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