Story & Why I Write Fantasy
Yesterday I spoke to the University of Canterbury’s creative writing class about “story” and writing process—which was a lot of fun and I hope at least something in what I had to say was encouraging.
In the susbequent discussion, one of the students asked me why I chose to write Fantasy and although I tried to say something eloquent and inspiring, the gist was, “because I love it.”
But in 2012, I addressed this very question on SF Signal, in what I feel was a reasonably eloquent and slightly fuller manner. So I thought I’d share some of what I said then with you today:
“The reason I want to celebrate epic fantasy is fairly straightforward: I love the genre…I love big, sweeping, adventurous stories where there’s a lot at stake and what’s at stake matters. I love stories of heroism, and friendships that endure in the face of darkness and despair — but sometimes fail, too. I love sword fights, and glorious charges, and forlorn hopes, and “bands of brothers” holding together through the “thick and thin.” I love magic, too, and if comes with a thread of darkness, danger, and the surreal, then all the better. World building is also really important to me, and not just landscapes but cultures as well: I want the world and the societies to be real for me when I’m reading and that’s what I strive for in my own writing. And I like a bit of romance — not big R romance which has it’s own genre, but what I call “little r” romance, which is integral to all our lives and definitely has its place in big book epic. [My books]…may be about magic and danger, roof top pursuits and forced marches by night, tourneys and battles, bands of brothers — and sisters — but [they’re] also about love…So there you have it: epic and adventure and magic, battles and flights, world building and emotional power, friendship and love. If you enjoy any or all of these things in your reading, then you may just find something in…[my storytelling]…that you will like.”
So I guess basically, it still comes down to: “I write Fantasy because I love it.” At the end of the day, what better reason is there to do anything?
None better, I say!
Hear, hear!