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Post by Author Jenelle L. Schmidt Fantasy Orphan Well hello there, I would like to thank you for stopping by today. I am pleased to be here. Oh! I'm sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Convenient Fantasy Orphan. You've probably heard of me... especially if you like to read fantasy. You've read some of my stories. You've rooted for me, heard about my painful back-story, perhaps you've even shed tears for me. As you know, I am an important part of many fantasy stories. I'm often the protagonist, the unlikely hero, the one who rises up and overcomes the shadow and tragedy of my past. At some point in my past... my author thought it was important that I lose my family. I didn't like it, but what could I do? This loss of family made me vulnerable in some way that was necessary to the story, and it also freed up my author from needing to answer any questions about where my parents were and why they let me go off on such dangerous adventures. I hadn't got any parents, and thus was left to fend for myself and get into all sorts of trouble whenever I wanted. See, if I'd had parents, they would have loved me too much to let me do anything so dangerous as run off with Old Ben to save the galaxy from the evil Empire (even my aunt and uncle in that case were too strict... so my author killed them off, too!) I wouldn't have gone haring off on a wild adventure with Gandalf to liberate the Dwarven homeland from Smaug if I'd had those pesky family ties keeping me stable and sensibly AT HOME! (I was a responsible adult for a while while I raised my nephew, but, being a fantasy orphan myself, I knew how important it was to give him some space, so the moment he came of age, I exited, stage right, and gave Frodo the room he needed to find his own adventure without any parental oversight). I probably wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble at Hogwarts if I'd come from a good wizarding family, either. You can find me easily. I run rampant through nearly every Disney retelling of various fairy tales. In many stories, the loss of my parents often determines my station in life, gives me the courage to rise up in the face of overwhelming odds, or at the very least it prompts me to seek vengeance for their loss. In any case, as I was saying, my not having a family is most convenient for the author.... I mean, it allows for so many interesting twists and turns in my story. I'm free of obligations that come with having a family. I get away with things I wouldn't necessarily get away with if I had parents. I can always have an existential crisis if I suddenly discover that one of my parents is, in fact, still alive!!! I don't even know how I'll react to that! It also allows me to have a heritage or family tree that I am completely ignorant of... and then the sky is the limit! I can go from a poor pick-pocket dreaming of seeing the interior of the palace to heir to the throne in the course of my story! So, that's who I am. Thanks for letting me tell you a bit about myself. I think I hear Jenelle returning and... I... should get going. Keep an eye out for me in all your favorite stories, and when you meet me there, please have pity for those of us whose parents our authors have so blithely killed with nary a worry nor care. Adieu! About the Author: Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters." Connect with the Author.
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 My Favorite Fantasy Couple I was planning to do a post on my top ten favorite fantasy couples... but then I could only think of six that weren't too spoilery, and with the last one, I couldn't remember one of the characters' names - which was making me reevaluate whether or not they really deserved to be listed among my top favorites... and THAT made me think that maybe there was a post in there somewhere about how I'm not a huge fan of romance stories in general (I mean, I do love a well-told love story now and again, but it's not my go-to by any stretch of the imagination). Well, then I started writing about my FAVORITE fantasy couple, and I realized that I couldn't just talk about them in a sound bite. While Aragorn and Arwen are often featured as the "spotlight" relationship in The Lord of the Rings, with their tragic romance that spans culture and is full of self-sacrifice and has the whole star-crossed lovers thing going for it... Eowyn and Faramir's relationship is by far the love story I prefer. If I had just one major disappointment in Peter Jackson's retelling of LOTR, it would be the lack of development or time he put into showing us the beautiful love story between these two characters. Take Faramir: the second-son of Lord Denethor. I mean, that right there could tell you all you need to know about the guy. He knows he's not the favored son. He knows he's not going to inherit anything of worth. But he doesn't allow that to make him bitter. Instead, he quietly and faithfully does his duty. He is so devoid of arrogance, conceit, or self-serving ambitions that even the One Ring holds little temptation for him. Faramir is the picture of a character who always, always chooses to do what is right over what is easy. When the Ring is within his grasp, and he even guesses correctly what it is, he chooses to let Frodo continue on his journey. "But fear no more! I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo." I remember my dad reading us the Lord of the Rings for the first time, and when we got to the end, I have this vivid memory of him explaining that part of the reason Boromir died was because he would not have been able to hand over Gondor to Aragorn the way that Faramir did. That there was a humility to Faramir that Boromir did not possess. Boromir was noble, and heroic (and if you've read this blog for any amount of time you know that I love him dearly), but he was also extremely proud, and it was part of his downfall. But, lest you think Faramir's lack of selfish ambition makes him weak, think again! No, Faramir is a warrior, and has enough pride for it to be stung by his father's harsh words. He