Fantasy: why do I write in this genre?

Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true;

Real becomes not-real where the unreal's real.

The above quote is from the Chinese classic, Dream of the Red Chamber, and if you look at Wikipedia's list of top selling books of all time, six out of the top eight are fantasy, or have strong fantasy elements, so I'm not alone in being a fan of the genre. But why is fantasy, and I'm using the term loosely as there are many sub-genres, so popular?

I'm taking it as a given that genre delineation is a marketing tool used to direct readers to a particular type of book, because all stories, irrespective of genre, share the same basic requirements: a protagonist, a plot, and a setting.

Human protagonists experience a range of emotions, which enables readers to engage with them, and even those that are not, for example, robots or little furry animals, exhibit some or all of the same feelings. Whether your character is Leopold Bloom, Bilbo Baggins, Scarlett O'Hara or Miss Marples, readers must want to follow their journey, and find out what happens to them. A character's relationships, and their success or failure in this area of life are part of the emotional appeal of a story.

The term plot is used to describe the sequential events that take place within a story, and follows the standard dramatic arc of increasing internal and external tension, climax and resolution. From folk tales and myths to Greek tragedy, through Shakespeare's comedies to modernist novels, you find this convention. The reader's expectations about character and plot are present whether you read or write crime/detective, magic realism, rom-com, fantasy, fan fiction, or the genre known as literary fiction, and if you tick these boxes, you have a chance of satisfying readers.

For me, the setting of a fantasy novel offers a greater opportunity to bend the rules, although sub-genres such as urban fantasy or postcyberpunk, take place in the world as we know it, or use elements of our world with plenty of gritty kitchen sink realism thrown in. We owe a great debt to the myths and folklore of our ancestors, which we are adapting and passing on to the next generation. Tolkien's use of Norse mythology in Lord of the Rings springs to mind.

A more tricky aspect of genre writing is the framework created by established books which generates limitations. Fairies, elves, and space explorers are generally good, whereas trolls, goblins, and aliens are the standard baddies (except E.T. of course). On the other hand, you could have fun playing with these accepted norms, and feature a teenage troll worried about his complexion, although I'm sure the robot who constantly cracks bad jokes has been done. It's a delicate balance for genre writers to follow these conventions and yet introduce something new and original. If a writer is successful in doing so, their contribution is added to the cannon for later writers to follow.

As a reader and a writer, it's the otherness of fantasy that is its greatest appeal to me, and because the genre is generous, it can include romance, mystery, and be a thrilling tale of suspense on as epic or small a scale as the writer wishes. Sometimes the further we travel in our imagination away from the external world perceived by our senses, the more understanding we gain.

Writing Update:
In January I'll start outlining book three of my urban fantasy trilogy, Samsara, (Books One and Two are available), and until then, I'm editing a science-fiction/fantasy nanowrimo novel. Some years ago, I wrote a fantasy novel, and digging the manuscript out from the depths of a drawer, and reworking it is on the to do list. Although I've written in other genres, I keep returning to fantasy and my first love—sci-fi.

I was very happy to be interviewed earlier this month by the fantasy author, Kellie Steele, and you can find the interview on her website, as well as information about her debut novel, White Ghost and the Poison Arrow.

Useful Links:
http://kellie-steele.weebly.com/blog/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_writing_genres

Today's haiku:

snow lies on the ground

one red apple left hanging -

blackbird finds a feast.

Join me on Twitter at: @teagankearney

Thanks for visiting my blog, and please do leave a comment.

To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to those of you who write, good writing. 

THE BLURB MENU

Yes, I am mentioning food in this post, but I’m afraid none of it is edible. In considering the visual appeal of books, I’ve talked about titles, considered covers, and today, I’m blogging about blurbs. My Oxford Dictionary defines blurb as ‘a description of something praising it, e.g. in advertising matter’. However, I’m sure my efforts at research will soon have me barred me from entering my local bookshops if I don’t stop mauling the goods, and scribbling in my notebook.

Here's what I discovered: 

For the most part, blurbs appear to follow the template set down in ‘Once upon a time, in a land far away lived a prince whose realm was invaded by a dragon.’ In other words blurbs start with setting ( historical fiction will include the period) before introducing the protagonist, and an outline of the circumstances in which he/she finds him/herself.

However the blurb format varies, and a number of clearly definable templates are on the menu.

BREAD

This selection has only the setting, followed by the main character and an outline of the plot. The village of Palermo is buzzing with the arrival of an exotic stranger, Lars Santini. No one recognizes him except Claudia.

Sci-fi and fantasy books have more information on the setting than romance, crime or literary fiction. ‘The space ship ‘Discovery’ is exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy when the ship’s warp drive fails. Major Spencer is forced to land on the nearest habitable planet, and finds himself faced with a deadly threat to humanity.'

OPEN SANDWICH

This option starts with praise for the book, ‘A dazzlingly brilliant read’  before moving on to the descriptive section. 'Another suspenseful thriller with  Detective  Inspector Birthold brought in to solve a series of art thefts baffling Scotland Yard.’

