This was a question I recently posed to the Scribophile community. As I continue writing I realize that both of my current manuscripts are stories which hinge on the fate of the world. My second novel didn’t even start out that way, it was supposed to be a love story. But as I kept writing it just naturally navigated to the world hanging in the balance… I am in love with the plot so it’s a happy migration. But once I move on to bigger and better things, I want to consider a plot where my character development is strong enough that the only conflict the story needs are the characters themselves.
So naturally, I start to question what makes a fantasy novel enticing. Especially high or epic fantasy. Epic just sounds like something epic needs to be happening, but does that necessarily mean world-threatening? Surely someone has managed to write such spectacular character conflicts that they avoided this easy-way-out of thrilling suspense and page-turning enjoyment.
Scrib’s community posted a wonderful list of titles that have filled up my summer reading. I’m going to make a happy bed-time pile and slush through them for a while. I’ll come back and reveal my findings once I finish! Hopefully I will learn a thing or two. But I will have to resist my tendency to wrap up in the book and simply enjoy the storytelling. Maybe I’ll set a reminder every 30 minutes on my phone, this is homework!! What did you learn!?
I’ve pasted the books and scriber’s below.
Thanks Scribophiler’s:
Alex:
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Silver Call Duology by Dennis Mckiernan, City of Jade, Dragonsdoom and Voyage of the Foxrider by him as well.
The Song of the Lioness Quartet, Beka Cooper Series, Protector of the Small, Trickster’s Series by Tamora Pierce
The Black Company Series by Glen Cook
The Minotaur Wars out of the Dragonlance series (Richarda Knaak)
Gentleman’s Bastards series by Scott Lynch
John:
Roger:
‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern
‘The Snow Child’ by Eowyn Ivey
Pauline:
‘The Healers’ Road’ by S E Robertson
Anton:
Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin – Blog Post for this Book Review Here
Joel:
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Victor:
A.J. Flowers 