rides out at Denethor's behest into a suicide mission, and his men rally to his courage, though it is not enough to turn the tide against a foe that outnumbers his band by far too many. Then there is Eowyn. Beautiful, sorrowful Eowyn. She has lived through too much. Caring for her ailing uncle throughout his time being poisoned by Wormtongue, and her proximity to that situation causing her to swallow much of those poisonous words, herself, Eowyn feels trapped in a life she did not choose. She dreams of glory, of escaping the life of sorrow and drudgery she has lived and rising above it. This drives her to almost throw herself at Aragorn - seeing him as a possible means of escape and glory, as she knows who he is and what he is destined for - but he gently tells her his heart belongs to another. Then she seeks glory or death on the battlefield, and very nearly finds both. If that were the end of these stories, both Faramir and Eowyn would be interesting, well-developed characters. But the redemptive healing that they bring to each other is what makes them shine like stars in the heavens. It is this beautiful, poignant romance that springs up between these two wounded souls and heals them both that make them my favorite couple in all of fantasy fiction. The patience and gentleness that Faramir displays in his courtship of Eowyn is simply beautiful, as beautiful as the sun shining down into Eowyn's heart at long last, when she realizes that being queen and having all the glory and honor in the world means little when compared with the honest love and tender care of the man offering her his heart. "Eowyn, do you not love me, or will you not?" "I wished to be loved by another," she answered. "But I desire no man's pity." "That I know," he said. "You desired to have the love of the Lord Aragorn. Because he was high and puissant, and you wished to have the renown and glory and to be lifted far above the mean things that crawl on the earth. And as a great captain may to a young soldier he seemed to you admirable. For so he is, a lord among men, the greatest that now is. But when he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle. Look at me, Eowyn!" And Eowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: "Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Eowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you.... Eowyn, do you not love me?" Then the heart of Eowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her. Even now, reading these scenes in the Two Towers and Return of the King that focus on Eowyn and Faramir get me a little choked up. Their love story is sweet and beautiful and epic and everything a love story should be. What about you, dear Reader? Do you enjoy romance elements in your fantasy reads? Who are YOUR favorite "ships"? About the Author: Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters." Connect with the Author.  Post by Author Jenelle L. Schmidt
Elements of Fantasy Part 2 Today I’m answering the second part of the question I was asked a while back: What elements do you see in other genres that you wish you saw more in fantasy books/movies? Everyday Conflicts Most fantasy-fiction (and most spec-fiction, for that matter) tend to deal with WORLD ENDING EPICAL BATTLES GALORE AGAINST THE ULTIMATE EVIL VILLAIN OF VILLAINOUS VILLAINS! Which is awesome. I love a well-written Good vs Evil story. I have to, because I wrote that kind of story myself in both Yorien's Hand and the upcoming Minstrel's Call. Gandalf: What did you hear? Samwise: N-nothing important... that is, I heard a good deal about a ring, and a Dark Lord, and something about the end of the world... But sometimes it would be nice to see these fantasy heroes on a more everyday scale. It doesn't always have to be an ordinary hero going up against a Dark Lord bent on ruling the world. Sometimes, it can be an ordinary hero going up against an ordinary conflict, and that can be fantastical, too. Second Son and King's Warrior lean more towards that scale. This is one of the reasons I love H.L. Burke's books so much, because her conflicts tend to be on a more everyday scale. They are serious, but not always world-threatening. Mystery One of the reasons I love the Dresden Files or the show Grimm, is because we get more of this everyday sort of conflict. (Not to mention that Grimm combines two of my favorite kinds of stories: Fantasy + Crime Show). I'd love to see some detective work and sleuthing skills used more in the fantasy-verse. This is one of the reasons I loved The Beast of Talesend, as well, because at its core, it was a story about a private detective in a somewhat ordinary/modern day world — that had the capacity for magic and other fantastical elements. Speaking of world-building... Deeper Worlds I know that this may seem a bit contradictory to what I said yesterday when I mentioned world-building. However, because fantasy stories take place in worlds that are completely new, sometimes we only get to scratch the very surface of them. Also, because they tend to draw from the medieval era of our own history, they tend to have political systems we are familiar with but don't really understand, and the politics of how the kingdoms work is often glossed over. We don't really get to delve deeply into these worlds. This is one of the reasons I love the Chronicles of Narnia — it is one of the few fantasy worlds that we get to see from Creation to Armageddon. Also, though I did not enjoy the story very much, showing this minutiae of the inner workings of the world is something Brandon Sanderson does fairly well in the Mistborn trilogy. Normal People Have you ever noticed that fantasy is replete with only two classes? There are the peasants, and the royalty. There aren't a lot of "middle class" folk who show up in fantasy. You are either following a Prince or Princess, or you're following a peasant (usually an orphaned peasant) who has some sort of prophecy laid upon him or her and is destined to save the world! I would love to see more ordinary people ending up on adventures... which is one of the reasons I love The Last Motley by DJ Edwardson, because