Characters
There’s no doubt in my mind that characters drive stories forward. Characters are the eyes through which we view our fictional worlds; we become them, laughing or crying at their mistakes; feeling their anguish or hope. They are the life blood of a tale and I’m particularly interested in how people, real or fictional tick; how they interact with the worlds in which they inhabit and how they develop into the people we know, love or hate. Many of my posts will touch on characterisation and how I and other writers wrestle with creating believable people. Of course in fantasy, it’s no different. People are people, whether they can fly or use magic. In fact it’s sometimes more important to get this component of fiction right. After all, they make the magical places of imagination, real.
Themes
When I start to think about themes in fiction, I’m always drawn to the universal elements of fantasy, in particular, the recurring themes that make stories timeless; good versus evil or love conquers all – even in death. History provides us with a wealth of stories and themes, and often fantasy fiction can remind us of what it is to be human, fantastical or not. As I read and write speculative fiction, I will touch on some of these themes in my blog posts; which stories use timeless themes and whether they really matter when it comes to selling a story.
What do you think?
Narrative Space 