FULL SANDWICH

Here the blurb opens with praise from established novelists, moves on to the summary, and closes with more acclaim from critics, literary journals, newspapers, etc. 'Engrossing storytelling: George B. Morwell. Songbird is a coming of age story with deftly drawn characters that explores how an orphaned girl survives a succession of foster care homes.  Highly recommended: New Shipville Times.'

CAKE

Reserved for the most established authors, this template has nothing but positive comments from other famous authors and/or prestigious publications. ‘Outstanding. If you only read one book this year, read this tragic, yet humorously written, tale of betrayal. M. B. Endersly (Pulitzer Prize Winner).' The blurb is on the flyleaf of the front cover.

Amazon uses the words ‘Book Description’ for hard copy books, but refers to the ‘Product Description’ for ebooks. Nook has Overview, and Smashwords provides a text box under the title for the blurb. Of course, with ebooks, the public writes the reviews. As the definition states, advertising is the blurb’s main function, so as an author, you want to write an enticing and succinct presentation, without revealing any solutions to the dilemmas outlined.

Title, cover art and blurb are three opportunities to tempt readers. Each has a role in offering a glimpse of the world within the covers of your book. Nevertheless, no glorious artwork, title that trips off the tongue, or tantalizingly intriguing blurb will keep a reader’s attention if the story doesn’t live up to its promise.  

Writing Update

I’ve had more title trouble. Why I hadn’t checked if anyone had used An Unstill Life I don’t know. To my dismay, I found several books on Amazon with that title. So now I’ve three new titles to find – the above mentioned one, plus new titles for both the paranormal romance/adventure, and the series, as it appears Blood Tears is also not original. In fact there’s almost every variation on Blood Something or Other that you can imagine. However, early morning free association exercises are giving me ideas to follow, so I’m hoping this situation will change in the near future.

A second disaster occurred when somehow I messed up, and after an initial panic thinking all my third edit changes had been undone, I realized it was just chapters 1-3. Fortunately the paper recycling bin isn’t due for emptying this week, so I found the missing chapters – torn in half. I'll redo them after the edit is finished as I can’t face doing them straightaway.

On the other hand, I did receive some better news last week. A digital imprint I’d submitted An Unstill Life to have offered me a contract for two novels on the strength of the introductory chapters! I think my brain shut down during the conversation, and I was certainly in freefall for a few days before reality kicked in again. Since then there’s been a bit of back and forth, and I’ve been pondering the pros and cons involved. They are reputable, but I’m waiting for answers to a few questions before I make a decision. But no matter what happens, I'm viewing this as a positive validation of my desire to keep writing. 

This week’s haiku

eyes light with knowing

lean forward exchange secrets

friends gossip giggle

Useful Links:

An article which puts blurbs into perspective.

http://business.time.com/2012/12/20/the-blurb-economy-pithy-book-endorsements-are-barely-effective-but-here-to-stay/

This is a great ‘how to’ post:

https://www.standoutbooks.com/five-elements-of-a-book-blurb/

I’d love it if you popped over to Wattpad and read any of my posted stories...just click on the links to the right.

Thanks for visiting my blog, and please do leave a comment. 

 

To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to those of you who write, good writing.

TITLES MATTER

The first thing you read when you pick up a book is the title; it’s the hook which intrigues and attracts, offering that anticipatory moment between title and first page.

The majority of titles fall into two types: descriptive and evocative.

Descriptive titles indicate something of significance: the main character, Anna Karenina, Oliver Twist, Dracula; a reference to the theme or plot, Crime and Punishment, Angels and Demons; genre: I, Robot is clearly science-fiction, The Vampire Diaries a paranormal fantasy, and Confessions of a Shopaholic chick lit. These titles build expectation as they have a direct connection with the book’s subject. 

Evocative titles work because they fascinate and tempt readers. The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a beguiling title and one of my favourites, because I love the poetic juxtaposition of the words, and there’s no clue as to where this story will take you. A Clockwork Orange and Lord of the Flies are two other titles which fall into the enticing category; it's almost as if not understanding what the title refers to invites you to find out what the book is about - and it may not be what you expect.

How do writers set about choosing titles? John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is from a line in  Burn’s poem To a Mouse, and J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye combines a children’s song with Burn’s poem, Coming thro’ the Rye. So poetry can be a fertile field when looking for a title. However, using quotes from other writers can be a delicate issue, because if you don’t have permission you can be accused of plagiarism. Older works such as religious texts or Shakespeare’s plays etc. are generally safe but if you choose this route, check with a legal expert to be sure.

Titles are often short and pithy as they have to catch the passing eye, and stick in the mind. Interestingly there is no copyright on titles, but it’s a good idea to check on Amazon or just google it and see what comes up. An original title saves your book being confused with others of the same name.

The title, like the cover, can pull readers in because we’re all susceptible to appealingly packaged goods, yet the real strength of a title is not in its capacity to attract.  The real power of a title is in its ability to summon from memory those images that live most strongly in our imagination, along with the emotions experienced during the reading of the story; and that’s something worth spending time on trying to achieve.

Writing Update

I feel so much better now I’ve started my read aloud read though and 3^rd edit. I needed a break, but I have to say I was miserable without my daily dose of writing. During my last editing break I worked on other pieces, but not this time – and the lesson is learned! On the plus side - the spare room is looking much better. 

