Sunday, August 9, 2009

Holly Black Keynote! Basics of Fantasy - The Sequel!

The distance of fantasy lets us address issues in a way that we (and our readers) can process it.

Like anger. If you have a werewolf, who is helpless with rage, that's a metaphor that fantasy lets you work with...



On the difference between Horror and Fantasy:

Fantasy contains the Numinous (that was Holly's word in the word parade!)

Something at which you tremble and are fascinated by at the same time.

Fantasy contains this combination of FEAR and AWE. Horror is fear and disgust.



On setting up the magic of your fantasy world:

There's day logic and night logic

day logic is almost like science - it works the same way every time

with night logic the rules are seldom spelled out. We (the readers) don't exactly know how it works. It's hard to write, but it's very satisfying because it contains the numinous.

Figure out which kind of magic your world has. The Magical society has its own rules. So does the magic!



Wow - now she's drawing out "Holly Black's Theory of Fantasy Plotting"...

so much good stuff!



Posted by Lee Wind

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