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

[etherial.livejournal.com]

My favorite fantasy setting, Earthdawn had a very good answer to this. Elves and Orcs and Humans and whatnot are all Races. They're peoples, and while they have individual culture, to paint any of them in such broad strokes is beyond stupidity. The Elven Blood Wood is corrupt, judgmental, and possibly the servant of extraplanar entities out to torture us to death for their own amusement, but elves in general are tall, charismatic, long-lived, and the ability to generalize ends there. The Orc Kingdom of Cara Fahd is a fertile valley populated by nomadic tribesmen. Orcs in general are passionate, free-thinking, short-lived, and are still facing the ghosts of generation after generation of slavery.