The Size of Fantasy

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LoneStreetlight

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Hi, everyone. I've been thinking a lot about my current WIP, which I've started just after making a rough outline of another one. My current project is a bit different though, in that it's much smaller scale. It's not that it's short or anything, just much closer to home than my other story. It's not about the fate of the world or stopping some big bad villain with huge goals, but a teenager's personal journey and adventure. So this all has really brought up an interesting question for me. Do people like large or small scale fantasy? Personally, I'm partial to something a bit in the middle, but I know a lot of people who like it big. What do you like?
 

JSDR

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It's not the size of the boat but how your rock it.

Crap.

You get the idea....
 

BotByte

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Big vs. small.

there is no fight. It's nothing to be concerned off.

Problem I see if you go big:
Large world leads to confusion.
Lots of names and characters.
Characters seem less personal.
Long book in need to span tri or series.

Problems with small:
Too personal
Characters might be too bloated.
Your writing might be far too expanded.
Not enough detail
The writer can show themselves in the writing easier.

I would say don't aim for both, just see what happens. If you want to speak of the entire world and 349082034978 nations of it, while only 3 nations are at war. Skip the 23490283049 nations.
 

robertbevan

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i'd say that someone's life needs to be on the line. but not necessarily the fate of the realm or the world.

so yeah, i think that the stakes have to be above finding the culprit who keeps stealing the apples from old man hubbard's orchard.

but at the same time, (and please pardon my gamer talk) i personally get annoyed with the fate of the world riding on the backs of a couple of first level scrubs... whether it be in the video games or tabletop games i play, or their equivalents in books and movies.
 

Zanthus

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it isn't about the size problem that they face be it saving the world or rescuign a drowing kitten crosing a street it is about how imprtant it is to the characters and if you can pass on that sense to the reader
if
a
reader relates to characters desire to get new hairbrush (understand wy)
b
have an emotionality investment want the character to succeed or fail
than you have written a great piece of littriture..
 

MoLoLu

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I just reduced my WIP from 'large' to 'small'. I personally perfer small.

Some books I've read (don't ask for names, I can't remember) start out small, do wonderfully, then get big. And whoops. Others feel strange, constricted when small and blossom when the scope largens (less frequent).

As long as execution is good I don't care. But I see too many large worlds which fall flat on their face.
 

DeleyanLee

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There's an audience for both kinds of fantasy. Sometimes within the same person.

At this stage, what you need to concentrate on is writing the best blasted book you can.

How it markets is something for AFTER the book is written, when you know exactly what the book turns out to be.

For some people, Percy Jackson is the same kind of book as you describe. after all. ;)
 

lufftocraft

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I only like large scale if it is slow building in the background over several books while the small is going on in the foreground. Otherwise I don't believe or trust the MC to actually save the world even if they do.

But I think that might be my own issues with books that make one character the center of the universe before they make me care about the character.

:) JMHO
 

Snitchcat

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There's an audience for both kinds of fantasy. Sometimes within the same person.

At this stage, what you need to concentrate on is writing the best blasted book you can.

How it markets is something for AFTER the book is written, when you know exactly what the book turns out to be.

This.

"Big" or "small", IMO, is relative and dependent upon the reader, over whom no writer has control. Personally, I prefer my stories to have a story, be well written, and keep my interest enough to have me turn the page till I hit "The End". If a book can do that, then whether the story is "big" or "small" is irrelevant.

:)
 

Ardent Kat

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As long as there's high stakes and intense conflict, you're golden. Those stakes don't have to involve the fate of the world or even life-or-death, but a relatable, compelling drive of the protagonist. (Social or financial ruin can easily be an equivalent to "death" the lead character is trying to avoid)

Go small if that's the way your passions lie, just don't make the mistake of character-focused writers (like myself) who become so enamored with their characters and their minutia that they haven't written in sufficient conflict to keep readers on the edge of their seats and turning pages. Make sure your character is driven, not meandering.
 

Teinz

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For a second I thought this thread was about the physical size of Fantasy, and I thought: "Hmm, that would make a great sci-fi title."

But anyway, I like both, but I like large-scale better.
 

Maxx

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But I think that might be my own issues with books that make one character the center of the universe before they make me care about the character.

:) JMHO

This is an interesting point. For example, one way around size in fantasy is to start with a peripheral MC who slowly moves toward the center of the action. This could cause more problems than it solves if the MC isn't interesting and if they get to the action too slowly.
 

waylander

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One suggestion I picked up at a recent con is that small scale fanasty is coming back into vogue because of all the 1st person adventure computer games.
 

Zanthus

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What do you write best? Do that one! :)

Some people cannot write short stories to save their lives while others struggle to write a five book trilogy (yeah, I cant count either!).

i personal struggle keep a trilogy down to five books :)

this could be why i also have not finished anything...
 

Kitty27

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I only read and write epic scale fantasy. I love a big cast of characters,drama,and hopefully,lots of war. They are very fun to create.


But then I am incapable of writing a book that is less than 100,000 words,lol.
 
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