| The first thing I want to impart on you | | | | world - based on an accumulated wisdom. |
| is about the very nature of "fantasy". | | | | Creation of systems and beings - This is |
| It implies an act of creative | | | | where you can have a lot of fun yet |
| imagination. That is great for you as a | | | | still impart something special to your |
| writer. You are writing a story and | | | | readers. Aren't there already enough |
| building a world. And it is your world. | | | | ogres, elves, and dwarves tromping |
| Absolutely anything applies! Write | | | | around the pages of fantasy novels? |
| anything you want to write. Don't be | | | | Couldn't you come up with something new? |
| boxed in by traditional rules of | | | | Draw some sketches and write down |
| fantasy. You are in control of | | | | outlandish ideas. How about a whale |
| everything and nobody can tell you | | | | sized creature that floats through the |
| otherwise. Let loose and just see where | | | | air eating microscopic bacteria? Or a |
| you imagination takes you. | | | | race or elf-like creatures that fire |
| And this doesn't just apply to the | | | | electric eels from their bows? As far as |
| characters, world and story. This also | | | | systems go wouldn't it be different to |
| applies to the rules of writing. Want to | | | | have your adventurer stay in one place |
| write your whole novel in a new language | | | | and have all the adventures come to him? |
| that only one-eyed centaurs speak? Go | | | | Rather than tromping around the world |
| with it and see where it takes you. Want | | | | maybe the world would come to his front |
| your story to jump around in time | | | | door. How about a world where every |
| -spanning ten thousand years? Cool! How | | | | single living creature falls asleep for |
| about writing it in epic poem style or | | | | the duration of the full moon? It would |
| from varying points of view? This is | | | | be fun to find out what happens when |
| your world. Write it any way you want | | | | they all wake up. |
| to. Don't be afraid to explore the | | | | Some cautions for your new imaginative |
| mechanics of writing in new ways. If | | | | writing |
| you have this nagging feeling that you | | | | Just because you are writing something |
| should be writing a certain way then why | | | | new and creative doesn't mean you |
| aren't you? | | | | shouldn't have any discipline. You are |
| Here are some tips and ideas on what you | | | | still writing for people. And people |
| can tinker with in your novel to make it | | | | have expectations. That means there has |
| more creative and different | | | | to be a certain logic and sense in your |
| Time - This is one of my favorite things | | | | world. You have to lay out rules in a |
| to tinker with. Time doesn't have to | | | | way that the reader will understand and |
| plod along at the usual pace. And If you | | | | accept as natural. |
| have been writing for a while you have | | | | So don't find yourself falling into the |
| become a bit sensitive to time, nd you | | | | trap of just coming up with something to |
| probably already tinker with it. Does a | | | | solve a situation or crisis. One of the |
| two minute sword fight take two minutes | | | | worse things you can do is just all of a |
| to read? Nope. The basic rules of time | | | | sudden grant your main character the |
| need not apply to your writing. Want to | | | | ability to cast a spell that solves a |
| write your whole novel in the one minute | | | | problem. Don't bend your rules to make |
| life span of some type of fantasy | | | | your story work. Layout your rules then |
| creature? I think it would be fun and | | | | work within them. |
| challenging. | | | | With a little bit of imagination you can |
| Perspective - Is your main character | | | | come up with a world and a story that is |
| human? That's perfectly fine but | | | | totally different, yet totally rewarding |
| wouldn't it be a challenge and a lot of | | | | for your readers. Let yourself loose, |
| fun to use some kind of other creature | | | | try different things, and see where |
| as your narrator? How would a strange | | | | they lead. You are the creator of a |
| fantasy creature think? An easy way of | | | | totally new world and just about |
| looking at this would be from the | | | | anything goes. Just make sure you |
| perspective of a dragon that lives for | | | | temper it with some discipline so it |
| thousands of years. Wouldn't that dragon | | | | makes sense. |
| have a whole different outlook on the | | | | |