Be a Better Writer -- FANTASY
Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:11 am
The main characteristic of fantasy is that it takes place on an imaginary world in which there are elements—supernatural, magical, or unusual abilities—that are impossible in our present reality. The characters are often not human, and creatures and animals may be sentient. There are several genres and subgenres of fantasy:
1. Myth and folklore
2. Fairy tale
3. Sword and sorcery (# 1, 2, and 3 in this list often employ fantasy creatures we’re all familiar with: elves, trolls, fairies, ogres, dragons—or they may make up totally new ones)
4. Medievalism
5. Heroic fantasy
6. Steampunk
…and there are many more sub-genres of fantasy. More than science fiction, there’s quite a bit of overlap in the fantasy categories. I’ll admit that I’m not familiar with most of those categories; if one of them intrigues you, you might want to do a bit of research.
The first thing I’d suggest to those of you who might be thinking I don’t like fantasy! I’ve never read fantasy! I’m not even sure if it’s Christian! would be to consider how you could approach one of the above topics with a Christian world view.
This is a good place to bring up the subject of magic. Good, well-meaning Christians disagree on the subject of magic in writing, and I don’t want that to become a side issue here. If you are uneasy depicting magic in what you write—don’t do it. If you are not, and you believe that you can write a story involving magic that maintains your Christian world view—go ahead and write it. Whichever side of this issue you are on, please don’t judge the Christians on the other side, and don’t bring that conversation onto this thread. Please. Please.
I have written very little fantasy for the Writing Challenge, but I did write one that was full of Dr. Seuss-like characters that taught a lesson in forgiveness, and one featuring a leprechaun who outsmarts his captor (If you want links to any of those stories, just ask).
Keep in mind that Challenge Entries need not be overtly Christian, as long as they are wholesome and acceptable to a Christian reading audience.
Here are some things to keep in mind when writing Fantasy:
1. In fantasy, the writer has to create a whole new world. Within that world, she has to determine the culture, the political structure, the geography—all of the things that have shaped her characters. But in only 750 words, it’s nearly impossible to do all of that without telling, telling, telling—and then to also have enough words left to tell a story. World building is in the details, so you don't have to be overly elaborate, just enough to give a sense of the world. In your setting, include details of weather and how it affects belief systems and powers. Also include colors and shades of colors to make your world come alive.
2. As with many challenge entries, the best idea is often just to tell a very small story. Don’t attempt to depict an entire war between unicorns and centaurs, for example—just tell the story of one small character within that war.
3. You’ll want to give your characters non-contemporary names, but don’t make them totally unpronounceable. I edited a book (for a non-FaithWriter) that took place entirely in a fantasy world, yet its characters had names like Emily and Scott. That just didn’t work for me—but if I encounter a story in which the characters are named Sgaskh’det and KhurLtxun, I’m going to stop reading pretty quickly.
4. Even though the setting of your story may be wildly different from our present reality, the characters and the lessons they learn should be relatable. Think of universal themes in literature: finding love, overcoming difficulty, fighting an enemy, growing up…you could even think of an entire NOT fantasy story on one of those themes. Then figure out what detail you could change to put your story into the fantasy category.
5. Since many fantasy stories tend to have a medieval-ish setting, often the writers use a writing style that is somewhat florid and old-fashioned. This is fine; it’s what’s expected in the genre. Be sure that you do this in a way that’s still readable for contemporary audiences. And if your characters speak in ‘thee’s and ‘thou’s, do it right. It’s grating to read something like “Thee artest goingeth to the fair, aren’t thee?”
6. Establish a specific parameter for powers/magic/special talents, if they are present in your universe. Know what makes them work--and what makes them stop.
If you’ve got lots of time, you might want to check out this free online course in writing sci-fi and fantasy. I haven’t gone through the whole course, so I can’t vouch for all of its content, but what I read seemed very good.
HOMEWORK:
Link to a fantasy story that you’ve written. If you do this, PLEASE don’t just provide a link. Tell us something about your writing process, so that we can learn from you. OR
Ask a question or make a comment about something in this lesson, or about fantasy in general. Do you like fantasy? Why or why not? OR
Talk about fantasy that you’ve read or seen on television or the movies. How can fantasy be good, effective, or powerful literature?
