Everyone has their own idea of what fantasy is. Traditionally most people think of fantasy being the sword and sorcery medieval-style fantasy, but there is so much more to it than that. At its core, fantasy is any story that takes place in a made-up world (except for urban fantasy, which takes place in our world, but with other fantasy elements).
Aside from that, for me, fantasy is anything that includes one or more of these elements:
- Magic – I think magic is really what makes a fantasy. It’s one of the most important elements. Magic makes the story mysterious and in some cases scary depending on who is using the magic and why. Magic really gives you the feeling of being in a different world because it’s not something we see in our own world. Of course, it can exist in urban fantasy too as an underground thing that not everyone knows about.
- Mythological Creatures or People – Shapeshifters, Vampires, and Witches, oh my! I don’t often include these elements in my stories, but I do love experimenting with them. And we can’t forget the Gods! They make an appearance in many fantasy stories as well. Oh, and dragons, gnomes, elves, etc., can’t forget them!
- Paranormal/Supernatural Themes – These are anything beyond the realm of scientific explanation. These stories generally take place in our world and include things such as ghosts, vampires, and werewolves. Unlike urban fantasy, there is usually no magic involved. Again though, you can have paranormal and supernatural themes in other worlds.
- Technology That Works Alongside Magic – I know technology generally has more to do with science fiction than fantasy, but quite often the two genres tend to cross over. In fact, a new subgenre has been born out of it, science fantasy. While I love reading the sword and sorcery style of fantasy, I feel like it’s been overdone and I have nothing to contribute. So when I first began writing fantasy, I preferred writing fantasy that had both futuristic technology along with magic. It’s different, and a lot of fun to work out how magic in a world would affect the advancing of technology.
That’s about it, though. I can’t think of anything more that screams fantasy. A lot of people like to write in one subgenre or include only one element in their stories. If you haven’t figured it out already, I love combining the elements to create worlds no one has ever experienced before.
Enjoy the rest of the Brain to Books Cyber Convention and Book Expo.