Roderick is as ordinary as they come... and his quest ensues because of his character, and not because of any kind of destiny. He actually CHOOSES to go on the quest, because he feels it's the right thing to do... because he really doesn't have to, and I love that about it (full review coming soon, I promise! I have to finish the book first, though!) Speaking of normal people... A Variety of Jobs I know blacksmiths are cool. But there were so many other professions and trades in the medieval era. I'd love to see more fantasy stories about weavers or tailors or school teachers or candle-makers or shepherds or famers or really anything other than blacksmiths! Speaking of school teachers... I'd love to see more fantasy stories include schools... but not schools for magic (those are easy enough to find). But ordinary schools like the ones in Anne of Green Gables, or boarding schools like the one in Ella Enchanted or A Little Princess are great settings for good stories... and could incorporate a lot of the elements I mentioned above. Interestingly enough, now that I look over this list, the things I'd like to see most incorporated into Fantasy stories kind of all share a similar theme: ordinary-ness. I love the fantastical, the magical, and the imagination that resides in the fantasy genre. But, as one of my commenters said yesterday, it can't just be window-dressing. It has to be part of the story, it has to invoke a sense of wonder and enhance the story in some way. Which is probably why stories like the ones I mentioned above all appeal to me so much. They do an excellent job of blending the fantastical with the everyday, and they do more than simply entertain — they teach me something about life, or people, or myself. What about you, dear Reader? What are some things you'd like to see incorporated more often into the fantasy genre? About the Author: Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters." Connect with the Author. Images sourced from Pixabay  Post by Author Jenelle L. Schmidt
Elements of Fantasy Part 1 Elements I see in the Fantasy Genre that I wish were more prevalent in other genres: Before I get started, I feel the need to add in a disclaimer: I read a LOT of fantasy. It's the genre I prefer. However, I do and have read a lot of books in other genres, as well. Many of the books I love - regardless of genre - include these elements. Also, when I say "fantasy" I generally mean to include all of speculative fiction as well... so sci-fi, urban fantasy, superheroes, etc. Imagination Possibly the thing I love the most about fantasy is the sheer amount of expanded imagination that is both present in the writing and opened up within my own mind as I read. In fantasy, you have the potential to encounter almost anything. Talking animals, mythical beasts, enchanted weapons, realms in which the laws of science just don't work the same way as they do in our world, time travel, magic... anything is possible in the realm of imagination, and rarely is it used anywhere as expansively as it is in the fantasy genre. Well-Developed Characters The characters in fantasy are by far the number one reason I read and prize this genre so highly. Set against the backdrop of impossible worlds and thrust into ridiculous scenarios, fantasy characters more often than not step boldly off the page and into my heart. Unlikely heroes, normal, everyday folk who get caught up in events so much bigger than them, fantasy characters inspire me to face my own trials with such bravery, to endure my own difficulties with quiet resolve. It's not just the heroes, though, fantasy villains are nothing to be sneezed at - they are insidious, crafty, clever, and powerful, forces to be reckoned with. My heroes are often forced to rise far above and beyond what they thought themselves capable of in order to face down and defeat these villains. World-Building Fantasy books tear open portals that let us peek through windows of possibility and snatch glimpses of other worlds. Now, I suppose I can understand why things like historical fiction or biographies and non-fiction genres can't really make use of this element to its fullest extent... and that's their loss, really. *grin* But I'd love to see it utilized more often in other genres. The time and effort that spec fiction authors put into their worlds is simply astounding. Even if the story is set in our world... surely there are things about our world that inspire the imagination and could be expounded upon and given more attention. Magic I might lose some of you here. But hang in there for a moment, because I don't mean what you might think I mean. Yes, I do love fantasy books where the author gives his or her characters magical abilities and lets that affect the plot in various ways. However, that's not what I'm talking about. There's a feeling of magic, of possibility, in fantasy. In our own world, we have that same possibility - but it often gets overlooked or taken for granted. Impossible things happen daily... and so often, we miss them, or we don't notice them. But God is at work... every second of every day... if we'd just take the moment to notice. The magical nature of fantasy - whether it be through the use of special abilities, a portal to another world, or just the fantastical setting and story - can help us notice. It often points me to deeper truths of everyday things I take for granted. Take The Chronicles of Narnia, for example. The portal that opens between our world and Narnia take the Pevensie children straight into a realm where they get to experience the weight of the ultimate redemption story and even play a role in it - and I get to travel along with them and realize the depth and meaning of my own treachery, my own powerlessness to save myself, the awful, glorious price of my own redemption, in a whole new, powerful way. Friendship Friendship and loyalty are often major themes in fantasy books. At least, they seem to be present in most of the fantasy books I have read. I love reading about true friendship and seeing it modeled by my favorite characters. I also appreciate that there exists a genre