Christopher Patterson's Blog - Posts Tagged "fiction"
Why Can't Fantasy Fiction Get Any Respect?
You should see the looks I get when people learn I'm an author, especially people who have known me for a while. They get this bright-eyed, amazed look. Of course, the next question is, "What have you written and what is it about?" You should see their faces when I tell them I am a fantasy author. For most, any level of amazement recedes and I get the look that says, "Oh, you're one of those kinds of authors."
Why can't fantasy get any love? When I was studying Creative Writing at the University of Arizona, the goal of almost every student in my class was to be an author, to write that next ,great, American novel that would move mountains, shatter norms, and change the minds of generations to come. And then there was me. I just wanted to write good fantasy. But to most, putting that adjective with that genre is oxymoronic. There is no such thing as good fantasy. I even had a classmate tell me one time that she didn't understand why I was bothering with a degree in Creative Writing if all I wanted to do was write fantasy novels. This was a degree for serious writers. Great, Thanks!
Even with classics like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia and new blockbusters like Harry Potter and The Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones for those of you who have only watched the HBO series), one would think that fantasy writing, fantasy writers, and the fantasy genre in general would be getting a little more credibility, but I really don't think it is. I mean, come on, Zombie and Vampire novels are getting more love than Fantasy novels. Really?
I get that some people simply don't like fiction. I have several good friends who only like biographies and motivational books and histories. But those aren't really the people I'm talking about. Fantasy requires some stretching of the imagination, definitely. And some people just have a hard time with make believe worlds and creatures like dwarves and elves and dragons. Okay. But if you're going to read a fiction novel, why would you want to read something that resembles real life? Then it's not really fiction, is it? And that is what most literary fiction is. I know I am committing a cardinal sin here and generalizing, stereotyping even (uh oh, the dreaded word that contradicts all that is PC), but much of modern day's literary fiction is some novel about a situation, event, or life that actually happened, only the names were changed. I read fiction to get away. I read fiction to take a journey. I read fiction to engage my imagination, travel beyond reality, and experience something I will probably never experience in real life. Now, I don't want to read a story in which no one ever dies, there are never any struggles, and everything ends up perfect. I want conflict. I want stress and worry. I - yes I know this is going to sound like I am contradicting myself - want some reality. But I don't want real life.
Anyways, I digress. Fantasy. Fantasy and Science Fiction seems to be the red headed step child (no disrespect to any red headed step children out there) of the literary world. In fact, some might even scoff at the notion of mentioning literary in the same sentence as fantasy and science fiction. So why? Well, I think the biggest reason is, what I have heard commonly called, popcorn fantasy. The cheeseball effect of fantasy. Fantasy, even more so than science fiction, can be so over the top, so overwhelming, such a stretch of the imagination, that it is just too much and it becomes almost like a soap opera with dragons and orcs. Much like romance, and I don't mean to rag on romance because there are some very good romance novelists out there, it is formulaic. You have a young human warrior just trying to figure things out, a dwarf fighter who's a jerk, an elvish wizard who is uppity and whose sexuality is questionable, a halfling thief with quirky, witty puns, and a sexy female warrior who, for whatever reason, thinks its a great idea to wear a chain mail bra. By the way, if anyone knows where to get a chain mail bra, can you let my wife know. Right, I mean, that pretty much sums up the group of fantasy protagonists. They set out on some epic journey to fight an evil wizard, a powerful warlord, or some other archetypal fantasy villain (there's a few more to pick from). This party is faced with overwhelming odds and in the end, using a literary technique which I have to admit, I have used in my early writing and which is not recommended, by Deus ex machina the conflict is resolved and everyone lives happily ever after.
I think a lot of people figure once you've read one fantasy novel, you've read them all. And, not at all trying to hate on Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, in the cases of those popcorn type fantasies, that's probably true. I've seen some deviations. Michael Moorcock and his Elric series cast an evil, somewhat sadistic, and very conflicted character (Elric) as the protagonist. Nice. R.A. Salvatore does something similar with Drizzt, a drow elf gone good. But what have the really successful fantasy writers done that makes them so successful, what has Tolkien, Rowlings, Martin, Lewis, Le Guinn, Sanderson, and even Jordan done that make them so great, and make their novels so outstanding? I think what has made their work more available to the typical, non-fantasy loving reader, is firstly their outstanding writing (I get so tired of the fantasy community accepting terrible writing, acting, directing, etc. just because they like the idea of a story or book) and then their ability to cross genre boundaries.
