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blog 6 Characteristics of a Great Fantasy Writer

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6 Characteristics of a Great Fantasy Writer

This article is by Jessica Wood.


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There are quite a few discussions about what makes a good writer, and they generally all come down to the same points; somebody who is hard working, perceptive, widely read, imaginative, and has close attention to detail. But what are the specific characteristics needed by a fantasy writer? What sets a great fantasy writer apart from a good one? If you write fantasy then you’ll still need all of the same characteristics as other writers, but the complexities of the genre require some additional traits on top of those. These are the most significant ones which I have noticed in the best fantasy writers:

Perfectionist

All authors need to go over their work with a fine-tooth comb, but fantasy requires worldbuilding which makes it all the more difficult. If you’re writing a literary novel set in modern-day London, you don’t need to give much description as the readers can easily picture London for themselves. You may have to do some research, but otherwise the city of London is already there set up for you. When you’re writing a fantasy city of your own creation, you need to decide everything from the architectural style to the main imports sold in the markets.

It’s not that you need to describe every intimate detail or know them by heart, but the more you do know, the easier it is to describe, so there will be about a...
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
 

Yora

Maester
A good case being made for Less is More. Not doing less work, but a serious effort to identify the important bits and clear out the clutter. I really like the quote (by someone) "Perfection is not reached when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove". Restraint, revision, and trial and error are indispensible to making a fantasy story tight and crisp. Bloat and shapelessness are the big killers that are plaguing the trade.
 

kyrrimar

Acolyte
"...fantasy is indulgent..." Yes, yes it is. Some writers (and readers) long to bathe in the worldbuilding river, lingering there for pages, not bothered that the plot is going downstream with them. Others just want to make it across alive. :LOL:
 

Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
Restraint, revision, and trial and error are indispensible to making a fantasy story tight and crisp. Bloat and shapelessness are the big killers that are plaguing the trade.

I agree. Large, overblown epics with endless, meandering stories are the bane of fantasy literature.
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
I think I would have to argue a bit with Perfectionist (and perhaps its not really meant the way the word would imply). Perfect is an endless quest that has no end. At some point you have to know enough is enough and let go.
 
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