in which not every single relationship has to turn into one of romance. Happily Ever After Fantasy stories - as a general rule - tend to end more happily than other genres. Books based in the "real" world seem to feel the need to remind us that things don't always end happily, that the good and virtuous don't always win, and that the villains aren't always defeated. Which is true... this side of heaven. But, as I wrote about last year, I am already well-aware of that fact. The happily ever afters and good triumphing over evil endings of fantasy books serve to remind me that "this is not the end, there is so much more." It reminds me that one day, God "will wipe away every tear." And that the true ending of this story God is writing, is, for Christians, ultimately the most beautiful and happy one of all. Your turn! What are your favorite elements of the fantasy genre? Any that you would like to see migrate into other genres? I'd love to hear from you! Also, make sure you join me in two days, when I answer the second half of that question and talk about things I've seen in other genres that I'd like to see more frequently in fantasy! About the Author: Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters." Connect with the Author. Images sourced from Pixabay  Post by Author Jenelle L. Schmidt Uncommon Fantasy Creatures Welcome to today's post about Uncommon Fantasy Creatures. AKA: Fantasy Creatures I'd Like to See Appear in More Books and/or movies... Earlier we talked about some of the more common fantasy creatures we see in fantasy-fiction. Today, I'd like to chat a bit about all the fantastical creatures that tend to get overlooked. Okay, not ALL of them, because there are a lot, but how about just a few of my favorites?  Selkies A twist on the mermaid-concept, selkies are creatures of the water - who generally look like ordinary seals. However, they have the ability to shed their seal-skin and take on human form. A tragic figure, selkies are never content. When they are on land, they have a deep longing for the sea, and when they are in the sea, they experience a great desire to walk on land. If they do take human form, they often form an attachment to a human and gift them with their seal-skin for safe-keeping so that they can return to the sea if they want to. There is just such a beautifully tragic air about selkie lore that absolutely fascinates me. I'm sure one will make it into a story of mine at some point in the future. The only thing I've ever really seen Selkies appear in is the movie The Secret of Roan Inish, and a short story in the Fantastic Creatures anthology, both of which I enjoyed. Enfield This one is cool because it really just started out as a heraldic symbol - a crest on a family shield in Ireland. It is a creature that boasts the head of a fox, the forelegs of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the hindquarters/tail of a wolf. A symbol of cunning, fortitude, honor, nobility, and a fierce nature, the story goes that this mythical creature appeared over Tadg Mor when he fell in battle and protected his body until his kin could retrieve him for a proper burial. The idea of this creature inspires my imagination...  image via Wikimedia Qilin In addition to being a fabulous word you can use in a game of Scrabble, the Qilin is another chimerical-class creature, an amalgamation of various different animals. A hooved, horned serpent, whose body is said to be surrounded by flames, the qilin is generally depicted as a good creature with a gentle and quiet temperament. The phoenix-like flames and the docile nature mixed with a draconic look make this a truly interesting creature who really ought to feature in more stories. Starting to see a trend here... what can I say? Chimera in general are pretty epic. Leshy The Leshy may be where Tolkien got his idea for Ents. Unlike the slow, quiet ents, however, the leshy is a bit of a trickster who protects the forest by leading travelers astray. An imposing figure in his true form, the leshy can shift his form to take on just about any appearance. Other than Ents and an episode of Grimm, I haven't seen these in much.  Roc An enormous bird of prey, the Roc is a truly awe-inspiring idea. Their size and ferocity would serve them well in battle, or as servants of some villain. I've seen the Roc in the book A Thousand and One Arabian Nights. And I feel like I saw it in an older movie somewhere... but I can't remember which one. Shape shifters I really like the idea of creatures who have the ability to shape shift. They break the bonds of rational science and truly plunge a story solidly into the realm of the imagination, and I appreciate those sorts of stories. This is one reason I gave my myth-folk characters the ability to shape shift in The Minstrel's Song series. Original Fantastical Creatures One of my favorite things about fantasy is the creativity it generates. I absolutely love it when I see something in a fantasy story that I've never seen before. This is why two new races show up in Minstrel's Call that I sort of made up. They are creatures based on real animals, but they are much larger, extremely wise, and have the capacity for intelligent speech... though they are a class of myth-folk who do not possess magic or the ability to shape shift. I also really liked the Crystal Foxes in The Last Jedi, as well as all the talking animals in the Chronicles of Narnia. What are some fantasy creatures you wish were featured in more stories? Do you have a favorite? Have you read any books or seen any movies/tv shows that feature any of the creatures I mentioned above? About the Author
Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters." Connect with the Author All images courtesy of Pixabay unless otherwise indicated  Today is the Twelvety-Sixth Birthday of one of the Founding Fathers of modern fantasy. Many of our authors were inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien so we put out a quick call to ask what Tolkien means to them.I was introduced to The Hobbit in seventh grade, and I’ve read it as well as The Lord of the Rings multiple times since. I love so much about it, the unique characters, the setting, and the action. One of my favorite scenes didn’t make it in the movies. It’s when Faramir is with Frodo and Sam in the stronghold behind a waterfall, and Sam lets it slip what Frodo is carrying. I simply adore how Faramir handles it. E.J. Willis For years, I refused to list JRR Tolkien among my influences. Not because I didn't admire him, but because I revered him too much to claim any relation to him. In my mind he was utterly unique and untouchable. No one had ever done what he did; no one ever could again. Last year, I re-read THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS after a ten-year hiatus. It was a special experience for many reasons, but one thing that struck me was how deeply I *have* been influenced by him, without ever meaning to be. His love of beauty, his distrust of raw power, the temptation he sensed to love too deeply the things he had made - as Feanor loved the Silmarils - are all things that have sunk deep into the landscape of my imagination. Yes, I've been influenced by Tolkien. I want to admit that as humbly as I can: not because I'm a great enough author to touch him, but because he was a great enough author to touch me. Suzannah Rowntree, author of Pendragon's Heir. Unlike many fantasy lovers and authors, I wasn't introduced to Tolkien until my college years. However, it didn't take long for me to jump into the world and be enthralled. In the years since, the family has enjoyed the books (I read them outloud to everyone around the dinner table), the movies (both in theaters and extended versions), and various representations from both (I made quilts for my boys, and one son has a Narsil blade). If you'd like to learn how to write your own name in Sindarian, you can check out my blog from last year's birthday of Lord of the Rings. You can also see photos of the quilts. Kandi J Wyatt, author of the Dragon Courage series Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were some of the first fantasy books I ever read. Over the years, I have returned to these favorites and learned new things every time I read them. These books taught me that size, position, authority, and status have no bearing on the courage in one’s heart, but that heroes can come from anywhere. They taught me that old bitternesses can be laid aside and covered in forgiveness for the sake of a greater cause. They displayed the truth that even the mightiest may fall prey to temptation, and that even the strongest temptation can be overcome and atoned for. And they give me hope by reminding me when times get hard and I am tempted to despair because evil seems so prevalent and far-reaching that “there is good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” Jenelle Schmidt I'm also grateful he was a critique partner for CS Lewis. I was able to study abroad in England one summer, all filled with his writing and got to see the pub where they met, and where he lived. Here's a post I wrote about it. Elizabeth Van Tassel Tolkien is one of the main reasons I wanted to write fantasy. His way with words is just amazing, even though some people say he is dry. I love his different stories and the languages and time he put into each story. I'd like to be able to do that with my own writing. And I like how the "heroes" aren't always the ones high up there, but the small and simple ones who most people would overlook. Karlie Lucas Tolkien inspired me so much with his world building. Not only did he create locations I could hear, smell, and see with his descriptions, the man invented languages! As a language enthusiast, that absolutely fascinates me. His attention to detail provided a lot of inspiration as I wrote the Charming Academy series. Jessica L. Elliott I adore his world building and . . . well, almost everything about his writing. But his world building is SO DEEP. Thousands of years of history before the story even begins. Other epics building up to this one. It's . . . magical. :D LotR is what inspired me to start writing, way back when. I was re-reading it when I thought, "Man, I wish I could write like that." And the Scots/Irish part of me stood up (in my mind) and said, "Well, how do you know you can't? You haven't tried, have you?" That was back in college and those first attempts were . . . I have to remember to burn those. I didn't stick with it, then, but I came back around to writing, eventually. And I'm sure glad I did. But, if Tolkien hadn't inspired me to at least try it back then, who knows? Meredith Mansfield One of many things I appreciate about Tolkien is how, from childhood, he used fantasy to understand and cope with the pain in his own life (and helped me do the same in my fantasy). I really admire his talent for learning obscure languages and making up his own. Katy Huth Jones Friendship! Sam and Frodo's friendship is the best part of the LOTR story to me. Especially Sam's devotion to Frodo, making him willing to go anywhere and endure anything for a friend. I hope to depict that type of friendship and devotion in my current WIP, Aerisian Refrain. Sarah Ashwood Honestly, Tolkien influenced my personal life a lot more than my writing. I'd never think of trying to write like Tolkien, but dang it, when I dreamed up the perfect spouse, I wanted a tall, dark, rangy, silent guy who I could believably see leading an army of undead ... so I married a 6'5'' Marine. The Lord of the Rings also opened me up to the idea of both epic adventures and experiencing the world and loving the idea of hearth and home and protecting that. Eventually I discovered that those ideas really aren't in conflict the way people might have you think. It's admirable to strive for both. H. L. Burke  by Jenelle Schmidt If I could only pick one reason to read fantasy novels, that reason would be dragons. Is there anything in fiction cooler than a dragon? I submit that there is not! They fly, they breathe fire, sometimes they even talk! And if you're like me, you're convinced that the leviathan discussed in Job 41 was not an alligator... but a DRAGON! "His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth." Job 