Blog 21

Done in Class:

Intro Paragraph:

Most people, if not everyone, has heard of at least one story that involved dragons and magic at some point in their life. Readers of fantasy enjoy the stories that are given to them and force them to delve into the worlds created by their favorite authors, but if not for the royalties, why do writers write fantasy? Most people would probably believe that writers write only for the money behind publishing, but writing overall has come to help people in many other situations that aren’t entirely connected to a financial premise.  So what’s the purpose behind the written copies of a single story that fill shelves upon shelves at stores, homes, and libraries? Even if not for publishing, writer’s usually use writing as a tool of expression and a means of escaping formal writing and reality as a whole. Fantasy gives writers a hand in self-expression by allowing them to express their thoughts and ideals indirectly with looser rules on writing structure. My curiosity peaked and I asked a friend of mine, also a fantasy writer, what her reasons were for writing and what she was able to do with the writing that she has done, despite the lack of published works.

Transcript

Interview Transcript


Z – Interviewer
W – Interviewee

Z: How long have you been writing in general?

W: Probably since Middle school.

Z: Middle School? How many years has that been exactly?

W: Uhh... Let's see, there's... (mumbling/scat) About seven.

Z: About seven years. When did you start, like, tapping into fantasy?

W: Mmm..Fantasy was most likely in public grade Eight/Nine 'cause that's when I started role playing a lot more.

Z: Makes sense. Makes sense. I started role play a lot more in high school, 'cause that's when I found out about it. Um... What got you into writing? What made you want to write in general?

W: Because I was actually able to express myself when it comes to certain things like... 'cause my writing was actually quite good, 'cause I actually took a writing course in sch- high school. And in school right now.

Z: That's cool, That's cool.

(Off topic: Z: Someone's trying to message me in skype and it's getting pretty annoying.

W: Me too, trust me, boyfriend.

Z: -laughs- It's cool, It's cool. We'll get through it.)

Z: Um.. (Repeat from above, just in case measure.)

W: It's when I really started to role play, and that's when I really started to develop characters and stuff like that.

Z: So is that when you started in fantasy and building characters?

W: Yea, like big time. And then that's how I started my drawing.

Z: Alright, What would you say is the best thing you've written?

W: A lot of big replies I'd have to do with role plays, like my paragraph ones. 'Cause, even though I can't write formal writing. I'm gonna say that right now. Me no good at formal writing, but I can do good at, um- I can do good at, um.. at like, non-formal and narrative or something with anecdotes, -light chuckles while speaking- which I actually know what that is, but uh.. I don't mind that stuff because I can be more freedom; not like those persuasives and stuff, like, there just too, neh.. Like, they're straight jackets to me in a way.

Z: That's pretty cool. It makes sense. I feel the same way about um.. academic writing and all that kind of -

W: Academia!

Z: Academia, Yea. Because it's-

W: Filled with Stupid Jargon.

Z: -laughs- Welcome to Jargon, Welcome to Academia, but um... Yea, I don't like academia and I doubt you would too if you've tapped into the fantasy genre, and it's all about creative writing.

W: Mhmm

Z: Um... Can you tell me any example of what you've written, like... like why you enjoyed it so much... Maybe?

W: -snickers- Uh... Because I can actually escape out of what I can like- like I can escape out of what's happening in my life. Like, if something's bad I can start writing or I can think, but that's when I got obsessive with role play post, 'cause I'd be walking around and my mind would be running role play posts of what I should write and what I shouldn't write and, like, multiple scenarios and what the person would reply to and stuff like that.

Z: That's pretty cool. I'd have some times where I'd run scenarios in my head. Uhm... can you give any examples?

W:-snickers- No.

Z: There's too many to bear.

W: -still giggling, snickering- Yea, and they're not exactly “PG”.

Z: Ah, ok. Um... I mean, even if it's.. even if it's “PG13,” but like, anything on um... say maybe a battle scene or maybe like a walk in the city or something.

