I've always been a fan of the fantasy genre, although writing in it is still only a far-away dream for me. For now, I'll happily settle with sharing this interesting guest post by Indian author Varun Prabhu, who will soon publish his first fantasy novels. Read on to find out about the sub-genres in fantasy and why research is so important.
The Fantasy Genre - Guest Post by Varun Prabhu
Ever attempted a genre in which all other genres can be accommodated? Now you ask: Which genre may that be? Hey, I tell you: It's fantasy, of course. Fantasy can have supernatural, young adult, horror, mystery, suspense; hey, even science fiction. Awesome, isn't it? Yes, but when you tell some people that you are writing fantasy (especially the non-fantasy reading population), they have the audacity to ask you why you are writing such an easy genre and what good you will get out of it? No, I am not speaking about those who are open-minded about other genres but don't read/write fantasy; I am speaking about those who view writing fantasy as writing for children, who believe it can be written with the twitch of your fingers. Of course, it can't. All fantasies are not fairy tales and don't start with Once Upon A Time.
To all those who consider fantasy writing an easy task, I can prove that you are pretty much mistaken about it. Let me tell you the truth.
Fantasy has so many sub-genres, but let's say, three major divisions stand out: Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy, and Historical Fantasy.
Urban Fantasy is what we also call Low Fantasy. Now, this is relatively easy compared to the other two because here you are using our very own Earth as the setting. However, you can pretty much do anything in it. Research is paramount. Hey, you can even research mythical creatures and put them in your low fantasy story. This is what the urban fantasy authors are doing these days. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc...Use whatever suits your story. It is all set in a contemporary setting, so the descriptions are less and hence, as a reader, you find them easy to read and the story moves at a good pace. Of course, that depends upon the style of the writer.
High Fantasy, now this is a solid genre. Here you create a separate new world, a new universe. That universe has your rules, your laws. This world may have magic or may not. It is up to you. You can have the same mythical creatures you might research for low fantasies, but you could give them new names. You could create new languages, new cultures, new regulations. To do all these, you require the skills of world-building and that is an entire topic in itself. Charting maps is no easy task. Rivers, climate, weather, mountains, etc, you will have to take care. What fruits grow in what climate, what vegetables grow in what regions; the author has got to take care of all this. This genre is quite descriptive and one cannot blame. Research is maximum here. You need to create a history and mythology, and use that to influence current events. Most fantasies are a derivative form of mythologies and folklore we have come across in our world. For example, “The Lord of The Rings” is based on The Norse mythology. I, as a writer, dabble in this genre, for the most part. It allows me the freedom to make and bend the rules as I will. My upcoming “War of Illusions Trilogy” and “The Glaecean Chronicles” are all high/epic fantasies.
Historical Fantasy is nowadays a well sought out genre. Don't confuse this with Historical Fiction where facts are more important. Historical Fantasy is where you create a separate world but use elements of that historical period of the earth which you are researching. For example, you create a world which resembles the cultures and rules in, say, The Victorian Era. “A Song of Ice and Fire” is a good example of a series belonging to this genre, although it is classified under Medieval Fantasy which again is another sub-genre of Historical Fantasy.
Now that we have got to know the classifications, we already see that research is important in all the sub-genres. Better the research, better your story will be. So when you sit down to write fantasy, make sure you RESEARCH well, and when you are done, WRITE. Fantasy is definitely not an easy genre to attempt, but if you have adequate focus, it is not that DIFFICULT as well. To people who judge you and call your story a FAIRY TALE, tell them that the original fairy tales are dark and gritty (hey, don't forget the GRIMM BROTHERS), and then keep WRITING. Prove them wrong. Fantasies can be read by people of all ages.
People read fantasy to escape from the harshness of reality, but fantasy can send you a message that might help you face the problems in the real world. Who knows?
Trust me, friends, it is an interesting genre to read, and a much more interesting to write. So what are you doing here? Get Writing. Don't worry about the judgments. Go Ahead and Write; But like I said, Do Your Research.
To all those who consider fantasy writing an easy task, I can prove that you are pretty much mistaken about it. Let me tell you the truth.
Fantasy has so many sub-genres, but let's say, three major divisions stand out: Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy, and Historical Fantasy.
Urban Fantasy is what we also call Low Fantasy. Now, this is relatively easy compared to the other two because here you are using our very own Earth as the setting. However, you can pretty much do anything in it. Research is paramount. Hey, you can even research mythical creatures and put them in your low fantasy story. This is what the urban fantasy authors are doing these days. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc...Use whatever suits your story. It is all set in a contemporary setting, so the descriptions are less and hence, as a reader, you find them easy to read and the story moves at a good pace. Of course, that depends upon the style of the writer.
High Fantasy, now this is a solid genre. Here you create a separate new world, a new universe. That universe has your rules, your laws. This world may have magic or may not. It is up to you. You can have the same mythical creatures you might research for low fantasies, but you could give them new names. You could create new languages, new cultures, new regulations. To do all these, you require the skills of world-building and that is an entire topic in itself. Charting maps is no easy task. Rivers, climate, weather, mountains, etc, you will have to take care. What fruits grow in what climate, what vegetables grow in what regions; the author has got to take care of all this. This genre is quite descriptive and one cannot blame. Research is maximum here. You need to create a history and mythology, and use that to influence current events. Most fantasies are a derivative form of mythologies and folklore we have come across in our world. For example, “The Lord of The Rings” is based on The Norse mythology. I, as a writer, dabble in this genre, for the most part. It allows me the freedom to make and bend the rules as I will. My upcoming “War of Illusions Trilogy” and “The Glaecean Chronicles” are all high/epic fantasies.