In order for fantasy to started becoming more mainstream, not the genre of nerdy virgins hanging out in the back of the classroom playing Magic the Gathering, fantasy writers need to do a few things. We need to get away from the formulaic. There really isn't a story out there that hasn't been told, but we need to tell a story in a new, fresh way. We need to get away from the D & D adventure template. Fantasy authors need to write something that doesn't sound like they pumped it out in a month. Fantasy authors need to hold the fantasy a little. What? I know, it sounds crazy, but what sounds crazy to me is that every knight has a magic sword and every wizard can blast through an army of goblins with a fireball spell. Where's the mystery, where's the struggle, where's the conflict? One of the things I love about George Martin is the fact that magic is somewhat limited in his world. It's a precious commodity. I think people are drawn to books where magic is mysterious, dragons don't do fly overs every day, and not every town has its own wizard. Fantasy authors need to invest in good editing and books from other genres. We need to find out what appeals to the mystery reader, the romance reader, the literary reader, the reader of historical fiction. If fantasy can incorporate those ideas into a well written story that happens to have many fantasy elements, we will have many more fans.
So, just some food for thought. I would like to know what you all think of fantasy, why you think it has the stigma of being so cheesy, and, if you're not a normal purveyor of fantasy, what would get you to read more of it. Also, if you're looking for a good fantasy novel, check out A Chance Beginning
Christopher Patterson
Why can't fantasy get any love? When I was studying Creative Writing at the University of Arizona, the goal of almost every student in my class was to be an author, to write that next ,great, American novel that would move mountains, shatter norms, and change the minds of generations to come. And then there was me. I just wanted to write good fantasy. But to most, putting that adjective with that genre is oxymoronic. There is no such thing as good fantasy. I even had a classmate tell me one time that she didn't understand why I was bothering with a degree in Creative Writing if all I wanted to do was write fantasy novels. This was a degree for serious writers. Great, Thanks!
Even with classics like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia and new blockbusters like Harry Potter and The Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones for those of you who have only watched the HBO series), one would think that fantasy writing, fantasy writers, and the fantasy genre in general would be getting a little more credibility, but I really don't think it is. I mean, come on, Zombie and Vampire novels are getting more love than Fantasy novels. Really?
I get that some people simply don't like fiction. I have several good friends who only like biographies and motivational books and histories. But those aren't really the people I'm talking about. Fantasy requires some stretching of the imagination, definitely. And some people just have a hard time with make believe worlds and creatures like dwarves and elves and dragons. Okay. But if you're going to read a fiction novel, why would you want to read something that resembles real life? Then it's not really fiction, is it? And that is what most literary fiction is. I know I am committing a cardinal sin here and generalizing, stereotyping even (uh oh, the dreaded word that contradicts all that is PC), but much of modern day's literary fiction is some novel about a situation, event, or life that actually happened, only the names were changed. I read fiction to get away. I read fiction to take a journey. I read fiction to engage my imagination, travel beyond reality, and experience something I will probably never experience in real life. Now, I don't want to read a story in which no one ever dies, there are never any struggles, and everything ends up perfect. I want conflict. I want stress and worry. I - yes I know this is going to sound like I am contradicting myself - want some reality. But I don't want real life.
Anyways, I digress. Fantasy. Fantasy and Science Fiction seems to be the red headed step child (no disrespect to any red headed step children out there) of the literary world. In fact, some might even scoff at the notion of mentioning literary in the same sentence as fantasy and science fiction. So why? Well, I think the biggest reason is, what I have heard commonly called, popcorn fantasy. The cheeseball effect of fantasy. Fantasy, even more so than science fiction, can be so over the top, so overwhelming, such a stretch of the imagination, that it is just too much and it becomes almost like a soap opera with dragons and orcs. Much like romance, and I don't mean to rag on romance because there are some very good romance novelists out there, it is formulaic. You have a young human warrior just trying to figure things out, a dwarf fighter who's a jerk, an elvish wizard who is uppity and whose sexuality is questionable, a halfling thief with quirky, witty puns, and a sexy female warrior who, for whatever reason, thinks its a great idea to wear a chain mail bra. By the way, if anyone knows where to get a chain mail bra, can you let my wife know. Right, I mean, that pretty much sums up the group of fantasy protagonists. They set out on some epic journey to fight an evil wizard, a powerful warlord, or some other archetypal fantasy villain (there's a few more to pick from). This party is faced with overwhelming odds and in the end, using a literary technique which I have to admit, I have used in my early writing and which is not recommended, by Deus ex machina the conflict is resolved and everyone lives happily ever after.
