Ask the Author–Why did you choose to write fantasy?

Another week and another month, all at the same time. Also, another picture. I got sick of boring stock photos. It’s a little more purple than I intended, but due to a mishap, I had little choice. I can’t believe how fast time has flown. It’s crazy. This week I’ll be answering another question. And the question is (drum roll please)…

Why did you choose to write fantasy?

The short answer: Because fantasy is awesome. I actually wrote a post about it a while back, which you can find here if you’re interested.

I believe the reason I am drawn to fantasy is probably that there is so much “scope for the imagination,” as Anne Shirley would put it. There are just so many possibilities in fantasy. It can happen as close or as far as you want to make it. It can happen in the past, the present, or even in a few odd cases, the future. It can involve magical creatures or other races. It can involve characters who are born to magic or barely discover it. You can make it feel hardcore and intense, or you can give it a softer, more whimsical feel. It can be about people or animals. If you like mystery, you can add a bit of that. If thriller is more your thing, it’s fairly simple to merge the two. Of course, if you can’t resist romance, you can always weave that into a fantasy setting. Yes, there are rules in fantasy, but much of the time, you are making those rules.

Another reason I love fantasy so much is that it allows me to go places and experience things I never would be able to in real life. Yes, it’s only in my imagination, but it still is something I enjoy. Often, I enjoy it even more than I would in real life since I’m not sure I would really like taking the ring to Mordor or defeating any sort of dark lord. I’d probably die because I’m me and well, I’m not all that heroic.

Almost last but not least, I write fantasy because I usually my stories tend to stem from daydreams, and I guess I just tend to dream about fantastical things. My imagination just naturally veers toward magic and different worlds. I mean, sure I daydream about what I’d do with a million dollars sometimes, but I suppose that could be counted as in the realm of fantasy anyhow. Really, what fun are daydreams if they are simply real life?

Maybe the biggest reason is that fantasy is what I love to read. I’ve dabbled in science fiction, in my reading and writing, but it’s so closely related to fantasy that it can fit alongside it. Whatever the reasons, fantasy is my favorite, and I’ll stick up for it anytime.

What genre do you lean towards? Why?