41:18-21 A lot of things make up a fantasy story, but dragons are the heart and soul of fantasy. Other mythical beasts are cool, but there is something about a dragon that just makes the heart beat a bit more quickly, that inspires awe, that make the spirit soar at the mere possibility. Good or evil, there is something inspirational and immediately adventurous about a story that has dragons. Some of my favorite quotes about dragons were penned in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: "Never laugh at live dragons." “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” What is it about dragons? I honestly don't know. But I think this other quote by Tolkien might answer the question: "I should like to save the Shire, if I could - though there have been times when I thought the inhabitants too stupid and dull for words, and have felt that an earthquake or an invasion of dragons might be good for them." And there it is. Dragons catch our eye. They mesmerize us. They leave us breathless. They shake us out of our routine and our comfort zones. Perhaps, though unpleasant, they may even be good for us. They threaten what we know to be stable and secure, and make us re-evaluate our priorities. They are so much bigger and stronger and cleverer than we... and in the face of their might we are like children looking up at the stars and realizing how insignificant we really are in the face of such a vast universe. And yet, dragons can be defeated, overcome, conquered... some can even be tamed and ridden! And that is where the true glory of dragons in fantasy comes in - because they remind us that our trials and troubles do not have to defeat us, they do not have to define us. Like Eustace in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, who encounters the worst dragon of all: himself... we can overcome the dragon before us... and thankfully we who are Christians do not need to face them or defeat them on our own.  Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters."
http://jenelleschmidt.com http://www.facebook.com/JenelleLeanneSchmidt/ by Jenelle Schmidt If I had to pick a single reason to love fantasy, however, today's topic would be it. The characters. Fantasy characters are something special, wouldn't you agree? I'm not sure what it is about them, but there is a depth and a refinement that occurs in fantasy characters that can be hard to find in other genres. The best characters in any genre step off the page, they mirror ourselves, they shed light on our souls and reveal hidden strengths and give us courage to face our own circumstances with heads held high. Fantasy boasts many different types of characters, and I cannot hope to touch on all of them, but I'm just going to address two main types... The seemingly-inconsequential character who gets swept up in events too large for him or her. So much fantasy starts right there, and I love it. An ordinary human, dwarf, halfling, elf, what-have-you character is minding his own business when BAM! A wizard shows up during his morning pipe, or rolls into town and stays at your father's inn, or you get picked to bear an honor or position you did not seek and many think you don't deserve! This takes the ordinary character and demands that he or she become extraordinary, or they die and the story ends. I think this character speaks to the ordinary in all of us, the part of us that feels perhaps slightly overlooked or taken for granted. We love this character because he or she reminds us that we all have a purpose, a reason for existing. We may never take the ring to Mount Doom... but, as the Doctor says: In 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important. ~ Doctor Who Then there's the person who does hold some sort of important position. Perhaps it's a king, queen, prince, princess, heir to the throne, a trusted body-guard, someone who is by definition important in the eyes of the world. Maybe their kingdom is about to come under attack, and their decision will change the outcome of the approaching conflict. Perhaps they begin the story by running away from their responsibilities, and then must deal with the consequences of that choice. Maybe they are sent on a quest or they choose to take their destinies into their own hands rather than marry the person they are supposed to marry or accept the throne they are meant to rule from... these characters tend to be quite fun to read about, because they remind us that an enviable position of authority or prestige may not be all it's cracked up to be. They still have problems to face and if you get past the crowns and tutors and palaces... they're still just people underneath - with fears and doubts and worries of their own - and they actually resemble ourselves quite a bit. Of course, then there are wizards tasked with protecting mankind or finding the one destined to defeat the ultimate villain. There are side characters and supporting characters and traitors and betrayers. But the point is, fantasy characters are consistently exceptional. I have my own theories on why this is... something to do with the backdrop and setting being so fantastical that it frees the reader to stop worrying about how "realistic" everything is and just focus on the characters and how they deal with their various trials and tribulations. Tying this all back to yesterday's post, I think that's another reason why Mistborn fell flat for me. Sanderson spent so much time trying to explain the perfect magic system to the detriment of both plot and character development... which meant I never really got all that invested in what was going on with the characters - with the exception of Kelsier and possibly Breeze, all the characters are pretty one-dimensional and flat. But whatever the reason, I would argue that strong characters are up there at the top of the list of reasons to read the fantasy genre. Characters like Aragorn, Boromir, Samwise, Haplo, Eugenides, Cimorene, Morwen, King Arthur, and all the rest... if I were to list all my favorites here, this post would get far too long!  Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters."
