Lynn Flewelling
Realism isn't something most people associate with the fantasy genre, yet it's an essential element of great fantasy writing.
When I started writing 'Luck in the Shadows,' I just wanted to create an adventure story.
It would be lovely if it was all Right vs. Wrong, Good overcomes Evil - I think most Americans, going about their daily lives, fool themselves into thinking that that's how our little world works, but it just isn't so.
I think the key is to give the reader characters they not only care about, but identify with, and to never take away all hope.
I was always a 'let's pretend' kind of kid.
The move to creating stories was a natural progression for me, but the most pivotal time was probably in 6th grade: That year, a friend introduced me to the stories of Ray Bradbury, and a student teacher introduced me to creative writing.
I come from a very small city in a rather remote part of America, where writers simply weren't part of the daily fabric.
I love all of my books. They were labors of love; I was striving to create something well done, and I do feel I succeeded.
Setting is the bedrock of your story. If you choose a real-world backdrop, be certain you get your facts straight.
The real world is the fantasy writer's scrapbook. Real history, real geography, real customs and religions are all invaluable sources of guidance and inspiration.
If you set your story in Rome, Ireland or Sheboygan, for that matter, go there. If you're broke, set it in the town where you live, or where you grew up.
Thou you thrust your dagger at my eye, I will not flinch.Collection: Eye
Fowl never tastes as savory when you're hungry for venison.Collection: Fowl
I hate being told what to do! Especially by myself!Collection: Hate
You always have a choice. Don't ever imagine you don't. Whatever you do, it's a decision and you have to accept responsibility for it. That's when honor becomes more than empty words.Collection: Responsibility
You hardly know me. Why do you want me to come with you?’ ‘Who knows? Perhaps you remind me just a bit of -‘ ‘Someone you used to know?’ Alec interjected skeptically. ‘Someone I used to be.Collection: Want
A crafty nightrunner died of late, And found himself at Bilairy’s Gate. He stood outside and refused to knock Because he meant to pick the lock.Collection: Locks
It was Alec who brought their lips together. Seregil's first reaction was disbelief. But Alec was insistent, clumsy but determined. It lasted an instant, an eternity, that one awkward kiss, and it spoke silent volumes of bewildered honesty. The moment that followed was too fragile for words.Collection: Honesty
Take what the Lightbearer sends and be thankful.Collection: Being Thankful
I do a lot with characters' sense of identity. I also like challenging stereotypes, gender roles, things like that. Give me a stereotype or a genre expectation and the first thing I want to do is stand it on its head. In the Nightrunner books I wanted to see if I could create a believable gay hero, one who wasn't someone's sidekick or a victim.Collection: Book
A writer can't just be well-educated or good at research; to build a living, breathing world with interesting characters, you have to write from the gut. I'm not saying you have to live your life like a fantasy adventure. The trick is the ability to synthesize your own everyday experiences into your fiction. Infuse your characters with believable emotions and motivations. Infuse your world with rich sensory detail. For that you have to be in touch with your own existence and your own soul, the dark and the light of it.Collection: Motivation
Jane Kindred’s THE HOUSE OF ARKHANGEL'SK dazzles with its surreal blending of worlds. Lost angel Anazakia, last survivor of her murdered family, finds herself in the hands of demons with suspect motives, betrayed by her own kind, stranded in the world of Man—21st century St. Petersburg, Russia, to be exact. Weaving startling visuals with compelling characters, Kindred reveals parallels in the two worlds that are ‘neither haphazard chance nor calculated design.’ It’s a dizzying, vibrant read.Collection: Character
I don't want to spend a fortune on my cremation urn, but I really do want to look nice at my memorial service.Collection: Nice