[Laiedheliel]

On Writing Fantasy--Most of my ideas come from places I've seen or dreamt of. Alot of my characters are based on my family and close friends, but also and quite prominately the different aspects of my (if I may say so myself) diverse personality. My feelings and thoughts are constantly ripping me into little tiny pieces. I almost always write about the past, at least from my POV, and I almost always base it in a land seperate and different from the one we live in. It is truely difficult not to take another story's world and steal from it, or to build upon a world already created and set forth, ready and waiting patiently for someone to set events down in its borders. My solution is simply remembering that what I am writing is diferent from what I am reading, or what I remember reading. I know that the character I put in one of the RPGs here has been adapted from one of my own stories because she was my faveorite. But she didn't start as on of Tolkien's Rangers. She started as a Shieldmaiden traveling the world constantly evolving in my mind, betrothed to someone higher than her, almost untouchable. It is verrry hard.

On RPGs--Yes, it is serious fantasy, and No, it's not. It depends on what level you write it. If you are one of the rare jewels who take into concideration grammer, word choice, and plot lines, than you may be writing something serious. But if you just throw things out 'cuz it sounded cool in your head, than you may not.

On Time-- I have been writing fantasy stories since I was six or seven. I have jumped from story to story and the one I am working in earnest on now I have been tackling for a meagre 2 weeks.

An Open Question-- Is fanfiction serious fantasy? I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on anything I've said in my post, please write back, 'cuz I never get any replies. *snif, snif*