Why fantasy? I get asked that question quite often (and always from people that don’t read that genre). For me, fantasy has always been my escape from reality. As a young child, the local librarian knew me by name and could not believe how many books I would go through within a week. It’s a cheap vacation, and you never know what to expect. Unlike mystery or other genres that don’t have fantasy or paranormal elements to them, there are no rules, which means you never know what to expect.
When I pick out a new book to read (or movie to watch), I’m excited to travel to a magical world, meet new creatures, and experience new things. I get to dive into the imagination of the writer, and I love the creativity and imagery of new places and creatures.
The same goes for writing fantasy. I LOVE creating new creatures and lands. Although I don’t exactly enjoy descriptive writing, I dive completely into it when I’m introducing new places or creatures to my readers. I want them to be able to visualize the magical (and sometimes horror filled) places.
The act of creating these things is just as much fun as planning out the plot (if not more). I get to use my imagination to the fullest–no limitations and no rules. If I want glowing purple eyes, I can have glowing purple eyes. If I want my mermaids to send chills of fear down the readers’ body, then I get to use my imagination to create some freaky mermaids.
Fantasy writers not only have to come up with a logical and deep plot, but they have to be creative enough to give their readers a magical experience. Although I have read some fantasy novels that are filled with action and don’t have much imagery in them, I don’t get as much out of them as a reader. If you write fantasy, make it magical. Don’t skip the descriptions. Take your readers on a magical adventure, and don’t just throw them into a deep plot.
At this time, I’m finishing up the first draft of Unexpected Peril, the third book in the Alissia Roswell Series, and I have had a lot of fun writing this one. I tapped into my dark side and created some horrifying creatures, and I can’t believe how exciting it was to write about them. (Apparently, I have a dark side dying to get out.)
Hope this answers the one question I get asked often. As my older sister read Nancy Drew throughout her childhood, I could never get past the fact that there were no elves or dragons in them. The endings were always too logical, and I could only imagine how great they would be if Nancy Drew were a vampire, fairy, or elf. Now that would make a GREAT series!