I think a lot of people figure once you've read one fantasy novel, you've read them all. And, not at all trying to hate on Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, in the cases of those popcorn type fantasies, that's probably true. I've seen some deviations. Michael Moorcock and his Elric series cast an evil, somewhat sadistic, and very conflicted character (Elric) as the protagonist. Nice. R.A. Salvatore does something similar with Drizzt, a drow elf gone good. But what have the really successful fantasy writers done that makes them so successful, what has Tolkien, Rowlings, Martin, Lewis, Le Guinn, Sanderson, and even Jordan done that make them so great, and make their novels so outstanding? I think what has made their work more available to the typical, non-fantasy loving reader, is firstly their outstanding writing (I get so tired of the fantasy community accepting terrible writing, acting, directing, etc. just because they like the idea of a story or book) and then their ability to cross genre boundaries.
In order for fantasy to started becoming more mainstream, not the genre of nerdy virgins hanging out in the back of the classroom playing Magic the Gathering, fantasy writers need to do a few things. We need to get away from the formulaic. There really isn't a story out there that hasn't been told, but we need to tell a story in a new, fresh way. We need to get away from the D & D adventure template. Fantasy authors need to write something that doesn't sound like they pumped it out in a month. Fantasy authors need to hold the fantasy a little. What? I know, it sounds crazy, but what sounds crazy to me is that every knight has a magic sword and every wizard can blast through an army of goblins with a fireball spell. Where's the mystery, where's the struggle, where's the conflict? One of the things I love about George Martin is the fact that magic is somewhat limited in his world. It's a precious commodity. I think people are drawn to books where magic is mysterious, dragons don't do fly overs every day, and not every town has its own wizard. Fantasy authors need to invest in good editing and books from other genres. We need to find out what appeals to the mystery reader, the romance reader, the literary reader, the reader of historical fiction. If fantasy can incorporate those ideas into a well written story that happens to have many fantasy elements, we will have many more fans.
So, just some food for thought. I would like to know what you all think of fantasy, why you think it has the stigma of being so cheesy, and, if you're not a normal purveyor of fantasy, what would get you to read more of it. Also, if you're looking for a good fantasy novel, check out A Chance Beginning
Christopher Patterson
How Much is Too Much (Part Two)
So, in my last blog, I posted about gratuitous sex in fiction, namely fantasy. I have come to the conclusion that we have far too much sex in both literature and movies. And it’s not just that there is too much sex. It’s that the sex that is portrayed is often abusive, pornographic, violent, and depicted in unhealthy situations and unhealthy relationships. Not to dwell too much on what I discussed last time, but how many movies and stories are out there talking about losing one’s virginity, finding that all too elusive one night stand with that girl who we all know will eventually have major issues with relationships and everything else because she was billed as the high school slut who boys went to to lose their virginity. I don’t think I would find sex in literature so disturbing if it was portrayed in a healthy manner, between two people who are in a loving, preferably married, relationship, and within the realm of realism. I read some books and I think to myself, “These guys (and girls) watched way too much porn, because this stuff normally doesn’t happen in reality.”
Okay, enough about sex. So what’s next. Let’s talk about language. I know that as a fantasy author who is also a Christian, language can be a tricky issue, almost as tricky as sex. One of the nice elements of fantasy is, when everything else is made up, why can’t curses and bad words be made up as well? That was a bit of advice given to me by one of my editors and, even though at the time I was a little upset, after a while it made sense. Why was I upset? Well, even though I am a Christian and even though I don’t really want to exclude anyone over the age of, say, 13 from reading my books, I do want to portray some sense of realism. If someone gets stabbed with an enchanted sword or zapped with a lightning bolt, are they really going to say “Oh, shucky darn.” I don’t think so. But at the same time, is it really necessary for an author to explicitly list all the colorful words that would come out of that character’s mouth? I don’t think so. I say, give the audience a sense of realism. Let them know, through the character’s language, what is going on, and leave the rest up to their imagination. I think language can also give the audience an insight into a character. If an author is trying to show that a certain character is vulgar, bad, evil, uncivilized, etc. then is it okay for them to use some colorful language to portray that? I would say yes. I know some would disagree, but I think so. The problem goes back to the original question, How much is too much?
