Shacks
Shacks are small houses. Often poorly built, shacks are typically cobbled together from whatever nearby material can be found – fantasy worlds may feature shacks made of wood while post-apocalyptic worlds may have shacks made from corrugated metal or shipping containers. Shacks are often found in locations like the slums, or in remote areas regions like the badlands or swamps. If located on the coast, shacks may be fishing shacks. Shacks are home to hermits, witches, and depression-era farmers.
| Synonyms: huts, hovels, sheds, lean-tos |
| Example Mythonyms: Old Joe’s Place, the abandoned shack |
Designing Fictional Shacks
Archetypes
Overview
Fictional shacks are often single rooms containing nothing much more than a single bed or cot, and small hearth or fireplace. There may be rafters or a small loft as well as a small chimney. Occasionally shacks, particularly fantasy shacks, are depicted as having multiple rooms on multiple levels. In this case the floors and floorplan of the shack is often bizarrely cobbled together as though designed by a mad architect. Floor may overhang each other, held aloft by wooden support beams. These places may have hidden rooms and crawlspaces. Shacks may have a small cellar, basement, or secret cellar.
Outside of a shack may have trash, or crates and barrels. There may be a small water tower, especially if the shack is in a remote location where water may be important.
Reference Image Gallery
