This week we do something never done before at the Round Table. My very special friend, Nicodemus Wolfgang Taranovsky, joins me in my living room for an actual sit-down chat all about…writing fantasy!
VIDEO
AUDIO
SHOW NOTES
How did Nico get into writing fantasy? And what is the history of this genre? How would you write a classic fantasy story today? And should you have a distinct good versus evil plot? We dive into types of fantasy stories, starting with the Portal/Quest fantasy and how to immerse your reader, without losing them!
What we talked about:
What started Nico’s journey into writing fantasy? (1:50)
The history of Fantasy as a clearly defined genre. (6:55)
How would you define “Fantasy” today, and not fall into a sub-genre? (9:53)
Good vs. Evil in Fantasy today. (11:50)
In order to be fantasy, must you depart from our known world? (13:40)
Portal/Quest Fantasy. (17:31)
How do you explain things within an immersion fantasy story? (21:52)
How can you craft your immersion fantasy without losing the reader? (26:49)
LINKS
Things we mentioned:
Weird Tales
The Maker of Gargoyles by Clark Ashton Smith
The Well at the World’s End by William Morris
Conan the Barbarian
H.P. Lovecraft
Ursula K Le Guin
Octavia E. Butler
Neil Gaimon
Joe Abercrombie
N.K. Jemisin
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
Brandon Sanderson
Want more about these topics? Check out:
SWRT 009 Middle Grade Fantasy with Alina Sayre
SWRT 015 Fantasy Adventure with Alina Sayre
SWRT 043 Balancing Character & World Building