What relevance is there writing fantasy today?
Fantasy writing gives us the
tickle of the fantastical. We begin with our own world and give it
a little twist. Sometimes, we give it a big twist! That’s when
adventure begins Then we settle back and join in the journey. The
reader, however, receives more than a fun story. Every reader
embarks on his or her own inner journey. Just as the hero emerges
transformed as the result of his experiences, the reader’s soul
meets the same challenges, experiences the same failures and
successes, and undergoes similar, though far more subtle
transformations. And all of this in the safety of your easy chair.
Don’t you think
that J.K. Rowling has cornered the fantasy market? Doesn’t her
immense popularity edge out others who want to write in a similar
genre?
Rowling has certainly raised the
bar of what is expected in a fantasy book. She has a compelling
story line, distinct characterizations, and the sequencing of events
moves quickly. It is hard to compete with what she’s created. So
why try? She has definitely connected with modern adolescent
readers who are weaned on movies and television. On the whole,
young readers have a shorter attention span than children of forty
or fifty years ago and need a lot of action to hold their interest.
Harry Potter delivers and holds their interest in anticipation of
the next adventure or turn of the plot. But that is not the only
way to spin a yarn. If we had only one formula for telling a
successful story, what a boring landscape literature would become!
Thank goodness for the diversity of story tellers.
Your book
centers on a dragon. Isn’t the market already over-saturated with
dragon stories?
People have been telling stories
about dragons since the beginning of time. Why stop now? Before
there were archeologists, people were already inadvertently digging
up dinosaur bones. This only confirmed for them the existence of
dragons. They live in our psyche as much as elves and gnomes do,
even if we can’t produce one on command to prove they exist.
Dragons reflect back to us certain truths that lie hidden in our
psyche. They fascinate and delight the imaginations of both
children and adults. Another story means one more opportunity to
indulge in one of our race’s oldest obsessions.
Your book tells
the story of a Luck Dragon. Isn’t it going out on a limb to make a
friendly dragon?
Well, I don’t know if I ever claim
that Star, the dragon of the story, is friendly. He’s certainly
benevolent, but I don’t think Star would see himself as either
sociable or pleasant. He’s rather aloof, actually. But I think you
want to point to the fact that dragons are generally considered
dangerous, ruthless, greedy and bloodthirsty. That is, after all,
the picture of dragons we have in the west. This is not so for
Asian cultures. The oriental dragon has the reputation of bringing
blessings and good fortune. Star comes out of this tradition. Of
course, no matter from what angle we view them, dragons remain
unpredictable and potentially dangerous, owing to their size and
nature as dragons. At the same time, there is an important aspect
to Star, and dragon lore, that this story illustrates. It is a
little known fact, yet essential to anyone who is going to have
intimate dealings with dragons.
Now you’ve got
me interested. What sort of little known fact are you referring
to? Can you give us a clue without giving away the story?
It’s simple enough. Dragons have
a very similar character to humans. If we treat another human being
with kindness, we are much more likely to have kindness returned to
us. On the other hand, if we treat another human being with deceit,
manipulation and cruelty, then although we may not receive this
exact behavior returned in kind, we will be met with a negative
response. This rule of thumb also holds when dealing with dragons.
Yet due to their immense size and potential for devastation, the
consequences of the behavior they mirror back to us can end up of
monumental proportion. If you’re interested how this works out with
Star, then I can assure you the book will be a good read.