out of those early sword and sorceries, and… well, like I said, it gets heavy. The big elements to note are the size and intensity of it all; as I say in the later parts of the paragraph, you can’t even go to the privy without the prose making it sound like the fate of the world hangs on it.
Battles can be made epic without Epic Tone. I’ve seen you do it. I personally prefer that if someone’s going to write a book, or any sort of narrative really, they pick one voice and stick with it.
Rev: Never said it couldn’t. I just want it used sparingly, and for people to make sure they can use it well; I’ve lost count of the number of times someone’s come at me with Epic Tone and driven me off what they were talking about because the tone was overwhelming the content.
There’s a term for this: MOCK EPIC. And I thought your example was brilliant. The main problem with using epic is that it is so EASY to take it too far. One sentence of your example, ravyn, and the piece is laughable (I actually did laugh). And your point about first person is even better, for the trend in YA lit. is for most of the narratives to be told from a main character’s POV, yet trying to tell your own heroic story makes the story downright unbearable.
If a writer wants to use first person, he/she needs to use as realistic a narrative tone as possible. I have an Old English character in one of my novels, who is freed from a stone statue after being trapped within it for more than a thousand years, but if I have her speak too formally, she would instantly become ridiculous. Instead, I have her speak in OE, and “translate” her dialogue for the reader. I do a little bit with changing her syntax to reflect OE word order, but otherwise she speaks normally. Suggestion is so much better than over-the-top formality.
GREAT BLOG! One of the best points I’ve seen made in a month at least.
Thanks!
I take it you also go light on the contractions when writing her dialogue? I’ve found that’s a good way to separate a character from their more slang-fluent counterparts.