Scary Story Writers Group Forum Not About Anything Scary But

I've been thinking of trying my hand at Fantasy. I have an idea and an ending. But, for those of you out there who read or write fantasy, what do you feel is the most important part of a fantasy novel?

Clearly story would be one of them, but what else?

AJ

A good fantasy novel to me is about the surreal things...the magical, the amazing, the beyond reality, impossible existing and happening.
Fantasy, to me, is usually full of great imagery and has all the things we daydream about, or imagine come to life! Unicorns, magic, witches, wizards, other worlds with a entire other form of life....stuff like that.
Although, now that I think about it, Sci-Fi and Fantasy are lumped together at the bookstores, and Sci-Fi and Fantasy are where I get my Vampire books from. (Think Tanya Huff, Laurell K Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris).
Am I making any sense? sorry, Im in a fog this morning...trying to wake up with this coffee here at work,but it tastes like coffee beans vomited.
Hey, there's a fantastical image for you! Coffee beans coming to life and vomiting out coffee in a coffee pot, here at Chrissy's job! lol
Hope I was a little help! ;)

I'm outlining the story now and will hopefully write the beginning of it later today or tomorrow morning. We'll see what happens.

AJ

I don't write it, but it would seem to me that world-building is a big part of it.

I grew up reading fantasy, and aside from unforgettable characters (a staple in all genres), the most important aspect was staying true to the world created. Set rules, laws, and nature - then stick to them faithfully. I could believe in magic because it was treated as a natural law, like gravity; I could believe in dragons because they were treated as a real animal, like tigers. If I couldn't believe in the world, I didn't keep reading. And why should I believe in a world that breaks it's own rules?

Well personally, I like fantasy with fantastical things, ::drool:: the further from reality the better. Anything that is able to deviate enough from the clich� plots and elements common to much of the genre is a definite plus. But sometimes clich� is great. I like epic adventures across strange landscapes; strange, made up creatures; and powerful heroes. Lol so maybe I am a bit of a hypocrite.
::cool::

I write fantasy as well, and read it somewhat. My biggest issue is a beliveable world, making it real. Magic is critical, but should not drive the story, or should I say overpower it.

I'm picky when it comes to reading fantasy, it's hard to explain why. I guess I've been spoiled by reading the Lord of the Ring Trilogy when I was a teen.

I've posted my fantasy:

Realm of Shadow: Prologue Version 2 A Story by Michael Raymond Robinson

I'm aslo creating a new fantasy, attempting to mix it with supernatural and horror. We shall see if it works, currently I'm calling it "Twilight's War".

If you want to try your hand at writing fantasy AJ, I highly recommend reading The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. That is a perfect example of fantasy at its best! I was loaned the first book titled Daughter of the Blood by a friend of mine and I immediately fell in love with it and I just HAD to buy the rest of them! There's a fourth book that goes with it as a prelude called The Invisible Ring. I'll admit that I've loved them so much that I've read them each at least 10 times, as soon as I get the last two back from a friend of mine I'll read them again probably! ::biggrin::

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I swear with every post I read of yours, Pauline, we grow more eerily alike.

My sister owns the entire collection of the Black Jewels trilogy and I have read them two or three times now. In fact, my son's named after Daemon. ::biggrin:: His name is Michael Daemon. ::biggrin:: And he is a demon, that's for sure!!

But those are great examples of good fantasy. Bishop created a new world in her books and it's so vivid and you grow to really really love the characters. And magic doesn't overpower the story at all in her books. It's just a part of the world, accepted by everyone and natural to it. Like the air we breathe, magic is in everything.

Another good fantasy series I've read is the "Split Infinity" series, by Piers Anderson, or his Immortal---err, can't think of the name right now. It's way too early. The second series involves ... oh, Incarnations of Immortality, that's the name... Both are great series and the first is sort of sci-fi/fantasy, literally. I remember it profoundly well because I went to a party while reading that series and got really drunk and woke up at 6am after dreaming about begging the MC to heal me magically from my hangover. Yeah, you don't forget stuff like that. ::drool::

Like someone else said, it's about creating a believable world with down to earth characters that we can understand. They shouldn't be elevated above the human plane even if they exist in a world of magic.

Geez, I really do love the Black Jewels trilogy. I don't think my sister will let me borrow her copies AGAIN though!!

I hate editing a post--usually it turns all the apostraphes into slash marks--so let me correct myself here. It is Piers Anthony, not Piers Anderson. Wow, I need to reall wake up. ::tongue::

LOL! I'll have to check out those books Shanna, they seem interesting. Perhaps you should buy your own copies of The Black Jewels Trilogy. Then you wouldn't have to borrow your sister's copies anymore. ::smile::

Ha! I was going to correct you, Shanna but you did it yourself. I know who Piers Anthony is and I was wondering if you had typed the wrong name.

Well, I'm starting on the story tomorrow and I'm one of those writers who, once I start writing, I let the story tell itself and take it in whatever direction it needs to go. I just try to tie it in at the end.

Wish me luck. I'm not sure how I'll post it just yet, though.

AJ

Good luck, I look forward to reading it! ::biggrin::

I don't read Fantasy much at all. The only book I am familar with deals with religion also. (which is very good in my opinion, it just takes forever to read!)
I never knew what exactly was best to read, since most I have seen already does not bring any interest in me. I am not that good at writing the Fantasy genre either. I do have a great idea with it though, its too bad I cannot figure too much of it out right now.

I think I can actually create it into a video game easier than an actual story. I still have to figure out how I am going to DRAW the characters before I can figure out how to describe the character.
stuff like that.

I haven't read the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy. I am actually quite hesitant about reading series. I haven't read a single Harry Potter book either. I did read the first page of the first book, but I haven't bothered to buy the book to read it.

My problem with fantasy is with the antagonist. If the world has magical element, the antagonist's ability is inconsistent. Follows a path of a false god. Sort of like "the Ten Wise Men" in Star Ocean: Second Story. :P if you recognize the game, you may be on the same page as I am.

I think a lot of folks like the magic element, but for me it's about the magical element. Not all about casting spells and things like that but the possibilities of a magical world where things are different from ours. That is what I am intrigued by. Plus, my antagonists has a completely different reason for being the bad guy, which I won't give away until I write it.

AJ

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I believe your idea is so. In my mind, I work with magic as in the same effect Kadaj summons Bahamut to wreck havoc on Edge (Outside Midgar). Materia element basically. If I am talking in an unrelated metaphor, I will rephrase.
More like mind bending than spell casting.

I also like the idea of a parallel world, except magic exists in one and doesn't exist in the other. I written up an idea to start a story dealing with the element except I killed it anyway and saved it for something different.