http://jenelleschmidt.com http://www.facebook.com/JenelleLeanneSchmidt/ by Jenelle Schmidt “I don’t like anything here at all.” said Frodo, “step or stone, breath or bone. Earth, air and water all seem accursed. But so our path is laid.” “Yes, that’s so,” said Sam, “And we shouldn’t be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo, adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on, and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same; like old Mr Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?” “I wonder,” said Frodo, “But I don’t know. And that’s the way of a real tale. Take any one that you’re fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don’t know. And you don’t want them to.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings Fantasy is wonderful. It's fun, it's beautiful, it's an escape from the drab and dreariness that reality can sometimes become. It's filled with excitement and heroes and adventures... but really, besides it being fun, is there a point? Is there a good reason to read fantasy fiction? Is it applicable to everyday life? If you've read any fantasy at all, you probably know the answer. I met a lady a while back who told me she did not enjoy fantasy fiction... that she wished she could, but she just didn't feel like it was very applicable, and therefore she felt like it was a waste of time. Well. Fantasy won't help you learn how to solve calculus equations. It won't teach you how to organize and declutter your home. It won't necessarily teach you the things you can and should learn in school... but there is a lot about fantasy that is useful and applicable to everyday life. The first time I tried to write this post it was full of disclaimers about how of course I don't think you should read fantasy to the exclusion of making real friends, how you should definitely be discerning about what you read and that if what you are reading isn't God-honoring or is filled with objectionable content you should put it down and go find something else to do or read, and how of course fantasy isn't the only genre that teaches good lessons, and not all fantasy is good, and of course you can have a full, happy life without reading fantasy fiction, and of course we can be friends even if it's not your cup of tea. But that post was boring. So... knowing that, yes, I believe all of the above is true, and keeping it in mind... here's why I love fantasy fiction: Because it teaches me about perseverance. One of the reasons I shared the JRR Tolkien quote above is because I feel that it captures the essence of why I love stories in general, and fantasy in particular. The characters in fantasy fiction often teach us how to reach down deep inside ourselves to a heroism we didn't know we possessed in the face of all odds and confronted with daunting obstacles that would make most others turn aside. They teach us that some things are worth standing up for, and some things are worth fighting for, and yes, some things are even worth dying for. Fantasy fiction is often riddled with characters who go out of their way to help others, particularly those who cannot protect or help themselves. It teaches selflessness and sacrifice. Friendships like the one between Aragorn and Boromir (in the BOOKS, not the movies), Samwise and Frodo, Harry and Ron and Hermione, Han and Luke, Cimorene and Kazul and Morwen and Mendanbar, Brant and Oraeyn and Kamarie and Kiernan and Yole... they teach us about loyalty. About sticking by someone no matter what. About forgiveness when we are betrayed, and understanding when a friend is struggling with something too big for them to handle on their own. Fantasy teaches us about courage. It teaches us that sometimes we need the kind of courage that walks up and knocks on the Gates of Mordor, and sometimes we need the kind of courage that stays home and waits for our heroes to return like Odysseus's wife and son. It teaches us to stand up to bullies and tyrants. It teaches us about right and wrong, good versus evil, and the disasters that can occur when that line gets blurred. Often, fantasy can hold an allegory of some kind, like in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, which holds a beautiful parallel of Aslan choosing to take Edmund - the betrayer's - place and sacrificing himself to appease the "Deep Magic" the way that Jesus sacrificed himself for all of us - betrayers - to appease God's wrath. It will not always be that obvious, but there are gemstones of truth scattered throughout most of the fantasy I have read (and I have read a lot of it), even the stories written by non-Christians. I believe that all truth is God's truth... and that He can even use stories written by non-Christians to teach... often in incredibly powerful ways. You and I will never face a fire-breathing dragon in single combat. But we may face things that look and feel a whole lot like dragons: an unexpected diagnosis or death, a financial crisis, a falling-out with a friend or family member, a betrayal, the loss of a job, an injustice of any kind... fantasy fiction can teach you how to have grace under fire when facing your dragon... whatever it looks like. It may seem that you have to dig a little deeper in a fantasy fiction novel to find the truth, to find the lesson, to find the application therein, but I truly believe it is well-worth it. The applications you can take away from it, like beautiful stones carefully removed from the rocky walls of a dark cave, may not be quite as tangible as the ones you find in other types of stories, for they are character-building lessons, teaching courage, integrity, honesty, loyalty, and valor. But, if you take the time to do so, these are the applications that will definitely shine the brightest if they are allowed to be found and polished.  Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters."
