I want to work on a project that merges themes of High-Fantasy and Crossworlds Fantasy with Psychological Thriller. My main issue is that I have the magic system prepared, and I partially understand what to do with both fantasy and psychological thriller, but I'm wholly unsure of where to go in merging the magic-system, fantasy aspects and psychological thriller aspects into a coherent genre-fusion. Any general advice?
Personally, I don't go out of my way to include genres or themes. I just write the story and what it ends up being it ends up being (which typically changes dramatically during the process). I wouldn't worry too much about what the genre(s) is until you're finished. Just write what makes sense and makes a good story and if it ends up being a great balance of psychological thriller and high fantasy then so be it. If it ends up being more weighted on one side or the other then so be it.
I'll definitely keep that in mind, but may I ask about one more genre (that seems more like something that'd have to be intentional than accidental)? Metafiction? Psychological Thriller x Fantasy is one of my upcoming projects, but after reading a (small) number of metafiction novels, I'm thoroughly interested in the metafiction genre and would like to potentially write a novel in that style, but I wouldn't know the first way to go about having a medium between the novel's story and the reader in a Psychological Thriller x Metafiction novel? Going even further, I may potentially write the Fantasy x PT novel as a Metafiction, but, again, I wouldn't know where to begin writing it.
Here is something both Fantasy based and also thrilling. A Night Goblin Fanatic: High as a kite on mushroom based spirits, carried into battle, and given a large metal ball on a chain to swing as he dances merrily in to break enemy lines. Enjoy! Just hope he don't come back in your direction.
Try thinking of it this way: Psychological Thriller is a plot genre, Fantasy is a setting genre. Not a grammer-nazi literal comparison, but is it close enough to get started on what a Psychological Thriller hero/villain would be doing if they live in a Fantasy world with Fantasy resources?
I believe that I did understand that, but you reminding me to mentally... articulate it more does seem like it'd help me with the writing and planning process. Thank you very much.
Anytime My own WIP skews more towards the Urban / Low Fantasy / Noir, but yours sounds like an interesting combination too EDIT: I was just going over descriptions to both of your genres to come up with some more specific ideas about combining them, but I think I just thought of the perfect example Spoiler: Video
Unfortunately, I am incapable of viewing videos at the moment, but I'll bookmark it for later reference. I suppose it might be a tad unprofessional to ask for a personal opinion, but you said the combination I wished to write sounds interesting? May I ask how you feel about putting "Metafiction" into the mix? Or perhaps I'm getting carried away?
That's what websites are for Yeah, normally, High Fantasy is supposed to be about Black and White morality and apparently Psychological Thrillers are supposed to be about Grey and Grey, but I could easily see how the two could be made to work together: specific scenes that emphasize that there are some grey areas of the world, but still encased within an ultimate narrative that focuses on the areas that are clearly black and white. Plus, according to Wikipedia, In psychological thrillers, characters often battle their own minds: they attempt to determine what is real, who they are, and what life's purpose is. Amnesia is a common plot device used to explore these questions. Character may be threatened with death, be forced to deal with the deaths of others, or fake their own deaths. Psychological thrillers can be complex, and reviewers may recommend a second or third viewing to "decipher its secrets." Sounds easily adapted to a blatantly fantastic setting where Evil is an objective force of nature to me Thrillers are also often accused of depending on unrealistic coincidences: Dark magic, perhaps? One of my favorite stories of all time is the incredibly meta fantasy The Order of the Stick. Have you heard of it?
It's the kind of thing you have to know as the writer bc that world is so much within your imagination. That's why it's often mapped out at the start of a book. Psychological thrillers are hot right now and I guess fantasy will always have a core market but it might be easier to focus on one or the other genre if it's not flowing naturally. Think of mixing anything Alfred Hitchcock with anything Sci-Fi (sorry can't think of a Sci-Fi example)
Personally I am a fan of genre mixing, so I'd love to see the combination o the two genres. As to the balance with the magic elements and the psychological elements, you can go further as to talk about the psychological implications of
Magic. Think an illusion based wizard who commits crimes while warping the hero's perception of reality, making him question what is real or not.
