Okay, I admit it, I've read stories that match this entire description, BUT there are many (NOT exactly equal to bad) writers on FP that can write GOOD (not just passable) fantasy stories. Read the summaries/first chapter and you'll pretty much get if the story is awesome or not.

I liked this one too. And, I do kinda see that most fantasys have goblins, and magic, and a random nobody. And that the character isn't afraid to show it off. Well, I myself have read many fantasy books, some of them actually being your favorite! But, over all, I think fantasy facinates so many people because it opens their eyes, let's them imagine. Let's them believe that there is another world out there. Let's them believe, in magic.

Charlotte

Short, precise, and to-the-point. You should follow up on this- many young fantasy writers would benefit from reading this. You are very logical and reasoning in your arguments, and what's more, they make sense. More than I could have accomplished when I was thirteen... which wasn't that long ago.

(Faves.)

Two excellent modern fantasy writers are China Mieville and Neil Gaiman. Mieville's "Perdido Street Station" utterly obliterates the Tolkien crap, and Neil Gaiman writes excellent modern urban fantasy (IE American Gods).

Oh, Lord. So true.

Myself, I'm working on a fantasy world, and I know for a fact that it's 100% pure crap. And I love it to death. Mainly cos I know that writing crap is the most enjoyable thing I've ever done.

Purple prose... without it, I wouldn't be here.

Many thanks.

Dude, the Wheel of Time sucks. It threw together bland cliche and Mr. Jordan's mastery of the art of Purple Prose and you end up with something rather mediocre. Read a decent fantasy author. George R. R. Martin or Tad Williams should do for starters, especially if you have time to waste on Jordan's rubbish. Even Robin Hobb maybe.

You also seem to want fantasy to be very prescriptive, based solely upon the laws of this world. I disagree. While it is true that realism does need to be maintained, the idea, for example, that magic users would necessarily be persecuted is stupid. While I agree an interesting story could be made of this, is it definite that this is what would happen? I don't think so.

Moreover, fantasy is original fiction. Why not have a society where magic-users were revered? That could be done really well. Why not allocate different physical laws to it? The idea is that you make it interesting and realistic within the context of the world you have created.

You are wrong when you say that it is not about 'making everything up.' That is exactly what it's about. The idea is that you make things up, and then organize them into your own coherant structure.

Another reading of the essay, paying attention to tone, suggests that you have your tongue buried within your cheek. If that is so, I've just made an idiot of myself.

To reiterate: Wheel of Time sucks bad.

Very cute rant. When I write fantasy, I tend to branch away from the medieval stuff that is normally praised. I want something different. Although not a truly inspiring essay (i.e. I knew most of these points before) it was great fun to read.

I can't disagree with you on this one, really. Some "writers" these days just cook up a bunch of random ideas and concepts and throw them into one big pot without considering if they'd really work in real life. Even if it's fantasy, it should still be at least SOMEWHAT realistic. Thank goodness SOMEONE else feels the same way.

I liked this, although it would've been better if you'd included more examples other than the abuse of the concept of "magic."

Aside from that, I think this is a fairly well-written "rant."

Ah... Wheel of Time is about Robert Jordans (well, whatever his real name is) spanking fetish. And elves.

I guess George R. R. Martin is pretty good.

AMEN.

As I'm not generally a fantasy fan, I don't buy fantasy books, but from time to time I have a quick look on fictionpress to see if there's anything worthwhile, and I'm also the mutally agreed 'proof-reader' for my friends' stories - all of which are fantasy. So this is basically what my opinions have come from.

I totally agree with the 'fantasy is not about making everything up' idea. I was talking to one of my friends about a story she was writing recently and I pointed out a fairly noticeable plot hole. According to her, it didn't matter, because this was the almighty fantasy genre and she'd just smooth it over by having one of her characters discover an as-of-yet unknown hidden power. I suggested that that might not be entirely believable, and wouldn't it make her story more plausible if she were to rewrite some of it. But, of course, as she enlightened me, this was FANTASY. It didn't have to be believable. Aie.

