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| My cool ring 2 years ago. #MoneySystems |
While my writing may not nearly be done as well as yours, I did want to point out some things that I noticed in reading.
Please take this post with the lightness that I am intending, and enjoy.
Opinion:
Hello my good friends, welcome back to my blog! Today I'd like to talk about a topic that is utterly meaningless in most books, but to me does not get enough praise, and that is building a proper economy for your world. Thinking back on fantasy stories, money is not an object that many people notice, except when it's a plot device. And yet, your characters and their things need to either be paid for or bartered to be purchased.
There are a few very popular "BookTuber" authors out there who like to say that worldbuilding isn't essential. If your characters are from that world than they understand the systems that govern it so why should the reader be bombarded with any 'unnecessary' work you put into building the world.
To their point, as a reader, an info dump about overdone things in worldbuilding is terrible. But, should you not build your world and create unique situations that can enhance your plot?
I say you should build your world, and add some fun details that make me enjoy your world. As a reader, I love this kind of detail to let me know what is going on without making it so info-dumpy. The economy is a great place to do that. Paying for things is part of daily life to anyone in the world you have, so why not make it fun for the reader to enjoy the task and see what unique things you came up with.
But therein lies the problem, what is the best way to go about creating an economy for your world and not making it a strangling piece? There are many options, but in most of the books I have read, it comes down to these choices.
1. Using established actual economies -
More often than not this is the one I see most. People either use paper money and coins, or they use coins in the amounts of gold, bronze, copper, and silver. It's acceptable, but it's very much like the real world. It is, however, your fantasy system, but if you are deciding to do this, perhaps put a new spin on it.
For example:
Maybe gold isn't the most valuable metal in your world, maybe your world has too much gold, and it's a utility item. Instead, perhaps it's copper or silver that is rare and thus used as a precious metal.
"The merchant looked at the cloth bolt that the woman had settled on. "That will be nine copper miss."
"Nine copper? That's indecent. It's just silk! Why is it so expensive? It's not like I asked for the wool frock." She protested.
See? This is interesting to a reader who is used to gold and copper have very different treatments. Now they are interested in this world a little more, with one more detail. Also, in this odd world, wool is rare, and silk is everywhere. What does that say for meat? Is there a rarity on lamb and possibly on other red meats?
This gets me thinking a lot about what could be going on behind the scene as you weave the tale about a corrupt king who managed to uproot the kingdom he managed.
You also get to think up how do you deal with a counterfeit. What if those 9 copper pieces are actually made of brass? Is that better or worse?
Counterfeit systems aren't talked about much in books, but it can open up the world to espionage and showing the corruption systems that can demonstrate how the government really is running.
2. Credits -
Credits are the new economy in many ways in most worlds. You see this in sci-fi, but you also see it in some fantasy settings. Credits or sometimes units is just a very generic way of saying money.
To me, as a reader, there is nothing so dull if it is given no context or purpose. No one ever reads about credit use and goes "Oooh that's so sexy. He just dropped a big wad of credits down at that dice game and is going to show all of those guys who is boss."
That said, despite the boring title of a unit or credit, there may be a good reason to use them. Should your plot does not need money so much, and you want to show there are peace and gentleness all over the land, this is one way to do it. How else can you exhibit characteristics of wealth? Objects. If the user of the credits has tangible items that show off wealth or has a lack therein, then we as the reader can tell a bit more about the actual economy.
For example:
She watched as his steady gaze moved to the blonde woman with the bronze clip in her hair. She gasped a moment. Bronze? Clearly, this was one of the nobility, but why was she in the market?
"That bolt will be 3 credits, ma'am," the merchant said. The woman took the three pieces of paper out and paid, without a word. How odd, the man who generally yelled at everyone, was being kind to that woman.
Now I as a reader am wondering what is going on with your very dull world of metronomes who sometimes wear fancy hair clips. What an interesting place you have! Tell me more about why everyone wears the same clothes, but somehow hair ornamentation signifies noble birth!
Either way in most fantasy settings, be it urban, traditional, medieval, etc. the economy comes down to these two methods.
Remember, you could always make something yourself, or you could go with a special kind of money that glows from the hot spring of awesome, which I would love to hear about how the magical elves harvest fantastic coins from the fountain.
The point I'm trying to make is don't be dull with your money system. Make it fanciful, but make it practical. As a reader, I know your characters have to stop at an inn occasionally or have to do things to get money to buy equipment. Make the transaction fun.
With that said, please let me know what you think in the comments.
Do you like fun money transactions?
What are some of the most interesting ones you have seen in literature?
What are some of the most tired ones?
I'd love to know what you think!
And remember NaNo is around the corner. Now is the time to be thinking of the economy as well as world systems.
With that, I leave you all to have a happy day!
Mrs. Y
