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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8346056" data-attributes="member: 82106">My feeling on things like 'primitive' and 'decadent' is they are simply lazy writing anyway. The golden rule in writing that I was always taught (and I admit I've little hard practical experience outside tech writing, so just my opinion) is that you SHOW don't TELL. So if you want to depict a society in a way that might fit with usual understandings of the trope 'primitive', you should instead describe the actual condition of things. Describe the architecture as small single-room homes of mud and sticks grouped into hamlets of 4 or 5 houses each, or something like that. Likewise with other aspects.As to whether or not that is acceptable or appropriate, that's a harder question. I think any such depiction should probably be sophisticated enough to convey the idea that said society has a long history, much local knowledge, or whatever is appropriate, and avoid the trap of simply depicting it as ignorant, backwards, etc. without positive qualities. I'd also hope to explain something about its nature and why it might be as it is, though I know that's a complex topic!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 8346056, member: 82106"] My feeling on things like 'primitive' and 'decadent' is they are simply lazy writing anyway. The golden rule in writing that I was always taught (and I admit I've little hard practical experience outside tech writing, so just my opinion) is that you SHOW don't TELL. So if you want to depict a society in a way that might fit with usual understandings of the trope 'primitive', you should instead describe the actual condition of things. Describe the architecture as small single-room homes of mud and sticks grouped into hamlets of 4 or 5 houses each, or something like that. Likewise with other aspects. As to whether or not that is acceptable or appropriate, that's a harder question. I think any such depiction should probably be sophisticated enough to convey the idea that said society has a long history, much local knowledge, or whatever is appropriate, and avoid the trap of simply depicting it as ignorant, backwards, etc. without positive qualities. I'd also hope to explain something about its nature and why it might be as it is, though I know that's a complex topic! [/QUOTE]

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