I’ve been doing a certain amount of reading online lately (and by ‘certain’ I mean A LOT), on various blogs, amateur writers’ sites, etc. I like seeing what’s out there. What can I say? I’m curious. Aren’t you?
I personally have found that fantasy stuff is big. People write stories about magic and wizards. Elves are trendy, too. Couple that with knights and swords, dwarves and trolls, and you get the picture. I’m not saying it’s not a cool genre. I love reading a good fantasy story just as much as the next person. I’ve never written one myself. I’m just not sure whether writers do it because they want to and they feel they’re good at it, or because they somehow know that’s what people want to read. The fact that there are so many fantasy writers out there, in itself, should tell me that’s what readers expect. But is it? I’m just wondering.
I love authors who are able to create entire worlds and make them seem real. Think J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter (Oh my, maybe I should have some initials added to my name:). These writers are so good at being detailed, everything is considered, the environment with gnarled trees and crumbling castles, the tools or weapons with names like The Lightbringer and The Oathkeeper, the spells are meaningful as well and have their own names like Expecto Patronum. The background stories flow into you and take over. You feel trapped and you have no choice but to finish reading so you know how the story ends. You want to know if the bad guy wins. You want to see the good guy prevail. It depends, I sometimes giggle when the villains are so… endearingly villain-ish that I can’t help but cheer them on. That’s me.
I wouldn’t say fantasy is my favorite genre, though. I find it difficult to create, and maybe that’s why I’ve never tried my hand at it. I love mysteries and horror stories. I love being scared. Although I do have to watch movies like ‘Paranormal Activity’ with the sound off. I find it’s the sound that gets to me. I digress. I love thrillers and a good romance once in a while, just for good balance.
What do you like? What’s the genre that appeals to you the most? Even if you can’t tell me why, tell me which. What’s the story that stands out among the millions you have access to? Do you like being scared, like me? Do you like crying because the knight in shining armor saved the damsel in distress, and they lived happily ever after? Do you like the prodigal son whose parents welcome him like nothing happened? Or maybe you prefer flying carpets and lamp genii to fulfill all your wishes? Tell me, I’d love to know. What can I say? I’m curious.
Keep reading. Cheers.