And more context is provided throughout later scenes to add to this foundation. The scene is painted in enough general detail that readers’ minds can fill in the gaps of what the rest of the room looks like. She notices a fire, a shelf full of objects including a skull, and a chair where she rests for the night. Consider when Sophie first enters the castle: the details given the most emphasis are those that have most impact on the overall plot. Key to how she does this is by what details she has chosen to focus on. But when it comes to the prose, Diana Wynne Jones has provided enough details to paint the scene, without boring readers. The world in Howl’s Moving Castle is rich with fantasy, witches, thousand-mile boots, enchanted castles, and crafty demons. What can be learnt from the worldbuilding in Howl’s Moving Castle? Don’t overdo the details. I’d say, by learning from books that have their worldbuilding on-point. Soft worldbuilding, or hard worldbuilding? We don’t want to info dump, copy too closely other fictional worlds, or make a world riddled with ‘world-holes’. Worldbuilding is often one of the most admired aspects of fiction and sci-fi. This can include history, language, geography and other aspects of the built and cultural world within the pages. Good worldbuilding makes readers feel as though the world they are reading about (typically fictional) is engaging, immersive, and governed by its own coherent qualities. Keeping it fairly simple: Worldbuilding is the process of making a world of fiction. Howl is quite different to his film counterpart, but his vanity, which one might expect to put off readers actually works the opposite as, along with Sophie, we seek to untangle his truth. I fell in love with Sophie’s ‘old-soul’ as well as her growing sense of self-worth and courage. Howl’s Moving Castle is the first in a trilogy and packed full of whimsical worldbuilding, sure to delight. If you haven’t encountered this charming story, it’s well worth a read. In the course of her adventure, Sophie will have to overcome the Witch of The Waste, her own doubts, and the mysterious curse surrounding Howl. To break the enchantment she finds herself striking a bargain with a fire demon and encountering the mysterious Wizard Howl. The story follows Sophie, the eldest of three daughters, who finds herself cursed by the Witch of The Waste and transformed into an old woman. Howl’s Moving Castle was originally published by Dianna Wynne Jones in 1986. What is Howl’s Moving Castle About? A mini-book review P.s the gifs you’ll see sprinkled throughout this post are from the wonderful 2005 studio ghibli adaptation of Howl’s Moving Castle. To illustrate some of the points in this post, I’ll be talking about Dianna Wynne Jones’ book, Howl’s Moving Castle. Today, we’re tackling one of the most challenging writing topics for writers, but especially fantasy and sci-fi writers: worldbuilding. Considering why various elements of a book are (or are not) working well is an important skill to develop.īy witnessing writing craft principles in action, you can learn to apply these to your own writing. Reading widely is one of the best things you can do to improve your writing craft. If you haven’t come across that gem before you have now! Neil Gaiman called her ‘the best writer of Magic there is’.If you’re a writer, you’ve likely heard the advice read like a writer. Jones’s numerous awards include the Guardian Award for Children’s Fiction, two Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards and a Life Achievement Award at the World Fantasy Convention 2007. It broke all box-office records in Japan at the time and was nominated for an Oscar. In 2004 Howl’s Moving Castle was made into an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki for Studio Ghibli, Japan. Among Jones’s best-loved books are the Chrestomanci series and Howl’s Moving Castle and its two sequels. Her magical adventures have enthralled children and adults ever since. She never ceased writing, and from 1973 onwards published many titles, which have been released worldwide in 30 languages. She and her two sisters were deprived of books but, armed with a vivid imagination and an insatiable appetite for stories, Jones wrote them herself to read to her sisters. Her family moved frequently, finally settling in rural Essex. Diana Wynne Jones had an unsettled childhood against the background of the Second World War.
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