THE ICE PICK

The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature, from Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest : How to Write Fantasy Stories of Lasting Value, edited by Philip Martin. 1st ed. Waukesha, Wis., Writer Books, 2002. 240 p. $16.95. Includes: bibliography, index, "list of top markets for fantasy fiction." ISBN: 0-87116-195-8.

From the Hildebrandts’ cover art through the market list and "other resources for fantasy writers," this book is a treasure.

The book covers fantasy from children’s literature to dark fantasy in essays by Patricia A. McKillip, Elizabeth Hand, Jane Yolen, Gregory Maguire, and Ray Bradbury, and in interviews with John Marco, Donna Jo Napoli, Diane Schoemperlen, Franny Billingsley, Kij Johnson, Ursula K. LeGuin, Peter S. Beagle, Susan Cooper, Midori Snyder, and Terry Pratchett.

The first part of the book explains Pottermania and discusses what fantasy is, why it has endured through the centuries, and how you can tap into that power. As Lloyd Alexander says, "Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It’s a way of understanding it."

Whether your fantasy is about "lofty purpose and great causes," "adventure for its own sake," magic in everyday settings, "personal transformation," or "dark themes of sharp satire [or] urban decay," you will find it defined and discussed.

And whether you "follow the forms closely . . . or bend the rules and break the frame at every chance . . . knowledge of what is being bent and broken can help a writer succeed in the key act of writing" and in presenting your tale to editors and agents.

The book’s second part deals with the "building blocks of fantasy stories": characterization, viewpoint, setting, patterns, plots, and themes.

This section is full of practical advice to help you become a better fantasy writer. For example, Jane Yolen, in showing how precise details make your fantasy more realistic and believable, suggests you "write out a travelogue of your world. Take yourself for a trip to its most famous points of interest. Or pretend you are writing an article for an encyclopedia that will include customs, laws, historical background, flora and fauna, and the Gross National Product."

Common threads of fantasy are discussed: the power of names, repetition, magic, duels, riddles, premonitions and prophecies, symbols, humor and parody, and myths and legends. These things have been common to the fantasy tradition for centuries, and their appeal is still a powerful one for readers.

Along the way, the fantasy authors reveal "secrets" about problems they have faced and solved, characterization, tying up loose ends in the last book of a series, etc.

The third part of the book deals with "techniques of writing fantasy," which includes generating ideas and keeping track of them, planning a story, doing research, creating maps, setting goals, overcoming writer’s block, revising, submitting your story, and handling the inevitable rejections.

I found this book enjoyable to read and very informative. "This is not," as Martin says, "a ten-easy-steps book. Rather, it tries to share the words and thoughts of great writers. . . . They gladly share their knowledge, but you need to find your own path. . . ." And this book can help you do that. I recommend it very highly.

{Published in SF and Fantasy Workshop Newsletter, Jan. 2004.}