What makes a fantasy story interesting?

[Philip Overby]

I agree with Steerpike. If I wrote a story about a puppy that goes on a journey to find its mother, someone may criticize it for any number of reasons. What is supposed to be a simple story, turns into all manner of other things. I think this idea of picking everything apart isn't a new thing, it's just easier to do so now.

If you create what you like, there will most likely be other people that like it. If there are those that don't like it, you're not writing for them anyway.

For example, a lot of my fantasy is dark and/or silly. I don't expect people who like more serious fantasy will necessarily like what I write. They may or they may not. As writers, we have to put ourselves out there and see the reaction we get. I tend to find quicker paced writing more interesting myself. My tastes are always changing though. What was interesting to me years ago isn't always interesting to me now.

 

[SBDanes]

For a fantasy story, I find that the creation of a new world makes it interesting. I'm talking about a well-created world. It had to really draw the reader away from Earth and into this other reality. That is what fantasy is. But in order to do this, the writer needs to have figured out all of the specifics first otherwise it doesn't feel real.