Hi! Welcome to the Prophecies Page. If you’ve come here independently, I’ve written two articles that can get you started.
The first one, The Problem With Prophecies, looks at the particular problems that plague prophecies, especially in the realm of Fantasy fiction. Getting an understanding of these is going to help you make the same errors that other authors have, and ensure your work is of superior quality.
Then we’ve got Doing It Properly, which discusses some intelligent approaches to prophecy in writing.
Below, I’ve listed a handy set of 80 Questions Of Awesomeness for you to answer. Some of them could be reduced to a ‘Yes/No’ response, but I encourage you to give them a little more thought than that. Even to yourself, a one-sentence justification will give you more colour and depth to enjoy.
Remember:
Ask yourself ‘why?’ about everything to do with your prophecy.
1. Who prophesied?
2. How did the prophecy come about?
3. What initiated it?
4. Why did they do it?
5. Were they compelled?
6. What were their motivations?
7. Are they infallible?
8. Are they likely to be truthful?
9. Can they be trusted?
10. Have they prophesied in the past?
11. How did that turn out?
12. What expelling of energies does as prophecy require?
13. Is the oracle / seer drained afterwards?
14. Is it effortless?
15. How is the prophecy communicated?
16. Was it open to interpretation?
17. Is there any disagreement over the wording?
18. Intent?
19. Are prophecies jealously guarded?
20. Secret?
21. Hoarded?
22. Recorded?
23. Publicly available?
24. Commonplace?
25. Was it bought?
26. Through sacrifice, dedication, prayer, devotion, merit?
27. Is there a ritual involved?
28. If yes, what sort of ritual?
29. Was the prophecy provided for someone’s entertainment?
30. As part of a larger scheme or plan?
31. Did someone ask for the prophecy?
32. How did they know they could ask for it?
33. Did they ask properly and completely?
34. Has the giver-of-prophecy been ambiguous or tricky in the past?
35. Do they have a reputation?
36. Is the Oracle omnipotent?
37. Omniescent?
38. Threatenable?
39. Intractable?
40. Is the prophecy clear-cut?
41. Esoteric?
42. How strong is the prophecy?
43. Is the fate that’s given predetermined?
44. Can outside events effect the prophecy?
45. Are there dangers to the prophesier in the act of divining?
46. Are there costs in terms of pain?
47. Sacrifice?
48. Effort?
49. Who is going to be pleased with the prophecy?
50. How will they react?
51. Are they going to be informed of the prophecy?
52. How?
53. When?
54. By whom?
55. Who will be displeased?
56. How will they react?
57. Who will tell them?
58. What immediate actions will they take?
59. What will they plan in the longer term?
60. When will the subjects of the prophecy find out about their involvement?
61. What other parties are involved?
62. What are their interests?
63. How can the prophecy be broken?
64. If it’s a chain of events, does the breaking of one destroy the others?
65. Is the prophecy mutable?
66. Resilient?
67. Fragile?
68. Are there more than one source of prophecies in the story?
69. If so, which is stronger?
70. Can conflicting prophecies be given?
71. What happens if there are?
72. Is anyone likely to lie about the prophecy?
73. How?
74. By withholding information?
75. By altering the prophecy?
76. Denying its’ existence?
77. What do they stand to gain from this?
78. What if people don’t believe in the prophecy?
79. Does that affect it at all?
80. How will they be convinced?
Naming Your Prophecies
Don’t feel stuck with that one word. Look! I’ve made another list for you. Not comprehensive, but enough to get excited about. Prophecies can also be called:
Divination
Casting
Dooms
Edicts
Fates
Foreboding
Foretelling
Geas
Oracles
Portent
Prayers answered
Premonition
Presciences
Prevision
Prognosis
Revelations
Visions
Says Who?
Prophecies can be given by:
Animated Objects (mirrors, ponds, candlesticks)
Augurs
Channellers
Clairvoyants
Dæmons
Demons
Diviners
Diviners
Djinnis
Enchanters
Enchantresses
Forecasters
Foretellers
Fortune-Tellers
Genies
Gods and Goddesses
Harbingers
Haruspexes
Heralds
Mediums
Midwives
Miracle Workers
Prophets
Psychics
Satanists
Seers
Shamen
Soothsayers
Theurgists
Voodooists
Wise Men
Wise Women
Witches
Wizards
There you go! A pretty comprehensive coverage of prophecies. Of course, if I’ve left something out, please comment below or contact me directly and I’ll remedy the situation immediately.
Cheers!
Pip.
Comments are closed.