Historical Fantasy is nowadays a well sought out genre. Don't confuse this with Historical Fiction where facts are more important. Historical Fantasy is where you create a separate world but use elements of that historical period of the earth which you are researching. For example, you create a world which resembles the cultures and rules in, say, The Victorian Era. “A Song of Ice and Fire” is a good example of a series belonging to this genre, although it is classified under Medieval Fantasy which again is another sub-genre of Historical Fantasy.
Now that we have got to know the classifications, we already see that research is important in all the sub-genres. Better the research, better your story will be. So when you sit down to write fantasy, make sure you RESEARCH well, and when you are done, WRITE. Fantasy is definitely not an easy genre to attempt, but if you have adequate focus, it is not that DIFFICULT as well. To people who judge you and call your story a FAIRY TALE, tell them that the original fairy tales are dark and gritty (hey, don't forget the GRIMM BROTHERS), and then keep WRITING. Prove them wrong. Fantasies can be read by people of all ages.
People read fantasy to escape from the harshness of reality, but fantasy can send you a message that might help you face the problems in the real world. Who knows?
Trust me, friends, it is an interesting genre to read, and a much more interesting to write. So what are you doing here? Get Writing. Don't worry about the judgments. Go Ahead and Write; But like I said, Do Your Research.
About the Author
Varun Prabhu is a freelance ghostwriter, article writer, editor & proofreader, and an academic writer. He writes both fiction and non-fiction. As a fiction writer, he specializes in supernatural drama, epic fantasy, historical fiction, horror, and science-fiction. Currently, he is writing an epic fantasy series and also a sword-and-sorcery fantasy trilogy, the first book of which he will release soon.
You can reach him at http://facebook.com/Varun.Prabhu.Author
You can reach him at http://facebook.com/Varun.Prabhu.Author
Rachna is an educationist, content writer, book reviewer and blogger. Being a thinker, her mind is always brimming with ideas that are transformed into poems, prose, quotations and stories. She chooses to use writing to speak about things that matter to her. Her poems are made up of simple yet meaningful words. When she is not writing, working with an NGO or busy with her chores, she is lost in the imaginary world created by other authors! Her first book of poems and prose titled Myriad Hues, was published in March 2014. You can find out more about her from her website - www.rachnagupta.in 
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Rekindled Desires Description
Genre: Contemporary Romance On Sale: February 07, 2015 Description On her best friend’s wedding night, Becca Lawson becomes distressed when she runs into the man who once held her heart and shattered it completely. One night of intense emotions and daring confessions is all it takes to rekindle long-lost emotions. Fearing another heartbreak, Becca shuts herself off completely, denying herself a chance at true love. On the surface, it seems Austin Blackstone has it all. He’s rich, young and strikingly good-looking; but deep down, his heart aches for the unforgettable girl who slipped through his fingers. When a serendipitous encounter places them together on a tropical paradise, all of his deepest and darkest secrets secrets threaten to spill over. He’s willing to forsake everything he has built to finally get what he truly desires. Rekindled Desires is a touching love story of second chances and new beginnings. Can two vastly different people forget their rules and take a chance at love? Fans of Deborah Bladon are sure to love this sweet tale set on a beautiful, Caribbean island. Book Excerpt How long had he denied himself the simple pleasure of being with a woman? Months? A year? That was insane. He was making himself a promise to end this celibacy as soon as he got out of this old-fashioned formality. The easy catch would be, of course, the bridesmaid. They were always ready for a little adventure, weren’t they? But this was out of the question. He must be content, polite, and utterly boring today. But something inside of him just could not stop remembering the voice of that woman he was watching earlier, standing in the middle of this tropical garden with the flowers that produced amazing, exotic, almost seductive scents. Some feeling of déjà vu would not let go. His gut was telling him that his life was missing something, something very important. Family. This was a family gathering. The wedding represented the birth of a family and he was desperately alone. At twenty-eight, Austin was in his prime. Physically he was in perfect shape. Financially, he was very stable. He was ready to have someone significant in his life. He was ready to give himself. This was something he had never felt before. How could Roman do this when he was so young? It must be the old money, the sense of security, something Austin had had to build wealth on his own. He was proud of it. Preoccupied with his growing businesses and success, he tended to put his private life aside. Did he even have a life beyond work? He wanted to become a family man, to tie himself to a wife and a bunch of kids. He had never before felt compelled to care for anyone, except himself. He had little idea how to do that in the first place. He’d never experienced what a family really meant…until today. Was it realistic to be so much in love that Rom wanted to marry when he was barely twenty? Austin had been twenty not so long ago. He remembered what he’d been like back then vividly. His chest clenched with regret as he remembered the young girl, that innocent soul he cruelly pushed away. How could he possibly have resisted that goddess-like body she’d thrown at him? But he’d been so self-centered and not capable of any kind of relationship at that time, never mind love. For so long, the sweet form of that girl who’d foolishly confessed her love for him had kept appearing in his dreams… He had not wanted to be responsible for her broken heart. So he had just disappeared from her life and made sure she knew nothing about him anymore. It was better for her. She should have forgotten about him forever. 
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