Reviews for The StepByStep Guide to Writing Epic Fantasy |
---|
![]() ![]() I love it! You did an excellent job. I didn't realize until now how close the original Star Wars trilogy is to Eragon. |
![]() ![]() Great little guide... and how true it is. |
![]() ![]() xD Yeah, I read the first few chapter examples (specifically the first 2-3) and thought, ERAGON! Other than that, this is a pretty decent epic fantasy structure, and I'll definitely throw in some of the elements you mentioned into my novel. - Although...is Part One Book One? o.o I got so confused. I thought Part Two was Book Two && Part Three is the end of the trilogy... Correct me if I'm wrong—I think I am—but is this the structure of just one book?! *-* I hope you have more guides coming soon. Difa |
![]() ![]() ![]() I know you're probably long retired from this site, but I just had to comment on this essay. I thought it was rather interesting and incredibly true. I can name so many different epic fantasies that follow this exact same plot line, and so, this essay really did make me open up my mind to everything. Thanks for this interesting essay! Signing off... |
![]() ![]() ![]() Oh no, I've been doing it all wrong! I have the mentor take the MC to the city and THEN teach them magic! Plus the MC is despised by all for a legitimate reason! I absolutely fail at epic fantasy! Heheh XD. This is hil-ar-i-ous. We need more parodies like this. |
![]() ![]() ![]() Okay...this is seriously SOOOOOO funny. Thank you for taking the time to put this together and making me laugh so hard. I've been writing an epic fantasy tale for a little while. I quite like the genre but haven't really studied it that much, probably just inadvertantly stolen tidbits here and there from pop culture and added it to my own flavor. That made it even funnier to see some of the elements of my writing make your list. I definitely laughed out loud. Thanks! :) |
![]() ![]() ![]() SlaveryBad? This does not compute. Moving on... Congrats! You have offcicially managed to summarize Eragon in a short three chapters! Not that I have anything against Eragon. Anyway, another awesome guide! I really need to find another adjective other than 'awesome'. Would 'spectacular' or 'amazing' count? Hmm...but I digress. It seems that the MC has a tragic life. Poor guy...let's make his life even worse! I'll add some Love Interest death here, a little eloping there, and maybe a dash of betrayal and despair. Isn't the result wonderful? I present to you...the Angst du Muffin! Well, this review has been more rambling than anything else, huh? Oops. |
![]() ![]() ![]() I like it. Very useful, as I do like stuff like that, but I think my variation of epic fantasy, was I to write one, would definitely have to include dragons - lots and lots of dragons, yay! Having read that, I think my favourite book is technically an epic fantasy (it's called Graceling, and it's absolutely awesome!) - or at least parts of it resemble epic fantasy. XD I think I'm slowly starting a bible of creative writing in my head - so far including this and your essay on reviews! XD |
![]() ![]() ![]() The sarcasm! |
![]() ![]() 'The MC and companions discover the existence of this side quest through passing comments, often in bars or in the rare non-demolished village.' - So, so true. |
![]() ![]() 'the reader should encounter many words s/he is not familiar with. This principle is also used in science fiction (activate the antigrav hovbots, now!) where it serves the same purpose: to show the reader just how amazing and alien this new world is.' - I was wondering if you had ever read anyhting of Trudi Canavan's. She's often asked the same question- 'Why not call a sheep a sheep? Why call it a grothbotolynai?' To which she replies, ''Why not call it a llama? Just because a creature fills the same ecological niche of a sheep does not mean it's a sheep.' If you're reading a fantasy story and the MC eats an apple, it is instantly not a fantasy world. It is the past, with added dragons and magic. Therefore, it can be better to have your character eat a mowb, a red-skinned fruit that can taste sweet or sour and is normally crunchy. Also, this structure VERY MMUCh reminds me of Eragon - coincidence? |
![]() ![]() ![]() I love this. Thank you so much for this. Really helpful! :D |
![]() ![]() ![]() Another great chapter and wish there was more. ~Marie Silver~ |
![]() ![]() ![]() Oh yes, one thing I forgot to mention in my first comment: The thing goes by many names; the muse, intuition, the subconscious, inspiration, and others. Regardless, it is a strange thing, and very hard to predict. I seriously do not think that Eragon was supposed to imitate Star Wars, but, the muse being the unpredictable thing it is, he could easily have beed doing it subconsciously. There is also the old adage "there are no new stories, only new ways of telling them." Bear this in mind, and I still hope I haven't ruined anyone's enjoyment of Eragon. |
![]() ![]() ![]() I'm not sure how many people know this, but the original Star Wars trilogy (episodes 4-6 in the current system) was also an epic fantasy. A comparison of Eragon and Star Wars: There is a powerful evil emperor who is strong in something closely resembling magic (Galbatorix and Palpatine; remember that lightning-looking thing the Emperor used on Luke in Return of the Jedi?). The evil emperor has a right-hand man who is a close relative of the main character (Murtagh, Eragon's half-brother; and Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father). The main character never meets his birth parents (okay, Luke met Vader "I am your father" right near the end of Empire), instead growing up with an uncle and aunt (Garrow, who is mentioned to have had a wife that died before chapter 1; and Owen and Beru). The evil emperor has troopers that destroy the main character's home and kill most or all the people close to him (the Ra'Zac and the Stormtroopers). The love interest is rescued from the direct custody of the emperor's right-hand man (Durza at that point of Eragon, or Vader throughout Star Wars). Love interest has a monkey wrench thrown in (Arya is more than six times Eragon's age; Leia is Luke's sister). The old mentor dies fairly soon after the mentor-replacement is introduced and the love interest is rescued (Obi-Wan was killed by Vader and replaced by Han Solo; Brom was killed by the Ra'Zac and replaced by Murtagh). The protagonist goes to the hut-type thing of a very, very old master of the first mentor's craft (Oromis and Yoda) after being told to in a thoroughly fantastical way (whatever it was that Oromis did, and Obi-wan's ghost) while mostly delirious (Eragon had just been cut open by Durza; Luke was near freezing on Hoth). The very old master teaches what he can, and then dies (Oromis is killed by Murtagh; I still do not understand what happened to Yoda). There are other pieces I get too busy to mention, and most of the main essay applies to both. All of that said, I like Eragon and count myself something of a fan. If I have spoiled anyone's enjoyment of Eragon, I sincerely apologize and would also point out that the elements are very non-obvious unless actively looked for. I also apologize for my own length, if such is called for. |