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Alternate Germany...how to write?



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Sat Nov 26, 2016 7:26 pm
BeTheChange says...



I have a vague idea for a novel, but I don't know much about Germany, or asexuality, and I need help. I'm getting ahead of myself here...
Basically, the main character is half Fae (fairy), and her father was a human from Germany. She's asexual and aromantic, so I need tips on writing about that, and her name is Wilhelmina "Will" Schmidt--is that too stereotypically German?
Other info: The book takes place in an alternate version of the world, specifically Berlin, where WWII and the Holocaust never happened, but there was a different war between humans and Fae. Will's father was killed for helping the Fae, and her mother died in battle or childbirth, I'm not sure which route to go with that yet! I need help with German cultural information, too. :)
Lastly, how realistic is it that a fourteen-year-old would successfully lie about her age and get a flat/apartment? And is my idea a good one in general?
Thanks in advance. Sorry if this is jumbled. :)
  





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Sat Nov 26, 2016 7:45 pm
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Vervain says...



This might seem like a silly thing to poke at, but: Why is her nickname Will?

If we're talking about Germany, then by the laws of the German language, her nickname is ten times more likely to be Wilma, Minna, Elma, or something like that -- something that follows the historical traditions of nicknames for Wilhelmina. Just because "Will" would be the English nickname doesn't mean it'll apply when you're using German name and language traditions.

The nickname for Wilhelm isn't even Will -- it appears to be Willi or Wim.

Will is very specifically English.
stay off the faerie paths
  





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Sat Nov 26, 2016 7:47 pm
BeTheChange says...



Lareine wrote:This might seem like a silly thing to poke at, but: Why is her nickname Will?

If we're talking about Germany, then by the laws of the German language, her nickname is ten times more likely to be Wilma, Minna, Elma, or something like that -- something that follows the historical traditions of nicknames for Wilhelmina. Just because "Will" would be the English nickname doesn't mean it'll apply when you're using German name and language traditions.

The nickname for Wilhelm isn't even Will -- it appears to be Willi or Wim.

Will is very specifically English.

Thanks for the reply. She also speaks English, but I'll keep that in mind and probably change her nickname to Elma. :)
  





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Sat Nov 26, 2016 7:48 pm
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Rosendorn says...



This is a big topic, so I'm going to answer pretty broadly/with some prompting questions.

Since you mentioned aro/ace people! One little known thing is the LGBT+ scene in Europe/Germany was actually really good before the Nazis rose to power, and on top of that, they burned down tons of literature that discussed queerness and transness. WWII set back LGBT+ rights/medical knowledge by decades, and we're really only starting to recover.

So, if the Nazis never burned that library, you're going to be dealing with a much different world.

As for how to write aro/ace people, you have to ask yourself some questions:

- Are they sex/romance seeking, indifferent, repulsed, or somewhere in between? (seeking= has romantic/sexual relationships because they want it; indifferent= don't really care either way; repulsed= "absolutely not no". Also, you can be sex repulsed but romance seeking, or the other way around, or any combination you can think of)
- Do they experience sensual and aesthetic attraction? (Sensual= wanting to cuddle. Aesthetic= finding a person pretty)
- Are they aplatonic, or not? (Aplatonic= not seeking deep platonic bonds— aro/ace people sometimes have what's called "queerplatonic partners" who are basically the same level of commitment as a romantic relationship, except no romance)
- How do they define romantic/sexual acts? (like, some people see forehead kissing as romantic, meanwhile it can also be seen as platonic— nudity isn't inherently sexual, either)

In short, asexual and aromantic people don't have any sort of stock mould of "how to write them", and if you don't answer the above questions then you can't really write one effectively. There's a giant misconception that aro/aces are aloof, cold, and uncaring, but in reality they're just as varied as every other orientation out there.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





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Sat Nov 26, 2016 8:08 pm
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Megrim says...



I'll break it down by question, starting with the easiest :)

14yo getting a flat - This seems pretty unlikely to me. If you want her to be independent and living in a flat, I'd go 17-19 (which would fall under YA or NA). If you want her to be younger, you might want to rethink her situation, and/or give her a guardian. Remember that readers read "up" in age. So a 14yo would rather read about a 16-17yo hero than a 13-15yo hero.

Asexual/Aromantic - Personally I would suggest avoiding labels and look for what *she* is like, what *she* prefers or does not prefer. Make her a character, deep and complex, and let other people label her if they want to. Why are you calling her asexual/aromantic? Is it because of how you picture her? Then there you have your answer - write her like that. Otherwise you're thinking about it backwards. Start with the character. Just like all doctors aren't the same or all Buddhists aren't the same or all musicians aren't the same, asexual people aren't all the same--they are each going to be defined by a multitude of personality traits.

War with the Fae - Why did this war happen? What started it? How long did it last? Is it an alternate WWII or a totally different conflict?

Germany - When it comes to writing alternate history, unfortunately this means you'll have to do a lot of extra legwork. Some really good resources: your local library and your local university. Find the history section of the library and flip through books. If you find some really good ones, check them out. Maybe you can arrange an interview with a history professor or a German studies professor, and ask them some questions? Another two places to look: historical fiction SET in that time period, and literature FROM that time period. So, read other alternate histories (WWII is THE alternate history setting, there are sooooooooooooooooooooo many out there, you WON'T have trouble finding a handful of good ones--I'd recommend read at least 2-3 novels before you embark on yours), and also read things FROM Germany and other countries in that time period (particularly newspapers). As a side note, you'll probably want to do the same with fae lore.
  








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