Fantasy: February 05, 2025 Issue [#12968]
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 This week: Fantasies
  Edited by: Robert Waltz Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

I love fantasy; I love imagination - that's the inner child in me.
         —Hannah John-Kamen

We don't create a fantasy world to escape reality. We create it to be able to stay.
         —Lynda Barry

I have too many fantasies to be a housewife. I guess I am a fantasy.
         —Marilyn Monroe


Word from our sponsor

ASIN: B01IEVJVAG
Amazon's Price: $ 9.99


Letter from the editor

With Valentine's Day coming up fast, I thought I'd take this opportunity to make an important genre-related distinction:

Sometimes, fantasy isn't Fantasy.

As with any literary genre, Fantasy can be tricky to define, with fuzzy boundaries. Any definition anyone can come up with, someone else can come up with a counterexample or an argument against it. But take it from someone who has to sigt through the Fantasy genre story listings here every four weeks:

That thing you wrote about what you'd do with your French teacher given half the chance? Yeah, that's not Fantasy; that's Erotica. Unless there's magic, elves, unicorns, or magical elven unicorns (or similar imaginary beings) involved, it's an entirely different thing from Fantasy writing. Come to think of it, I may have just given myself a story idea. Thanks, Me!

Mind you, there's nothing wrong with writing such things. It's absolutely a legitimate and popular genre of literature, even if few will admit to reading it. (Just be sure to use an appropriate Content Rating for it here on WDC.)

It's simply not what this newsletter's about.

It is, of course, also perfectly acceptable to write Fantasy erotica. The cool thing about Fantasy (and science fiction, for that matter) is that it's not an "alone" genre. That is, almost all Fantasy is merged with some other theme. The classic Tolkien novels, for example, could also be classed in Action/Adventure. You can also have Mystery, Romance, Drama, Military, Horror, Western, or (my favorite) Comedy. Or, really, just about anything.

But, in general, to be Fantasy, you usually need to have supernatural and/or magical elements. Your encounter with your French teacher may have seemed supernatural and/or magical (or would have been had it ever happened), but trust me, that's just neurons firing.

C'est la vie.


Editor's Picks

Some actual Fantasy from around the site:

 
Image Protector
Shelter from an Irish Storm Open in new Window. [13+]
Hikers take cover in an ancient house where legend says they shouldn't. (word count 1670)
by Wordsmitty ✍️ Author Icon


 My Last Tale Open in new Window. [13+]
Created for The Dragon's Keep Sept Round. Dragon,12th annual celebration, teller of tales.
by Jakrebs Author Icon


 The Old-Fashioned Way Open in new Window. [E]
Flash fiction contest entry.
by L.A.Saxe Author Icon


Image Protector
Enchanted Tales Open in new Window. [E]
A story about a magical book, 2nd Place in Newbie Short Story & poetry Contest.
by Choconut Author Icon


 The Strangest Camping Trip Open in new Window. [18+]
I get a surprise when I wake up in a strange place on a camping trip.
by Dawn Embers Author Icon


 
Image Protector
Backwards Day Open in new Window. [E]
The Weirdest February 29th ever. For Emily
by BlackAdder Author Icon


 Heart to Heart Open in new Window. [E]
Conversation between inscribed Valentine heart candy and moi...
by SandraLynn Author Icon

 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
         https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Don't forget to support our sponsor!

ASIN: B0CJKJMTPD
Product Type: Kindle Store
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99


Ask & Answer

Last time, in "Multiverse" Open in new Window., I discussed multiple universes.

New Year's Sox Author Icon: Almost all of my books exist in multiverse I even have different versions of the same characters working in vastly different jobs in the same organization.

         That's a cool idea. I couldn't do it, because I'd forget which one's which.


Twinflame8 Author Icon: I love this concept. I’ve decided to revise a story I wrote about timelines. I can naturally expand in this area in some satisfying ways.

         The possibilities are effectively limitless.

See you next month! Until then,

DREAM ON!!!



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