The Fantasy Novelist's Exam

[khaosworks]

"Ever since J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis created the worlds of Middle Earth and Narnia, it seems like every windbag off the street thinks he can write great, original fantasy, too. The problem is that most of this "great, original fantasy" is actually poor, derivative fantasy. Frankly, we're sick of it, so we've compiled a list of rip-off tip-offs in the form of an exam. We think anybody considering writing a fantasy novel should be required to take this exam first. Answering "yes" to any one question results in failure and means that the prospective novel should be abandoned at once."

Don't necessarily agree with all of its no-nos, but amusing nonetheless.

Comments

[elorie.livejournal.com]

I did pretty well, except the prequel/trilogy bit. Which basically is a way of saying, "are you going to go to all the trouble of creating a world and complex societies, just so you can write one and only one 90,000 word novel? If not, you are Not a Good Writer." To which I say, yeah, right.

I think I do have one instance of Unrealistic Cooking Time, but that's easily fixed.

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

I think the operative word here is "planned". Even LOTR was conceived as a single narrative and split up only because it was so big, but after that, everyone seemed to be deliberately structuring their story around three books, to the point where you can't get a story (not the whole thing, mind you, but just a single story) - with beginning, middle and end - without having to commit to three or more volumes. To me, that was kind of annoying. I don't mind return visits to a universe or minor loose ends, but to say from the get go that you got to buy three books (and not even on a comic book publishing schedule), is a bit much for my taste.

Discworld is a perfect example of a series that doesn't require trilogies or quintets or what have you. And I keep coming back to Pratchett not just because I love the characters and the world, but because I know once I finish that volume, I'll have consumed a satisfying story, with an actual resolution.

[elorie.livejournal.com]

I try to ascribe to Lois McMaster Bujold's dictum about novels in a series...which is that they should all stand alone. The novel I have finished ends on a bit of cliff-hanger, but that's because the main question of the story HAS been resolved. It's just that part of what happens is that that in solving one problem, they discover an even bigger one. Yep. I didn't do that on purpose, though...I started the novel with just an image in my head, and *I* didn't know what was going to happen until I wrote it.