Thanks to speculative author Gail Z. Martin for stopping by and sharing her thoughts on epic fantasy. Enjoy!
SUSPENSE, HORROR AND ROMANCE IN EPIC FANTASY by Gail Z. Martin
One of the things I love about writing epic fantasy is that within the genre, there is room for elements of other genres. Like the old spaghetti sauce ad, "it's in there." Part of it is the scope of epic fantasy, with its large scale, sweeping storylines and large cast of characters. That creates a lot of opportunity for drawing on a variety of elements, because you're working on a bigger canvas (and a larger page count) than many other genres permit.
I know that suspense has its own genre, but certainly any dramatic fiction requires more than a dollop of suspense to keep the reader turning pages. If you want your readers to stick with you over the course of hundreds of pages, there has to be a strong "what's going to happen next" sense, with tension at the end of every scene and every chapter. I love when readers tell me that I kept them up late or made them run over their lunch hour because they couldn't put the book down!
Maybe other genres can get by without a touch of horror, but it fits well inside epic fantasy. We often write about brutal times and brutal people-warlords, kings, soldiers, mages and monsters. There's going to be bloodshed, and often, to illustrate just how bad it is or just how black someone's heart is, the writing veers into the horrific to make a point. Unlike a horror novel, an epic fantasy doesn't stay mired in the horrific, nor does the protagonist remain helpless for long. But we definitely touch on it, and can often use it to good purpose.
Epic romance also often lends itself to elements of romance. Dynasties are at stake, and the men and women who produce the next set of rulers are going to have their loves and dalliances, their betrayals and unrequited affections. It can up the stakes for a hero's survival if someone is waiting for his or her return. When people are thrown together under stressful situations for periods of time, romantic relationships are going to happen. I find that a bit of romance can be a respite from all the battle action and grit, and after having that respite, the hardship seems even more difficult.
The next time you're stewing up your next epic fantasy, add some spice with horror, suspense and romance. It makes for a mighty tasty story!
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Reign of Ash, book two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga launches in April, 2014 from Orbit Books. My new urban fantasy, Deadly Curiosities, comes out in July, 2014 from Solaris Books. I bring out two series of ebook short stories with a new story every month for just .99 on Kindle, Kobo and Nook--check out the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures or the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.
About the author: Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, 2014), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady's Chosen ) from Solaris Books and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn and The Dread) from Orbit Books. In 2014, Gail launches a new urban fantasy novel, Deadly Curiosities, from Solaris Books. She is also the author of two series of ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventures. Find her at , on Twitter @GailZMartin, on , at blog and
Thanks again to Gail Z. Martin for her guest post. Watch Whimsical Words for more guests (including tomorrow's post from author Trisha Wooldridge), blogs from me, and Readers & Writers Recipes. Have a fantastical day! - Vonnie
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