Still no working title – but I’m nearer than I was to the general idea I want to encapsulate. The time line for publication is more likely to be the beginning of August, rather than July because I want to be sure I’ve done my best, and not rushed the details that will make a difference.  So I’m enthusiastically pushing forward... the thought of having a book ‘out there’ sometime in the near future is exhilarating. 

On a more minor note, Wattpad, the free reading platform, has promoted my sci-fi flash fiction, Space Glitch, (link on the right) to its quick read list - Quickies. Taking the wider world into consideration, I know this is a small step, but to me it's a validation that I'm on the right track - and it's brilliant to find out someone likes my writing!

Today’s Haiku

greening stalks of wheat

seed heads thicken ripen beige

gold - I love my toast

Useful Links

An entertaining post about naming characters:

http://www.niniehammon.com/dont-make-these-four-mistakes-when-you-name-your-characters-2/

Dr. Jeremy Dean’s popular psychology website isn’t writing related, but the jposts could be of use to writers looking to give background or depth to a character. The article in question is a good example of how to be informative and humorous.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2013/06/beard-psychology-4-signals-that-serious-facial-hair-sends.php

I’d love it if you popped over to Wattpad and read any of my posted stories...just click on the links to the right.

Thanks for visiting my blog, and please do leave a comment.

To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to those of you who write, good writing.

ON THE VIRTUES OF FICTION

A while ago a friend told me she was unable to read novels because she felt the events could never happen. This surprised me because almost everyone I know reads stories in one genre or another, but if the first rule, suspension of belief, doesn’t come into play then yes, you might find the fictional constructed worlds contained within books difficult to accept. However, reading is entertaining and beneficial. So here are a few reasons (I know there's plenty more) why people should read fiction.

Reading is an immersive process, where we enter into another world through our imagination. In stories we experience the struggles, losses and triumphs of lives other than our own. This opens the possibility of altering, modifying or even transforming concepts we hold about ourselves, our attitudes and behaviour. When we enter the world of what if, this allows us to become, however briefly, someone else. This enhances and enriches our understanding of life. 

Several studies have shown that because fictional stories give us an intimate view of the main character’s inner life, this develops empathy. Reading about someone who comes from a different cultural, historical, or socio-economic background, and is undergoing a difficult experience we are unlike to encounter, deepens our comprehension of the human condition. Empathy is a quality not listed on any country’s school curriculum, but it should be, because it increases the possibililities of improving the lives of others.

Writing involves the use of metaphors, and other figures of speech, which work because they rely on commonly known phrases, which when placed in a new context result in the creation of strong images in the mind of the reader. These new associations expand the thinking process, encouraging flexibility and innovation. (I did once read that the creation of metaphors increases left/right brain integration, but I couldn't find the article.) 

One criticism of fiction is that presents a simplification of life, along with the question of whether this is helpful or not? Do our lives follow a dramatic arc or have Hollywood endings? No. Life can be chaotic, it’s unpredictable, and the only thing we can control is our response. Yet there is a gratification in reducing the world to black and white, to good versus evil, because it gives us hope. And life without hope is miserable. Fiction shows us heroes, and while we may not view ourselves as heroic in our daily lives, we’re able to find examples of how fictional others survive. I mean who does not in some corner of their imagination admire how Scarlett O’Hara overcomes adversity?

Books can be friends and comforters, a place to escape to, because the theme, the characters or the setting resonates with something inside us. The pleasure gained, whether you enjoy thrillers about betrayal and revenge with complicated twists and turns or straightforward linear romcoms, means we come back for more. 

I feel sorry for my friend, but let’s face it, if most of us didn’t enjoy fiction, there would be no writers, readers, books, or publishing industry. However, the latest developments in digital and online publishing show that even if the methods of delivery change and evolve, fiction remains alive and well. 

Writing Update

I may have, after a number of changes, worked my break-up story, Cupid’s Game, into a form that satisfies me. Although I started with 3^rd person omniscient, past tense, the story is now 1^st person POV and told in the present tense. I haven't posted it yet because Wattpad has allocated the Parental Guidance or Restricted Content classification to the story, and I've requested they alter this as it’s misleading. There’s no sex or eroticism as such – only a look at the end of a relationship and the aftermath.  Or maybe I'll put it up with a disclaimer? (Check it out...I have posted it with a message about the classification!)

Tomorrow I start back with Vance the Vamp, my WIP. Working on the Wattpad project (three short stories - including covers - and editing a previous nano effort) was enjoyable, but I’ve missed the absorption of the longer form of the novel with the slow rise of tension, greater scope for character development, subplots and setting. I’ll finish the final bit of research today, then, re-read here I come! Yeah!

Today’s Haiku

COFFEE

one Guatemalan

Soya latte, small, to go –

sipping on the run

Useful Links

A brilliant article on reading by Neil Gaiman

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/24/neil-gaiman-face-facts-need-fiction 

Join me on Twitter at: teagankearney@modhaiku

Thanks for visiting my blog, and please do leave a comment.

To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to those of you who write, good writing.