Graylorne
Archmage
I haven't read Paolini, so I can't judge the quality. Still... 20 million copies sold. Plus a movie and a video game... He must've done something good. That's a lot of money.
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Are there any young fantasy Authors?
- Thread starter Xanados
- Start date
TroubadourDamn right! Although I totally agree with you, that still felt like a kick in the bollocks
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Like I said, it's got some good visuals and is cliched enough to make a good film, but paired with the bad prose Ben mentioned, it doesn't actually make a great set of books. But then we're writers; we're more discerning about what we read than most because we know the processes behind it, just as a professional guitarist is better placed to judge the technical skill of another guitarist. But rubbish music still makes the charts. You just need some catchy lyrics and those four chords to place high on the charts, and often the same is true for stories: popular elements that are fairly enjoyable, bonus if they translate to film well, and you've got a bestseller on your hands. Fortunately people are still capable of recognising genuinely good books, or the best seller lists would be just like the UK top 40 played by stations like Radio 1: largely ignored by those of us with different tastes from just what's popular (I'm a rock fan and rock music never dominates and rarely features in the top 40 lists).
Benjamin Clayborne
Auror
There's also the phenomenon that particular niches are sometimes open for a new interpretation to take root. I would submit that the Star Wars-style callow farmboy meme was due, and Eragon came along at the right time to fill that niche. It checked every box on the checklist and so became popular. (Probably the fact that it was written by someone so young led people to read it who wouldn't have otherwise; even if it's not great, you still have to admit it's pretty good for a 15-year old.)
DreamerI actually disagree, mate. I don't believe we should ever go, "It's pretty good since he's only -insert young age," in this day and age. I mean, I do agree that most 15 year olds write some pretty generic stuff, but the more we go, "Well, good enough," the more they'll think to themselves, "If it's good enough for them, it must be good enough for everyone; no need to improve!"
And that's exactly what happens to most young people that write. I was blessed with a sister that was really... Well, she ripped my book apart. The first one. But I improved exponentially, or at least, I like to think so. Point is, if we were to hear about an old man writing a book, we wouldn't think twice of it. Depends on the person, not the age. xD
I actually respect Paolini's enthusiasm in getting his book out there. As a writer, I don't really think his stories are all that good, but at least he really tried his best, which is evident in the history of publication. Unlike Stephanie Meyer. She... Well, no words can describe what she did to literature... And Chilari, I'm actually a history buff, so I'm gonna hit you up with a private message. xD Thanks.
Graylorne
Archmage
Well, I do think you can say 'pretty good for someone of 15'. because your performance grows with your age and what's pretty good for 15 isn't good enough for 35. You still need to improve.
There's room for improvement for everyone, but a 15 year old can be as good as a 35 year old. It all depends on the gusto and enthusiasm of the person. In fact, said 15 year old can even be better, though it's rather rare. Practice does make semi-perfect (I say semi since no one is perfect) , but the way by which we write depends a lot on whether or not we're completely dedicated to it.
For example, a year ago, I tried to write a different book. And I have to say, it was exhausting. It was a crime thriller, and writing about Chinese Triads in New York City takes a lot of research. I made it to about 30k before I lost track of it and started writing my fantasy book instead, so a few months ago, I looked at both of them. Each of them had about 30k in them, and I had to make the difficult choice of picking one of them to finish first. I chose the fantasy book and have never looked back since, and it's been productive. Because I've dedicated myself completely to it, I managed sixty thousand more words within the span of months. Granted, that does not guarantee its content, but it depends on personality and the motivation to learn and improve, not the age.
It's rather like comparing Brandon Sanderson's and George R.R. Martin's prose. Brandon Sanderson is younger, and Martin is older, but both of them have basically the same skill in writing. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. Martin is 27 years older, yet in some aspects, Sanderson is actually better. Does that mean Martin is in any way lacking in skill? Of course not. Just a number, really. Just like how 90k is merely a number; it does not define the book, it's merely a way of counting the number of words that DO define the book.
Young people have mad skill if they try hard enough, and maturity doesn't come with age; it comes when you want it to. Subconsciously, we humans like to live as kids for as long as possible. But, if you wish it, you can grow up at... Age five. So, a 15 year old or a 13 year old can write a Dark Epic Fantasy or a Happy Good versus Evil fantasy just like how people like Abercrombie can write Dark Epic Fantasy, or people like Goodkind can write good versus evil fantasy. (I'm really not a fan of Goodkind, though. xD)
Just a number.
For example, a year ago, I tried to write a different book. And I have to say, it was exhausting. It was a crime thriller, and writing about Chinese Triads in New York City takes a lot of research. I made it to about 30k before I lost track of it and started writing my fantasy book instead, so a few months ago, I looked at both of them. Each of them had about 30k in them, and I had to make the difficult choice of picking one of them to finish first. I chose the fantasy book and have never looked back since, and it's been productive. Because I've dedicated myself completely to it, I managed sixty thousand more words within the span of months. Granted, that does not guarantee its content, but it depends on personality and the motivation to learn and improve, not the age.
It's rather like comparing Brandon Sanderson's and George R.R. Martin's prose. Brandon Sanderson is younger, and Martin is older, but both of them have basically the same skill in writing. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. Martin is 27 years older, yet in some aspects, Sanderson is actually better. Does that mean Martin is in any way lacking in skill? Of course not. Just a number, really. Just like how 90k is merely a number; it does not define the book, it's merely a way of counting the number of words that DO define the book.
Young people have mad skill if they try hard enough, and maturity doesn't come with age; it comes when you want it to. Subconsciously, we humans like to live as kids for as long as possible. But, if you wish it, you can grow up at... Age five. So, a 15 year old or a 13 year old can write a Dark Epic Fantasy or a Happy Good versus Evil fantasy just like how people like Abercrombie can write Dark Epic Fantasy, or people like Goodkind can write good versus evil fantasy. (I'm really not a fan of Goodkind, though. xD)
Just a number.
Jian, Paolini makes Stephanie Meyer look like Dostoevsky. Twilight is so much better written than Eragon it isn't even a close competition, and that's saying something given that Twilight is mediocre in terms of writing quality. As between those two books only, it is clear why one had to publish through his parent's company, and the other was picked up on a massive advance by a traditional publishing house.
I don't care about the age of the author, either. Once the book hits the shelves, it deserves to be judged on its own merits in relation to everything else on the shelves. That's respectful of both the author and the readers.
Benjamin Clayborne
Auror
Good thing I didn't say that we should do that, then.
I said that his writing was pretty good for a 15-year old, not that it was good enough to qualify as generally of good quality. The bigger point was that he got more readers than the writing quality deserved because he was so young.Good thing I didn't say that we should do that, then.
Very true. In fact, I bought his book because I knew he was 15. Still, those that bought his 3 other books have no excuse. xD
Benjamin Clayborne
Auror
I dunno. The prose is bad but the story was still pretty engaging. It was only once I started writing seriously that the prose got to be too much for me to handle.
