Discussion How to describe a minotaur.

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by Goblin Sleuth, Jun 25, 2022.

?

Should a author write open ended descriptions?

  1. Yes, that way I can imagine the scene the way I want it.

    87.5%
  2. No, I want to know what the author's original vision was.

    12.5%
  1. Goblin Sleuth

    Goblin Sleuth Well-Known Member

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    We all know what a minotaur looks like, it has the body of a man and the head of a bull. A famous creature from Greek mythology that has appeared in multiple works of fiction. There is just one issue, when I say a minotaur has the head of a bull do I mean it has a bovine like head, or do I mean it is literally a bulls head? Now I know this sounds redundant, but if you look at a lot of artistic interpretations of minotaur they don't actually have bulls heads. Rather the head is altered, and deformed, sometimes to look more human, sometimes to look more monstrous.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Now for comparison here is a picture of a minotaur with a literal bulls head.
    [​IMG]

    It looks pretty silly doesn't it, something you just can't take seriously. Doesn't matter what sort of story you're trying to write, it automatically becomes a joke as soon as that doofus walks into the scene.

    Now back to what I was originally saying. When a writer describes a minotaur they normally don't try to specify if they're being literal when they say "bulls head" they just assume most readers will be able to figure out what they should be imagining. The question is should they? Personally unless specifically said otherwise I'll picture something like example one or two. They look cooler, and I can take them seriously. So an author yammering on about how it has a head like a bull, but not literally a bulls head would just come across as condescending. What about you though, do you think an author should specify rather than leaving it to player interpretation, or keep they're descriptions simple and trust readers to reach the correct conclusion on their own.

    Minotaur is just the example I went with, this question can be applied to any subject.
     
  2. Hotato

    Hotato Eternally Confused

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    I say just kept it simple with the description unless you want to convey the feelings the protagonist feel when they saw the Minotaur
     
  3. canaria23

    canaria23 『  』

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    Last 2 pics are dead
     
  4. Goblin Sleuth

    Goblin Sleuth Well-Known Member

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    Really they work on my end, I got them through google images.
    pic #2 is actually a tauren from the game World of Warcraft.
    pic #3 is the original minotaur you see in books of Greek mythology.
     
  5. Bachingchung

    Bachingchung Well-Known Member

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    I'd rather highlight the Nouns and websearch it. Unneccessary descriptions are so redundant for readers. We all know they just do it for word count.
     
  6. elengee

    elengee Daoist Ninefaps

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    A bidedal cow that got a leg wax.
     
    UndyingSLIME10295 likes this.
  7. UndyingSLIME10295

    UndyingSLIME10295 [•Figment of your Imagination•]

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    Cows don't have horns. Although they do get h*rny.
    XD
     
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2022
  8. Nyamsus

    Nyamsus Life is full of shit and we live in it

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    Just make it simple then continue with scene
    Assuming that MC is in predicament, some extra explanation might ruin reader immersion
     
  9. aegis062

    aegis062 Chaotic Demon Emperor

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    A bull with humanoid features or a man with a bull's head. if you want to paint a more accurate depiction in the mind of the reader you could say something about it's muscle's or how tall it is something like

    "a monstrous bull like creature that walks like a man that stands as tall as a tree with muscle as big as boulders that seem to be able to crush mountains or bring down an entire castle with swipe of it's hands."
     
  10. Goblin Sleuth

    Goblin Sleuth Well-Known Member

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    I think the title of this thread is confusing people.
     
  11. pass1478

    pass1478 I'm in Despair!

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    Yeah. Feels like they just read and the title and instantly commented lol.

    I personally would just follow traditional depiction. It's easier that way, because how in the hell do real minotaur heads express enotion through facial expression? As for how I'm gonna specify that through text: I won't. At most, I'd just write "the head of a bull", "bull-like head", or something like that. Specifying that it's more humanoid and less literal just feels unnecessary when most people already assume that to be the case when it comes to Minotaurs.

    Specifying these details only ever matters when you're trying to illustrate it or have someone draw it
     
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2022
  12. Goblin Sleuth

    Goblin Sleuth Well-Known Member

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    Agree for the most part, though you can probably fit a few extra details in if you want to get a specific feel for example a more evil monstrous minotaur might be described "a head like some sort of demonic bull" It doesn't add anything super unnecessary, but sets the reader up to picture something more vicious and fiendish.