Good fantasy writing is difficult. It's about finding a balance between the extraordinary and the normal. Sure, you can make things up. Go for your life. But I do not want to read a story where the hero or heroine can effortlessly get out of a scrape at the snap of their fingers by using their apparently limitless magic powers. Where's the excitement in that?

Overall, I definitely agree with everything in this essay. Well done and kudos :)

I totally agree with you, man. That's why I never really check into the fantasy stories around here because most of them are ALL the same. It's always Suchandsuch just found out she had magical powers and has to save the world...or A group of friends find themselves in a new land and control the elements...or...Whocares is on a journey to...I don't know...eat corn or something! Either way, it's all very cliche. What happened to originality here? Just browse through that section. All the same. Now, don't go flaming me, saying that I should put my money where my mouth is...but you get the idea!

My only objection:

"Now, following the lead of The Lord of the Rings, almost every medieval fantasy story today has four key elements: magic, elves, an evil king, and an unknowing peasant hero."

Almost every? Isn't that a little harsh? Dude, what fantasy stories are YOU reading? Maybe you're not looking hard enough in your fantasy section at the bookstore. Or your bookstore sucks. Or maybe you're just talking about FictionPress! Most fantasy stories I've seen in the store (in real life) delve away from the typical "hero's journey" archetype. And don't just think elves and magic and kings and plots like that came just after Lord of the Rings. They've been around for freaking ages. Since ancient civilizations. Look into ancient Greek mythology or the 1400s, or even earlier! None of this just happened to come from the Lord of the Rings!

"Thus, fantasy is not written in a different world with different sets of rules. Rather, when you write fantasy, you must write it according to the rules of this world, or else your whole writing will sound like you just made everything up!"

I totally disagree with that. Fantasy IS going into the unknown... That's why it's so popular...because when we read it, we are no longer on boring Earth, we are in space, or some unknown planet, or in alternate universe-where ever the author WANTS us to be! Fantasy is making things up because really...would you want to hear about people battling on this crappy planet? BORING. Where would they have epic battles against the dragons? New York City? Boston? No. Fantasy is SUPPOSED to be something new. People KNOW we're making it up. Hence the name of the genre, fantasy, meaning in the layman's terms, not real. That's why the Dragonlance Chronicles are under Sci-Fi/Fantasy and not World History or something. Like, we know that people can't fly. But if in the land of Agkljljgjdlkjdsg, dogs can fly, then by-golly, let them! If your story is good enough-plot's good, characters are well-drawn out, etc.-then no one will care that dogs can't really fly. That's the fun of it.

But other than that, I pretty much agree with you. People should have fun with fantasy and try different things out for themselves instead of just using the same archetype. Or maybe, make a spin on it. Maybe Johnny who leads everyone on a journey to find the Super Stone of Great Power is actually evil and dupes everyone just so he can get it for himself or something. I don't know! I'm no fantasy author! But hey-it has no boundaries!

Wow...that has to be the longest comment I've ever written. _

I must disagree when you say "fantasy isn't about making everything up." Fantasy knows no boundaries, and it COULD be in a Lord of the Rings-type setting. Or it can be set in an entirely original setting where the only limitation is how far the writer's imagination can stretch. Fantasy CAN be written in a different world with different sets of rules. But it can also be written in an almost real-world type settings similar to the Lord of the Rings. So, it is up to the reader how they can write a fantasy story. That is why fantasy exists: so people can write a story without any limitations whatsoever. They create the world, or they can take a world and mold it into something completely different. That, my friend, is fantasy writing. Fantasy writing doesn't have to BE Lord of the Rings-style. Because, from what you say, if everything was Lord of the Rings-style than Tolkien must have invented the fantasy genre. He's a darn good writer, to be sure, but there were other fantasy writers who came before him. And I repeat, fantasy writing is the writer's own creation, and nothing more than that. They have no rules to follow. Fantasy writers create what they want, when they want, and whatever they want.