(Skip. Inappropriate/Off topic.)

Z: So you already told me that how much you um- the reason why you like fantasy, and you said that the reason was because it pulled you out of reality and put you into... into whatever. (W agrees as Z speaks.) Obviously you don't like reality then. Is there a problem with reality, that makes you want to go to fantasy?

W: Well, because you actually, well, it's magical, because of how it's developed, and like you can do- how it's developed in so many ways, like... How it's so interesting for me is how... -side tracked-

(Off topice: Z: You have your T.V on, don't you.

W: Yea, do you want me to turn it off? -snickering-

Z: Yes please.

W: 'K.)

Z: I need you tell me like, stuff like um... how you felt like when you were writing.

W: Like what I feel when I'm writing is that, you can exp-, it's more about expression and how you can do it like, when I first started to role pl- Fantasy write, like, I didn't give a care about grammar. All grammar nazi's would curl up into a ball and go over to the side and in a corner. Like they.. But now I can write proper dialogue and stuff like that.

Z: So everything was just based off making the story.

W: Yea, and not the actual making sense and stuff.

Z: At any point in time, did any of the stories that you went through, did it ever link to you and maybe some part of your life.

W: No.. No.. Either from like some stuff I heard, and I think I did one based off of Alice in Wonderland.

Z: Is that one of your favorite stories or something?

W: Yea, I liked Alice in Wonderland. It's one of my favorites.

Z: Ok, that's mostly fan-fic, but that's still part of you. Um.. gee, what was I gonna ask?...Characters! How do you develop a character, like, what makes a character your character?

W: Hmm... Through names, by looking online for name generators and looking for a good picture, and just go straight to personality, but I try to skip over personalities. Because- when I do big profiles, because if I don't, If I do, I'll feel like I'd have to be accustomed to it. Cause that's why I can't do fan-based characters, I can only do “OCs” like original characters because they're not structure and that's why- Yea I'm not good with structure.

Z: That's cool, so everything has to be Original character, but um, is there any kind of personality or trait that makes your character Your character, like what makes your character unique?

W: Um.. sometimes most of my characters are stubborn and short tempered and I can be both of those very normally because, cause even teachers and my boyfriend have told me that I can be both, “That you are very- you can be sometimes short tempered and you can be very stubborn.” Even- Especially when I'm sick

Z: That's an interesting aspect because, every writer, every one of their main characters, they always put, or even any one of their characters, they always put a little bit- a part of them into the characters to at least make them interesting to themselves. So, what's important I writing to you, like what part of writing is important to you, like, other than expressing yourself.

W: Making sense.

Z: But you just told me that making sense wasn't that big of a deal, you used to say that it was all about the story.

W: Yea, but it has to be a story, but it has to make sense and... if you want them to read it... we did fairy tales, we did fairy tales from a different perspective, and I did quite well because I did it from another persons perspective. And um... and this fairy tale I wrote, it's funny because I found this online. It was from the Grimm Tales, and I did it from a (inaudible) novelist.

Z: A what novelist?

W: Erotic.

Z: Ok.. so what would happen in this fairy tale of yours? Let's focus on this littler fairy tale that you made.

W: Well it was basically based off of- We had to choose one fairy tale but we had to put it in that person's perspective, and some people put it in a scientist's point of view or like Betty White, or maybe like, a politically correct person's point of view. And I can... I can't do it like Jargon based. I can do more like Free-Willed because.... and euphemisms. Ugh.. -Shudders- Not good, not good. Don't like them.

Z: What don't you like about them.

W: Well it's like slowly taking the band-aid off, but then again there's people who just *Fwoop! (Move too fast.) You just wana get to the point.

Z: Alright, so getting to the point, is that something you do in your writing? You're saying that getting to the point is important at this point.

W: Yea, you want to get to the point because, you want to have complexity in your ideas in there, but you also want simple structure, well not structured, but... Ideas you can understand. For example, Alice in Wonderland. It had a lot of Stru- Confusing ideas. Then they had really easy ones like, the Jaberwokee was going to die because Alice was going to slay it. And then there was, how the author, how the director put like... like quotes from the actual series.

