Ideas in Creative Writing – Fantasy Fiction
Orcs & Elves or Something New for the Genre
Nov 30, 2008
Fantasy writers often begin as readers of the genre – lovers of all things magical, fantastic, and imaginative. Often it begins as a hobby, perhaps hammering out a few short stories – and can evolve into a full-time hobby with great rewards. There are several pitfalls as well as several advantages one can consider before launching into a fantasy narrative that will improve the finished product by leaps, bounds, and dragon's breath!
Avoiding Cliche and Understanding Archetype
Fantasy is sometimes derided as derivative or cliche-ridden – a perpetual homage to the work of Tolkien and other prominent fantasists. While it may be true that there is a surplus of traditional archetypes and stock races in contemporary fantasy – elves, gnomes, orcs and dwarves to name a few – this does not mean you should exempt them entirely from your work.
A smart writer of fantasy fiction will find a way to reinvent these anchors of the fantasy genre in ways that will intrigue the reader as well as to perhaps push the boundaries of the genre. Instead of creating a gnomish race as absentminded tinkers commonly introduced for comic relief – consider a gnomish race that participates in a theocracy, a covenant of sexual magic or other dark forces – that via numbers and fanatical zealotry poses a very real threat to the democratic Western Islands. Obviously, this is merely an example of what can be done to bend traditional tropes into new material.
Reinventing the Motive
The weakest part of many amateur works of fantasy fiction is often the motivation of the protagonist / antagonist. Chasing after an abducted love interest, preventing a cataclysmic war, or recovering a beautiful and powerful gem – all of these plotlines have seen better days and are best served cold as original inspiration.
The best plots begin small, with a focus on a single character or a small group – that gradually pans outward to encompass a greater field of view. A mediocre thief whose ill fortune brings him into a travelling acting troupe – a troupe which later finds itself in the middle of a political and military coup while performing at High Court, for example, would be a great beginning to a cerebral and high-minded fantasy story.
Reinventing the motive beyond the barest of bones – fleshing it out with political, economic, and cultural aspirations and outcomes – will lend your work a much greater degree of gravitas and authority. Regardless of the genre being labelled fantasy, it is still imperative to have rules, consequences, and mortality introduced into your narrative in order to keep it compelling to the discerning reader.
Imagination and Creativity – Your Best Friends
The beauty of writing fantasy fiction is that it truly does allow for a great degree of imaginative play – the setting, characters, plot, dialogue – everything in your story can be flexible and creative to the greatest degree. Whether your tale is one of sword and sorcery or political and military intrigue, seek to better the work of your predecessors by understanding what makes their work great, re-readable, and classic. These same techniques and elements of style will be your tools to craft a world of your own that hopefully, after months or years of hard work, might be presented to an appreciative and equally imaginative readership!
