Can you write fantasy without knowing much? I like fantasy.
2007-03-25 01:37:51 · 8 answers · asked by ethandallas90 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
No, fantasy writers have to be very intellectual in order to avoid the many traps and cliches that come with the genre. If fact, fantasy is one of the most challenging genre to write, people tend to think it easy to write due to the ability to write free, this is un-true. With each passing year, original ideas quickly become un-original because of its most sought after.
A writer needs to be intellectual in order to make his or her story original, and that time is getting blown away.
Fantasy with become more scarce due to the strictness the publishers have with the genre, you will notice that fantasy books these days no longer have much originality, for example see Eragon, and this is because epic books like Lord of the Rings, have stolen most of the "good ideas".
But don't let this fool you, their are still many millions of original ideas out there, one may be swimming inside your mind right now, just finding them is hard work.
:)
2007-03-25 02:48:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
As I learned in Mensa, there are many different kinds of intelligence - most of them judged by the ethos of the society doing the defining. As a writer I reckon fantasy writers often have the observation of the "real" world that any writer needs, plus the imagination to develop believable universes in which characters and even technologies develop from what is observable in that world. I don't think good fantasy can be written "without knowing much". "Lord of the Rings" is based on tremendous erudition, and most other works reflect much knowledge of past myths and legends, etc - but we write best what we most enjoy, so go for it. But don't think it's a doddle. Nothing worth doing is.
2007-03-25 08:47:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every fantasy novel I've read would indicate that the author was of above average intelligence.
They create another world, complete people, intricate plots, different creatures, etc. Most of the novels I've read have also had some pretty good insight about people in general.
Unintelligent would be the LAST word I'd use to describe a fantasy author.
2007-03-25 12:39:29 · answer #3 · answered by astreastar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had books in the 50's talking about space travel that was only fantasy at the time.....do you have to know all there is ito know in order to be able to write about a topic? not in my opinion. What ever you can dream up is what fantasy is all about.
2007-03-25 08:48:49 · answer #4 · answered by wbaker777 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, fantasy writers have to imagine the unimaginable, create charcaters and scenes and stories that dont exist in reality, this is certainly not a sign of low intelligence!!
2007-03-25 08:42:38 · answer #5 · answered by sydneygal 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is a great quote about fantasy writing:
"The only difference between writing about reality and fantasy is that fantasy has to make sense."
Meaning if it doesn't, readers get upset, but if you relate a true, non-sensical story, people just say, "wow."
2007-03-25 09:50:20 · answer #6 · answered by blakesleefam 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think any good writer of any kind of book must be reasonably intelligent... enough to keep the plot straight, to think of original situations rather than cliche's...
2007-03-25 08:59:46 · answer #7 · answered by Sheriam 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Writers are generally pretty intelligent, whatever their genre.
2007-03-25 08:42:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