1. Celia.

    Celia. New Member

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    I am writing a fantasy novel...

    Discussion in 'Fantasy' started by Celia., Dec 6, 2010.

    that has nothing to do with sorcery, elves, dragons, the one ring or even a ring of intellect. Every creature is from my own imagination, drawn up like a stan winston wanna be. What are the odds that people would want this?
     
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  2. TokyoVigilante

    TokyoVigilante New Member

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    You had me at "Stan Winston". Or "Stan Winston; Patron Saint and Undisputed Master of Creature Design" as his his title happens to be.
     
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  3. TobiasJames

    TobiasJames New Member

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    Tell us what the story's about and we'll give you feedback. :) There's nothing intrinsically right or wrong about using original species.
     
  4. popsicledeath

    popsicledeath Banned

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    How well is it written? Is it done? Is your agent negotiating a book deal?

    Without answers to these questions, most likely nobody will want to read it. ;)

    The point being: don't worry about it, just write the story you want to write. If it's good enough, and you're lucky enough, it'll find a readership.
     
  5. HeinleinFan

    HeinleinFan Banned

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    Hell, I'd go for it. Fantasy doesn't have to be about magic, dangit, any more than a mystery has to be about stolen jewels or science fiction has to have robotic servants. As long as the story's interesting, you can introduce passels of invented plants and beasts and I'll stay riveted to the page.
     
  6. Celia.

    Celia. New Member

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    well, to sum it up in simple terms, the story focuses on a princess whose experiences outside of her kingdom walls are limited. War breaks lose and her father, the king, is taken hostage. The princess, along with the help of a boy who has experience and has traveled the lands, set out on a journey to save him.

    the details of the war are immense as well as the background of the boy who helps our princess. i am writing this as part of a trilogy which is already written but is going through a third and fourth draft haha
     
  7. jo spumoni

    jo spumoni Active Member

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    Interestingly, I have a pretty similar story, although it's from a prince's point of view, and in my version, the prince trades his own freedom for the release of 500 prisoners of war. But mine wound up being super short--only about 28,000 words or so, and no space for a sequel.

    The most important part seems like it will be setting a balance between laying out the fantasy world with all the background of the war and the boy's back story at the same time you lay out the actual story.
     
  8. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    GOOD!! Go for it! I think your story will be refreshing and riveting to a lot of people -- I love LOTR, but I get really really sick of seeing 100s of writers just copy Tolkein's elves, dwarves, etc over and over and over. Every story should be 100 percent your own imagination.
     
  9. tnt007

    tnt007 New Member

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    The Minds Magic

    I/we are intrigued. Write a page or two and post it so that we may see a glimpse of your writing. Perhaps you can sum it up in a paragraph and place your antagonist/protagonist in a situation that will catapult your story into a semblance of form. I have a couple of kiddos caught between a rock and a hard place in the middle of a meadow....they have been there for 7 years...awaiting my return...don't leave this story in 'storyage'...good luck and can't wait to see a bit of your tale.
     
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  10. R-e-n-n-a-t

    R-e-n-n-a-t New Member

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    Really, I think a lot of people consider elves overused. I know that in the past I've picked up a book, read the back or inside cover, and put it down the moment it mentioned an elf. It might sell better than it would if you included elves. Not that I don't read books with elves in them, but I don't like them as much as original ideas.
     
  11. AnathemicOne

    AnathemicOne New Member

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    I've no problem with Tolkien's original races even if there a bit over used in many works, the problem with creating races/creatures/spieces from scratch is that you have to pull the reader into it. A race named Talkendor or Bro'gyllash would at most times alienate the reader (I know I am) and it would seem that your reading a textbook on said universe rather than an actual story.

    But I do not in any way want to hinder your creativity, I'm all up for reading about a total new fantasy-themed universe and the story (stories) pertaining to it, what I wish to say is that I wish you the best of luck and hope to read your works soon.
     
  12. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    With all due respect, no one ever said that making your own original species would require you to give them unpronounceable names. Orcs are easy to pronounce, right? So are Morlocks. And Zorgs. All of which are names that were invented by the author (from scratch -- for the original author, that is).

    As far as having to pull the readers into it, that's the job of the writer no matter what you're writing. Heck, you could be writing a realistic fic novel about humans, and you could still alienate the readers if the writing is bad.

    No matter how great LOTR is (trust me, I love it too), you can't just write it over and over and over.

    There's nothing wrong with drawing ONE of the concepts...elves, for example, were used by J.K. Rowling, but she put her own spin on the species and didn't just regurgitate the same material from something else...

    But seriously, I've looked at stories that have summaries involving men, dwarves and elves splintering off, where elves go into the woods and dwaves go underground and then they fight over a ring...and no, not intended as fan fic...I always cringe and put the book down....
     
  13. Donal

    Donal New Member

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    FULLY AGREE with Mallory. I can't even describe how much I agree.
     
  14. Squidget

    Squidget New Member

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    As long as the creatures are not all invincible or ridicuolusly smart it could be cool. Just don't make the creatures to weird, or nobody will want to read it. I think you should write some and post it, I would like to read it.
     
  15. HorusEye

    HorusEye Contributor Contributor

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    Something new and/or original in the genre of fantasy? Unheard of! ;)

    The word fantasy is key, with its relation to imagination. There's no imagination involved in ripping off a half a century old tome full of info dumps and suspense killers. Be bravely original!
     
  16. Celia.

    Celia. New Member

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    My plan is to not even divulge most of who the boy is until he second book. There will be small details but never the full story until the critical time. The first book focuses on the princess so i am planning the second and third to focus more on the boy and his place in her life.

    The war will make itself known in the first book as well as the details of it but the main battles will take place in the second book with one last one in the third.

    The princess' mother died at child birth so the background of her will emerge in the second book.

    There are also small characters that surround her that have a huge part to play also.

    Would you all want to read the last chapter of the first book? I wrote it over in first person and realized I liked it so much better. If you want, I can post in third and first to compare the two.

    I can also post some drawings of the creatures :D
     
  17. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    Yes, post drawings, that'd be cool!
     
  18. Who cares what people want. Make them want it. Just make it so good that people want to read it. I seriously doubt that if J.K Rowling went up to an agent and said "Hi, I'm looking to write a book about a kid with a scar on his forehead who goes to this school called Hogwarts, befriends a house-elf, and fights the Dark Lord" that the agent would tell her it sounds amazing.

    She's just one of the many examples. Write, write, write, and make it great! :)
     
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