First of all, I am not a fan of the Big Three—this is what I refer to them as in my classrooms. You all know the big three—the F word and the two C words. If you have to ask what the two C words are, then don’t ask. Anyways, I remember a day when you could turn on the television and know there was a limit as to what kind of language you might hear. Now, as long as the comedian portrays a picture of a cat, he can say . . . well, you know. If so and so shows a picture of a rooster, all the sudden it’s not vulgar to say . . . well, you can guess that one as well. A rated R movie was pretty much free reign on language, but PG-13 meant no F words. Then it was one F word. Now, who knows. Much like sex, language has become a nonissue for many people. It’s a part of our culture. It’s an expression of who you are, where you come from. It’s a part of your vernacular. I think those are all copouts. I don’t know how many parents I know who will tell someone to watch their language around their kids, and then once their kids are in bed, they reveal that they have the worst mouth anyone has ever heard. Does that make a whole lot of sense? Like, your kids aren’t going to pick up on that eventually.
So, what does that have to do with literature. We, as a culture, have become more accepting of things that were once taboo. And I don’t think its necessarily a good thing. Its not okay to have a potty mouth, so why should it be okay for foul language to be the norm in literature. Like I said before, I think there are certain circumstances where language can help move a plot, express a character, or help with action, but those are perhaps the extremes. I don’t think language is as much of an issue as sex. I think using foul language doesn’t have as many negative implications in regards to society as a negative view of sex does, but one can certainly see how a disregard for one can lead to a disregard for the other.
Again, I am interested in your thoughts, so please read and respectfully reply through the comments. Also, if you are reading this blog posting and would be interested in purchasing my first fantasy novel, A Chance Beginning, you can use the following code QV3GNESC at https://www.createspace.com/4659339 to receive a $1 discount on your purchase. You can also purchase A Chance Beginning for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/Chance-Beginnin...
Okay, enough about sex. So what’s next. Let’s talk about language. I know that as a fantasy author who is also a Christian, language can be a tricky issue, almost as tricky as sex. One of the nice elements of fantasy is, when everything else is made up, why can’t curses and bad words be made up as well? That was a bit of advice given to me by one of my editors and, even though at the time I was a little upset, after a while it made sense. Why was I upset? Well, even though I am a Christian and even though I don’t really want to exclude anyone over the age of, say, 13 from reading my books, I do want to portray some sense of realism. If someone gets stabbed with an enchanted sword or zapped with a lightning bolt, are they really going to say “Oh, shucky darn.” I don’t think so. But at the same time, is it really necessary for an author to explicitly list all the colorful words that would come out of that character’s mouth? I don’t think so. I say, give the audience a sense of realism. Let them know, through the character’s language, what is going on, and leave the rest up to their imagination. I think language can also give the audience an insight into a character. If an author is trying to show that a certain character is vulgar, bad, evil, uncivilized, etc. then is it okay for them to use some colorful language to portray that? I would say yes. I know some would disagree, but I think so. The problem goes back to the original question, How much is too much?
First of all, I am not a fan of the Big Three—this is what I refer to them as in my classrooms. You all know the big three—the F word and the two C words. If you have to ask what the two C words are, then don’t ask. Anyways, I remember a day when you could turn on the television and know there was a limit as to what kind of language you might hear. Now, as long as the comedian portrays a picture of a cat, he can say . . . well, you know. If so and so shows a picture of a rooster, all the sudden it’s not vulgar to say . . . well, you can guess that one as well. A rated R movie was pretty much free reign on language, but PG-13 meant no F words. Then it was one F word. Now, who knows. Much like sex, language has become a nonissue for many people. It’s a part of our culture. It’s an expression of who you are, where you come from. It’s a part of your vernacular. I think those are all copouts. I don’t know how many parents I know who will tell someone to watch their language around their kids, and then once their kids are in bed, they reveal that they have the worst mouth anyone has ever heard. Does that make a whole lot of sense? Like, your kids aren’t going to pick up on that eventually.
So, what does that have to do with literature. We, as a culture, have become more accepting of things that were once taboo. And I don’t think its necessarily a good thing. Its not okay to have a potty mouth, so why should it be okay for foul language to be the norm in literature. Like I said before, I think there are certain circumstances where language can help move a plot, express a character, or help with action, but those are perhaps the extremes. I don’t think language is as much of an issue as sex. I think using foul language doesn’t have as many negative implications in regards to society as a negative view of sex does, but one can certainly see how a disregard for one can lead to a disregard for the other.
Again, I am interested in your thoughts, so please read and respectfully reply through the comments. Also, if you are reading this blog posting and would be interested in purchasing my first fantasy novel, A Chance Beginning, you can use the following code QV3GNESC at https://www.createspace.com/4659339 to receive a $1 discount on your purchase. You can also purchase A Chance Beginning for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/Chance-Beginnin...
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