http://jenelleschmidt.com http://www.facebook.com/JenelleLeanneSchmidt/ By Jenelle Leanne Schmidt Aragorn. Galadriel. Keylith. Cimorene. Karyna. Eanrin. Caspian. Aiyanna. Hermione. Nynaeve. Egwene. Alrianne. Khoranaderek. What I have just listed are some of the more unique names that the fantasy genre has gifted us with. One of the complaints I hear most often regarding fantasy is the long, convoluted names that can often be found there. I understand that this is a very personal-preference sort of thing, and I'm not here to argue about it with you. If this is a hang-up that prevents you from enjoying the fantasy genre, I'm sorry. Personally, I feel that it is tantamount to turning your back on buying a house that is everything you ever dreamed it would be, simply because you don't like the interior paint colors that were chosen by the previous owner... or like choosing whether or not to be friends with someone based on whether or not you can pronounce their name correctly... or because they spell it differently than the way you've always seen that name spelled before... "Sorry, I can't be friends with you because you spell your name E-R-Y-N... and that's just weird, I can't handle it." ... but again that's just me. So, since this is a very personal preference type thing, let me just tell you why I love this aspect of the fantasy genre, and you can take it or leave it as you will. Most fantasy stories do not take place in OUR world. The vast majority of them happen on completely made-up planets or within completely made-up realms. As such, it would make very little sense to me for the heroes and heroines within the story to have normal, everyday names like Sarah, David, Jane, or Brad. For me, there would be a strange disconnect in the story. It wouldn't prevent me from reading the story if it was well-written, but it would definitely feel less fantastical and other-worldly. Now, if people from our world cross over into that world, then those people should definitely have normal names... like in Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia. But even in Narnia, while the human children's names are altogether ordinary: Peter, Susan, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, Jill... the Narnian's names are extraordinary: Tumnus, Ramandu, Drinian, Caspian, Aravis, Shasta, Puddleglum, and Reepicheep... to name a few. I guess part of it for me is like traveling to a different country, or having someone from a different country visit. I wouldn't expect their name to be one I am familiar with, but that's part of the fun of meeting someone from an entirely different part of the world than me. Random example time: It always makes me sad when I meet someone from a different country who has shortened or changed their name simply because people can't pronounce his real name. I met a young man at the grocery store whose name tag read "Alhaje." Thinking it was a very cool name, I asked him how to pronounce it, and he told me (ahl-HA-jzee), then said, "But everyone just calls me Al." I looked him square in the eye and said, "No! You have the coolest name I've ever seen. Don't shorten it to Al!" He straightened up a bit and kind of went, "Huh? Oh... okay!" And as I walked away with my grocery bags in hand, I heard him whispering his WHOLE name under his breath with a tinge of pride in his voice. Also, while fantasy names may be long and convoluted, they are often quite beautiful. They roll off the tongue when you do know how to pronounce them, but I'm not just talking about their sound. I find that even way they look often has a kind of beauty to them. There is an art-form, almost, to creating a name sounds beautiful and looks like it ought to. I don't always know how to pronounce these names, either. Just so we're clear on that. However, my uncle always told me, "It doesn't matter what you say, so long as you say it with confidence." So, I take a stab at it, and that's the way I pronounce it... if I hear it pronounced differently... so what? I'm never going to actually MEET these characters... and I'll probably never meet their authors. So what does it matter if I'm pronouncing the names "incorrectly?" Another way I've seen people get past this is to "rename" all the characters in their heads with something they are familiar with. Thus "Aragorn" becomes "Arthur" and "Boromir" becomes "Ben" and "Galadriel" becomes "Gayle" and so on and so forth. Which works fine as long as you don't want to discuss the books... or the people you do discuss the books with understand this eccentricity and accept it! What it all boils down to, though, is whether or not you think the fantasy genre is worth the effort. Personally, I do.  Jenelle is a rare and elusive creature known as an "author." She enjoys wandering through the woods and opening doors in search of hidden passageways. She can sometimes be found in darkened corners of libraries or coffee shops sipping hot chocolate and carrying on animated conversations with those strange and invisible beings known as "characters."
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Fantastic Writes!A blog about all things fantasy from the elements we all love to how to write it. Posts are from our very own Fellowship of Fantasy authors. Archives
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