Are You Writing Serious Fantasy? II

[Eruwen]

I've always liked writing, mostly short stories, and I must admit once in a while I thought about writing a novel. My problem was that I couldn't think of anything to write. That is, until I read LOTR. Somehow that book inspired me to write the longest piece of work I have yet done. June 5th of 2002 I started to write what I thought would be a short story. After a few days of writing, I decided to extend it and make it into a novel. I had no clue what I was getting myself into.

My story first started out as a fan-fiction of LOTR. I made up my own characters, of course, but I put the settings in Mirkwood at a time after the 4th age. After a few months of writing, I started to talk to people about it. I even talked to a few on this site. They, unfortunately, convinced me to not write a fan-fic but a novel of my own creation.

I sat down and had to re-do the entire thing. I kept most of the characters I made, and some points of the original story, but now it is completely different. This fantasy I am writing has probably taken up most of my free time at home and at school. I would constantly keep coming up with ideas, and no matter where I was, I would have to write them down.

I made up my own world, characters, places, creatures, everything. I had no idea the sort of thing was in me. And now after over a year of when I started this piece originally, I have written 13 chapters. I started out with probably around 6 characters at the beginning, and now I have over 25. I have 7 different types of creatures, 15 names of places, and so many pages of story I don't even know what to do with it...and I'm not done either. Even now after all this time I have finally come up with a title for my novel, and it would be Mirage.

Now...you ask...

How did you decide that you wanted to write fantasy?

All my life I have been interested in what you would call "fantasy". Pretty much, I have just been fascinated with things that would not happen in everyday life. Sci-fi, mythology, and even just plain fiction has all intrigued my mind in a way I have not been able to escape. I guess writing a fantasy was just a way of making me happy.

What kind do you write?

I used to write short stories on ghosts and aliens and different stuff like that. Now, however, I have been interested more in mythological type writings. Things having to do with magical beings, fairy-tale type lands, and, of course, extraordinary heros like Sam are now my main topic.

Has Tolkien influenced your writing? If so, how?

How could he not? Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were the ones who inspired me to write fantasy in the first place. I think it was to a point that I envied their works so much that I wanted to write something just as good as them...which we all know is not possible. But Tolkien influence me in giving me the will and determination to write my novel, and not stop writing until I know it comes to what I want it to be.