 Fantasy: September 14, 2016 Issue [#7855] |
  Fantasy
This week: Finding Balance When Writing Fantasy Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Fantasy Newsletter by Elf
A look at different ways a writer can find balance in their stories and the practice of writing. |
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Balance is something that comes to mind often in relation to writing any genre, including speculative fiction.
Sometimes we have to find a way to balance other activities in life with our desires to write. Whether it's putting time in a calendar to write, taking a break from watching anime shows on youtube, or any other activity there are a plethora of venues and distractions that relate to the topic. Putting priorities and finding balance are a big part of getting writing accomplished.
Different elements within a story need balance as well. Conflict, characters, the amount of description in order not to bore the reader with too many details. It's a long list when it comes to the balancing act that is found within our speculative fiction tales. Groups of characters are built to create both strife and balance around each other as they push themselves forward. Many examples available in this topic and it's not just the general depths of the stories either.
On the technical side, there are different ways we find balance in writing beyond the actual act of fitting time to write within our schedules. One that comes to mind recently is the vocabulary used. I have been reading a middle grade novel by Brandon Mull. It's the second book in a series and while put in with the "children's" books in many stores, these books are quite epic in size and genre. Whether writing for kids, teens or adults, there are times when we might consider the types of words we use. Here is a small bit from the book Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull:
"A loft bell tower stood close to the docks, its yellowed plaster peeling. A thick crenellated wall enclosed every part of the city except the wharf."
I had to look crenellated up as it's not common even as an adult, at least for me, and even my automatic spellchecker on my laptop doesn't recognize the word. It means having open spaces at the top of the wall so that people can shoot guns and cannons outward. Makes sense for a fantasy world even if they may not have that type of weaponry in the world of the book. However, I wouldn't have really known the word as a middle grader. But it shows quite well how one doesn't have to necessarily tame down language nor do they have to force themselves to add difficult words to challenge the reader. Even in this context finding the right balance is helpful. And in this case it's even about finding the right time to describe versus saying it in one word. He could have worked to paint the picture more of the open spaces at the top of the wall but chose at that time to put that into one word instead.
Balance of words. Another aspect of writing and a skill that we develop over time and with practice.
The game of writing is one big balancing act on many levels. We create worlds and characters whose lives get thrown off balance, but at the same time dedicate much to having everything even in some way or another. It's not always perfect and there is much we can do to grow and develop the skill. So, we keep writing, taking one step at a time on the thin edge of the story, moving it forward until the grand finale. |
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How do you find balance in your speculative fiction stories?
Last time I discussed friendships in fantasy stories in a somewhat short newsletter. Here are the responses sent in over the topic:
Comment by GaelicQueen 
Nice article and thank you for including my short story A Dog that seeks Faeries. Friends of the story's main character are allies that push and pull the main character into fulfilling the goal or reaching a satisfying outcome.
- Thank you. And that is a good point as to what the friends and allies do within a story in relation to the main character.
Comment by Jim Hall 
Speaking of friends and friendships in speculative fiction, we can go one step further and look at romantic encounters. Romances that involve interspecies stimulates (pardon the pun) our imaginations and makes us ask, "What would it be like to be in a relationship with _____?" Fill in the blank with whichever paranormal creature is your favorite.
The Paranormal Romance Short Story Contest premieres September 1st. I hope to see many short stories entered. It should be popular given the number of paranormal romances that have been written here at WdC. See you there!
- Thanks for the comments. If you're interested in a couple of other romance and fantasy type contests, let me know. I may know of a few  and maybe will someday enter your contest though the prompt would have to allow the types of characters I write. It's a nice idea though I will admit at times in YA paranormal romance, I have issue with some of the results, in particular of love triangles but that's my personal reactions. I hope you do well with the contest. Fantasy and romance are both hit or miss overall in contests but I enjoy writing both for sure.
Comment by Elfin Dragon-finally published
Does my story involve friendship with trials? Well, I think I'm working on it. My biggest novel has a friendship between two different races, oops make that three. And yes two of those people have many trials. For my other stories, they're still in their infancy.
- Stories all start some where, friendship involved or not. Keep working on them and they will get there. Good luck with your stories.
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