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gravityeyelidsvia http://ift.tt/2fc3PDz:
brainstatic:
Can I give completely unsolicited advice to fantasy writers that I wish someone had given me when I was into fantasy writing? The cliche “write what you know” is bad advice if taken literally, it’s how we get books about depressed middle-aged creative writing professors who contemplate having an affair. But generally speaking it can be helpful. Tolkien wrote a medieval fantasy because he was the world’s foremost expert on medieval English literature. His book about Beowulf is still considered academically significant. He gave every race detailed languages because he was also a linguist. He wrote about giant battles because he was traumatized by his time in World War I and wrote during World War II. You don’t have to do any of this because that isn’t you. You are allowed to write a whole fantasy epic without a single battle (or you can make battle scenes modern urban melees because clashes of great armies aren’t a thing anymore.) If, say, you’re really into fashion, feel free to describe in painstaking detail every outfit that elves wear for all possible occasions. I promise you it’s no weirder than describing the dialects of tree people. What I’m saying is, you’re not Tolkien and that’s a very good thing because your voice is needed more. Let your freak flag fly and make the world that comes from you specifically.
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brainstatic:
Can I give completely unsolicited advice to fantasy writers that I wish someone had given me when I was into fantasy writing? The cliche “write what you know” is bad advice if taken literally, it’s how we get books about depressed middle-aged creative writing professors who contemplate having an affair. But generally speaking it can be helpful. Tolkien wrote a medieval fantasy because he was the world’s foremost expert on medieval English literature. His book about Beowulf is still considered academically significant. He gave every race detailed languages because he was also a linguist. He wrote about giant battles because he was traumatized by his time in World War I and wrote during World War II. You don’t have to do any of this because that isn’t you. You are allowed to write a whole fantasy epic without a single battle (or you can make battle scenes modern urban melees because clashes of great armies aren’t a thing anymore.) If, say, you’re really into fashion, feel free to describe in painstaking detail every outfit that elves wear for all possible occasions. I promise you it’s no weirder than describing the dialects of tree people. What I’m saying is, you’re not Tolkien and that’s a very good thing because your voice is needed more. Let your freak flag fly and make the world that comes from you specifically.
(Your picture was not posted)
