Are You Writing Serious Fantasy?

[the guy who be short]

How much research does everyone put into their work? Like, if you need to know of a poison, or of symptoms or animal behaviors, etc. Or, when, say, "inventing" a sickness (ie. Frodo after he got stabbed by the Morgul blade) do you spend that much time on making it realistic? A friend of mine says she doesn't. That because it's HER story, and it's FANTASY, that whatever she says goes. No questions. End of story. I am inclined not to agree. What about everyone else?

i agree with your friend. its my world, i do what i want! however, if its something like how to hold a sword, which wouldnt change in another universe, i would research it.

Sane? Why on Middle Earth would one want to be sane? :: shudders:: Perish the thought!

exactly what i think! i think i read somewhere that all geniuses are insane. and were all geniuses, right? i think being insane generally helps me in my plot-thinking. what kind of sane person thinks of rebellious dragons? or a weakling god? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

on the question of strong females... i have a QUEEN of dragons and a QUEEN of wolves. only because two of my female friends wanted to be evil, though [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]
all my realms, as far as i know, have kings. although i have a woman who is a key character, gifted with foresight.

how do you handle Magic?

i dont have magic. magic is not believable. i always have reasons why things happen. however, my lord of the sea can control the seas, but i dont think this is magic.
i have psychics, but then, people in real life are (or claim to be) psychic, so thats not magic.

Question for y'all: how do you use your monsters - as foils for the hero/heroine? in unexpected ways?

all will be revealed... soon.