Top ten lists provide good fodder for blog posts. I came across a “top ten” rules of using magic in fantasy fiction article last week. While I’m all for magic-related rules that fantasy fiction writers should follow, a good writer learns how and when it’s appropriate to break the rules. I’ve broken several of the rules the author of the article listed, and disagree with a few others.
Whatever the good guys have, the bad guys still have a chance to beat them
A good conflict in fantasy fiction will create tension by making the reader believe there is always a chance the protagonist can fail. That doesn’t require both sides having access to magic, however. …Read the rest»
2 Comments »
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). For those who haven’t ever heard of this event, NaNoWriMo offers a challenge for writers to produce a 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. If you do the math, that’s just under 1700 words per day. The goal is not to produce a polished manuscript that’s ready for submission to an agent, but to just finish a manuscript, something aspiring writers so often fail to accomplish.
I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, but not with the intention of completing a 50k-word manuscript. My challenge will be to add 50,000 words to Shattered Amulet by the end of the month. …Read the rest»
3 Comments »
It’s been a while since I read a book on my “bucket list” of genre classics. I picked up an omnibus of the first three Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser anthologies: Swords and Deviltry, Swords Against Death and Swords in the Mist. I’m afraid to say that other than “Lean Times in Lankhmar”, I’ve found the adventures of the storied duo to be a disappointment.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, after years of ringing endorsements from fantasy fiction authors, roleplaying game designers and genre fans. I’ll concede “hype” was a factor, but there are two complaints I have against the Fritz Leiber’s tales of sword and sorcery that had more impact upon my reaction. …Read the rest»
2 Comments »
Religion is often a defining characteristic of a culture. Fantasy fiction authors can use theology as a point of conflict between characters, as motivation for the protagonist or antagonist, or to add to the richness and depth of the world they have built. Limiting the inclusion of theology to passing references is a squandered opportunity.
Robin Hobbs is guilty of both in her epic fantasy Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies. Religion appears to be an afterthought in the former, while it serves as an integral part of one of the characters in the latter. …Read the rest»
3 Comments »
I recently found myself identifying strongly with a comment Elaine Cunningham made in recent interview:
Jones: What do you enjoy most about writing?
Cunningham: Quite a few things, but some of my favorite moments involving finding le mot juste–words that express exactly what I wanted to get across. I also enjoy getting to know the characters through the revision process. I’ll start with a basic idea of who the characters are and I’ll do a plot outline, but by the time the rough draft is finished, the characters and I have gotten past the get-acquainted stage and I start to figure out what they’re really about. The initial writing phase is hard, slow work for me; revision, on the other hand, is fun. [Emphasis mine.]
…Read the rest»
6 Comments »
