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How To Become A Great Fantasy Fiction Writer
In a dark world where arbitrary writing tips and tropes rain eternal, a race of modern Fantasy Authors battle to tell the most original story.
I had a great discussion in one of the Discords I mod recently about originality.
My co-mod argued that the whole concept of originality is a farce. Everything came from something. Groundbreaking storytelling through the lens of the chicken or the egg, if you will.
My stance was more in the middle. I’ve always believed in the idea that there are a limited number of stories we can tell, but we can make them original. This is why I’m a character writer. To me, characters are how we create fresh perspectives amongst old formats.
But the more I ponder it, I begin to wonder if I have been conflating creativity with originality, and if we as writers have on a larger scale. How new is the idea we are touting? What is it that makes that idea valuable — is it the perceived originality?
Do Fantasy Writers Have It Harder?
I spend a lot of time talking to other writers, especially fantasy writers, and thinking about how much work goes into fantasy novels. Magic systems, world building, monarchies, multi-generational families, plants and animals made from scratch. Should I keep going?
