October 2011

Fantasy Self Publishing Pitfalls: No Editors

"If you are truly interested in making your fantasy story a hit, then take the money to hire a freelance editor"

As a writer, I have a lot of friends that are trying make their way into the annals of literary history. While fantasy is a popular genre, it isn't the easiest to break into. Agents and publishers are notoriously cold to new talent and it can be difficult to get your story even read.

Many will go the route of self publishing and have limited success. The problem with self publishing is many companies don't provide editorial help, they just publish as is. That means many self published books are filled with errors both grammatical and in story. What little audience they gain is turned off by constantly having to reread paragraphs over and over again.

The Mists of Avalon

by Marion Zimmer Bradley

This book is one of the defining books of my teenage years. Sadly, the life it defined, sort of like the body I inhabit, has lost some of its definition, but I will never forget the time I spent with Marion Zimmer Bradley. Something about the purity and simplicity of life on Avalon, despite the political upheaval, appealed to the wandering child inside of me. I longed for nothing more than to cast off the modern world, don a simple gown and aspire to the crescent moon tattoo.

The Mists of Avalon is a fictional account of the women behind the rise of King Arthur. It is filled with passion, intrigue and politics, while painting a beautiful other world where things don’t work the way we think they do. Read more about The Mists of Avalon

What's Your Bag: Sword or Sorcery?

Aragorn or Gandalf?

Anyone that has ever done any kind of role playing, such as Dungeon and Dragons or Shadowrun, knows the difficulty of choosing between sword versus sorcery. Do you want to be the powerful mage, shooting fire from your fingertips or the tank, hacking and slashing your way through the melee?

When it comes to fantasy books, readers are often shifted the same way. Do you gravitate more to the action fantasy where there are epic battles between armies of orcs and men or the quest to find some mystic element that will change the world?

You're probably telling yourself that fantasy has both aspects, and you're right, but books are usually heavier in one than the other. Earthsea is definitely more magic than fighting, but I dare say many of the Dungeons and Dragons franchise books are more geared toward battle.

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

Coined the Twilight of magicians, The Night Circus is a fanciful, vibrant exploration of the inner workings of a circus. The Night Circus leads us through the forced rivalry, and later passionate love story, of two illusionists in the early 1800s.

Named one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Month for September 2011, The Night Circus captivates its readers, swallowing them whole into a lush world of magic, vivid scenes and an artistic combination of heart-wrenching romance and whimsical byplay. Considered an adult book, it is clean and suitable for older children as well. Read more about The Night Circus

Ursula Le Guin: Mistress of Earthsea

When I first started reading fantasy novels I was brought to the attention of Ursula K. Le Guin and the magical realm of Earthsea. Originally published in 1964 as a short story, the realm spawned six books and a legion of fans.

Earthsea is a vast world made up mostly of water. Instead of large continents, there are small islands and island groups where people live and serve as the cultural hubs of the civilizations. Earthsea is made up of may civilizations and creatures that range from the mundane to the magical. The bulk of the books revolve around the adventures of the young wizard Geb.

The island of Roke is the magical center of the world and where Geb learned his craft. Magic permeates much of the storyline throughout the books as most fantasy novels do, but it also incorporates dragons and other creatures as well. Geb is one of the few dragonlords of the land and speaks with the wise creatures.

Magic in the Earthsea society is mostly male dominated with female practitioners relegated to small villages and are generally considered inferior to their male counterparts.

Le Guin's stories have been translated into both radio and anime programs and a successful miniseries on the Syfy Channel. The miniseries was not popular with fans of the books because it took some serious liberties with Le Guin's original work. It even prompted a statement from Le Guin herself condemning the creators for changing her vision. Le Guin had not say or involvement in the production of the miniseries.

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones, Book 1

If you have HBO, you may have discovered the Game of Thrones series. That hit show is based on a series of books considered by many to be the best of the fantasy genre, up there with Tolkien and the rest. A Song of Ice and Fire is the first book in a series that is slated to become seven books total. As of this writing, five have been published and eagerly inhaled by yours truly. Read more about A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones, Book 1

Lauren Beukes, Zoo City

I virtually never dip into the fantasy book genre these days, but Lauren Beukes' Zoo City came so highly recommended, and from so many different friends, that I had to give it a try. (And the fact that I snagged a Kindle copy on sale for .99 definitely helped!)

As a rule, I have a very low tolerance for the "urban fantasy" sub-genre. Too many hours spent playing Shadowrun in my youth. You understand. But the urban fantasy of Zoo City is so unusual, fresh, and at the same time so socially relevant that I was enthralled.

Sorcery Isn't So Easy

Writing a fantasy novel isn't as easy as writing other genres such as horror or mystery. Other than science fiction, these genres are mostly grounded in reality. Sure, you can introduce the occasional moody vampire, but its still just a small town in Alaska.

They are hit by gravity the same way we are and put on their pants just like anyone else. This isn't so in a fantasy novel. You are creating new lands where trees can grow upside down and magic rules the land. Rules is the operative word here. Before you sit down and write your fantasy story, you need to create the rules for the land and its magic.

What does it require to create a spell? Does it have some effect on the caster? Are they tired, injured or debilitated? Can only certain types of people cast certain types of spells? These are all factors that weigh into your great fantasy story.

Fan Fiction: A Fantasy Genre Staple

How many people have read a fantasy series and been completely swept away by the characters and setting? It's part of what makes fantasy such a popular genre. You get to completely create a new world filled with whatever your imagination can dream up.

When an author creates a world that you love and would do anything to be part of, it often spurs other writers to write fiction in that universe. It doesn't just happen with books, but television as well. Fan fiction sites dedicated to fantasy worlds, such as Middle Earth and Riverworld, are all over the Internet.

While technically they could be considered copyright violations, authors and book companies don't care as long as no one is profiting from the stories. Many a writer has started his career writing fan fiction for his favorite book series or television show and discovered he had a knack for crafting the written word.

Fantasy Book Club

Fantasy books, magical series, and basically anything with a dragon in it

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