I admit that fantasy isn’t one of the genres that I often read. Those of you who love fantasy—have I missed anything important in this lesson that you think fantasy writers should know?
1. Myth and folklore
2. Fairy tale
3. Sword and sorcery (# 1, 2, and 3 in this list often employ fantasy creatures we’re all familiar with: elves, trolls, fairies, ogres, dragons—or they may make up totally new ones)
4. Medievalism
5. Heroic fantasy
6. Steampunk
…and there are many more sub-genres of fantasy. More than science fiction, there’s quite a bit of overlap in the fantasy categories. I’ll admit that I’m not familiar with most of those categories; if one of them intrigues you, you might want to do a bit of research.
The first thing I’d suggest to those of you who might be thinking I don’t like fantasy! I’ve never read fantasy! I’m not even sure if it’s Christian! would be to consider how you could approach one of the above topics with a Christian world view.
This is a good place to bring up the subject of magic. Good, well-meaning Christians disagree on the subject of magic in writing, and I don’t want that to become a side issue here. If you are uneasy depicting magic in what you write—don’t do it. If you are not, and you believe that you can write a story involving magic that maintains your Christian world view—go ahead and write it. Whichever side of this issue you are on, please don’t judge the Christians on the other side, and don’t bring that conversation onto this thread. Please. Please.
I have written very little fantasy for the Writing Challenge, but I did write one that was full of Dr. Seuss-like characters that taught a lesson in forgiveness, and one featuring a leprechaun who outsmarts his captor (If you want links to any of those stories, just ask).
Keep in mind that Challenge Entries need not be overtly Christian, as long as they are wholesome and acceptable to a Christian reading audience.
Here are some things to keep in mind when writing Fantasy:
1. In fantasy, the writer has to create a whole new world. Within that world, she has to determine the culture, the political structure, the geography—all of the things that have shaped her characters. But in only 750 words, it’s nearly impossible to do all of that without telling, telling, telling—and then to also have enough words left to tell a story. World building is in the details, so you don't have to be overly elaborate, just enough to give a sense of the world. In your setting, include details of weather and how it affects belief systems and powers. Also include colors and shades of colors to make your world come alive.
2. As with many challenge entries, the best idea is often just to tell a very small story. Don’t attempt to depict an entire war between unicorns and centaurs, for example—just tell the story of one small character within that war.
3. You’ll want to give your characters non-contemporary names, but don’t make them totally unpronounceable. I edited a book (for a non-FaithWriter) that took place entirely in a fantasy world, yet its characters had names like Emily and Scott. That just didn’t work for me—but if I encounter a story in which the characters are named Sgaskh’det and KhurLtxun, I’m going to stop reading pretty quickly.
4. Even though the setting of your story may be wildly different from our present reality, the characters and the lessons they learn should be relatable. Think of universal themes in literature: finding love, overcoming difficulty, fighting an enemy, growing up…you could even think of an entire NOT fantasy story on one of those themes. Then figure out what detail you could change to put your story into the fantasy category.
5. Since many fantasy stories tend to have a medieval-ish setting, often the writers use a writing style that is somewhat florid and old-fashioned. This is fine; it’s what’s expected in the genre. Be sure that you do this in a way that’s still readable for contemporary audiences. And if your characters speak in ‘thee’s and ‘thou’s, do it right. It’s grating to read something like “Thee artest goingeth to the fair, aren’t thee?”
6. Establish a specific parameter for powers/magic/special talents, if they are present in your universe. Know what makes them work--and what makes them stop.
If you’ve got lots of time, you might want to check out this free online course in writing sci-fi and fantasy. I haven’t gone through the whole course, so I can’t vouch for all of its content, but what I read seemed very good.
HOMEWORK:
Link to a fantasy story that you’ve written. If you do this, PLEASE don’t just provide a link. Tell us something about your writing process, so that we can learn from you. OR
Ask a question or make a comment about something in this lesson, or about fantasy in general. Do you like fantasy? Why or why not? OR
Talk about fantasy that you’ve read or seen on television or the movies. How can fantasy be good, effective, or powerful literature?
I admit that fantasy isn’t one of the genres that I often read. Those of you who love fantasy—have I missed anything important in this lesson that you think fantasy writers should know?