Hi lovely writers!
So I have a predicament. The fabric of my world is made up of three coexisting ‘realms’ or layers: the physical realm, the magical realm, and the spiritual realm. But I’m a bit iffy on the word ‘realm’. I need some outside opinions.
Which word for you best evokes the fact that all three ‘realms’ exist in the same location in space and time?
Realm
Dimension
Plane
Layer
Facet
… other suggestion?
I'd recommend plane cause it just implies something flat and easily stackable ya know, making it feel like all these planes exist in the same place, as opposed to realm that for some reason for me at least sounds like something that'd be round.
i like plane
but u could also do facet bc that sounds fancy? idk
I always get sci-fi/fantasy vibes from plane, but still like it. If you're targeting fantasy/sci-fi readers, that might be your best bet (since they're pretty guaranteed to know what it means). Same with "realm": very sci-fi.
I think, for the "average" reader who might not recognize the concept you're explaining, "dimensions" might hit the closest to home for them – they'll immediately know what dimensions are, and you can just flesh out that base knowledge and hammer in the extra facts you need: that there are three "main" dimensions, and that people can travel between them, and they each have their own properties/differences.
That said, honestly you go with any word you wanted (including an entirely-made-up one!) since it's probably such a base concept. Using a pre-existing word makes it easy for a reader to jump in and hit the ground running with understanding, but if you're unsure about the word (or want to use your own), you can always build that foundation with a little backstory as well. If you've got other parts of the plot you want to tie in to with a particular word (like layer), this might be the best way to go. :)
@andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer) - I'm definitely targeting fantasy readers, I'm just hoping that the words I use don't sound too close to the 'science' end of the spectrum, because there is definitely not much science involved in my magic system!
Thank you for your thoughts. It's good to think about the different connations of each choice and my target audience. The more I flesh out my world and the magic system, the more it fits with the 'fabric' analogy so I've been looking at words related to sewing and weaving in search of the one that fits best. It might end up being 'layer'.
As for the different layers/realms/dimensions, I'm thinking of renaming the 'magical' one to the 'liminal' one instead, since it's not magic in and of itself, and it's the one that connects the physical and spiritual realms.
Realm was often used to describe areas and territories in real world ancient times.
realm
relm/Submit
nounLAWarchaicliterary
noun: realm; plural noun: realms
a kingdom.
"the peers of the realm"
synonyms: kingdom, country, land, dominion, nation
"peace in the realm"
a field or domain of activity or interest.
"the realm of applied chemistry"
synonyms: domain, sphere, area, field, world, province, territory
"the realm of academia"
ZOOLOGY
a primary biogeographical division of the earth's surface.
Just because it was used this way doesn't mean you can't make up your own definition.
Realm can mean a state of being in magic. Like the Earth realm is the physical realm, and the spiritual realm while not tangible may be a state of being in mind and spirit. The magical realm could be another undefined space in time and space not physically tangible to anyone but can be felt and perceived by all in the spiritual sense. Just some thoughts.