Z: So what about in your writing. Does this key of simplicity follow you in your writing?

W: Yea, I do try to put a good word choice in there, but I try to keep it simple because if it's too confusing then I can't even understand it.

Z: I usually try to use a little bit of simplicity. I always say that simplicity is key. So um... if it's it simple, sometimes it'll make it short, at times.

W: Yea, you have to make it complex ideas in there like to make it longer, or develop ideas in there, like in essays.

(Jumping off topic)

W: What's important to fantasy is that you make it believable, you don't make it sound fake. Like you have a believable aspect to it.

Z: Regardless of the fact that all of the stuff in fantasy is not- It is fake because we don't shoot fire out of our fists.

W: No, but like in Lord of the Rings maybe, they make the fight scenes a little realistic.

Z: Ok, so there's a fine line in fantasy, you're saying.

W: Yea.

Blog 15

Short Analysis Essay

(Quick Note: Specific examples may be bold in excerpts.)

When someone first hears about fantasy writing, the first thing they picture is either Lord of the Rings or some sort of fairy tale. There are in fact a large amount of greatly known titles that kicked up the fantasy genre, and fairy tales are a big part of the genre. Of course, that's just the reader's point of view, or even the first glance at the genre. What does the writer think about the genre he or she chose? What are the thoughts of a fantasy writer on the fantasy genre? From a little bit of experience and asking other writers whether in or out of a formal interview, I was able to set that fantasy writers find reality dull and loathe academia writing whether they can write well in it or not, but love to write and put themselves into different stories for, not only the reader's entertainment, but their own as well. Fantasy writers use the genre to express his or her ideas without having too many restrictions.

I ran an interview with another fantasy writer. One of the first things W mentions is that W writes to express herself. W said that W first started writing in middle school, because that's when W first started to role play, which is a form of fantasy writing through co-operative writing. This also got her into visual expression with drawing and art. In the interview, I represented myself as Z and my interviewee as W. Below, I have the first excerpt from the transcript, and W mentions mostly role playing how how role playing. As it seems, role playing was her main source of writing, considering the repetitious mentioning of the co-operative writing. W jumped about on topics in topics, but her message was about self expression, even at an early age.

Excerpt 1:

Z: How long have you been writing in general?
W: Probably since Middle school.

Z: Middle School? How many years has that been exactly?

W: Uhh... Let's see, there's... (mumbling/scat) About seven.

Z: About seven years. When did you start, like, tapping into fantasy?

W: Mmm..Fantasy was most likely in public grade Eight/Nine 'cause that's when I started role playing a lot more.

Z: Makes sense. Makes sense. I started role play a lot more in high school, 'cause that's when I found out about it. Um... What got you into writing? What made you want to write in general?

W: Because I was actually able to express myself when it comes to certain things like... 'cause my writing was actually quite good, 'cause I actually took a writing course in sch- high school. And in school right now.

...

W: It's when I really started to role play, and that's when I really started to develop characters and stuff like that.

Z: So is that when you started in fantasy and building characters?

W: Yea, like big time. And then that's how I started my drawing.

Another point W wanted to make sure that made its way into the record was how much W didn't enjoy formal writing, and how W wasn't very good at it. Excerpt two will be seen below, and as a joke W says, “Me no good at formal writing.” I had my laugh with this one, but in context, formal writing didn't really pertain to business writing and such, but grammar and sentence structure. W even explained how W wasn't good a structure, not to put herself down, but to make a point. That point was that W doesn't need to know structure in order to write because her focus was on the story and making the story something worth reading. One may counter that structure is in fact important; as a matter of fact, W contradicts herself and shares her importance of structure, but W stays with her idea of story being the most important aspect in fantasy writing, and, more importantly, her own writing. Even when she spoke, she portrayed this idea. From first hand, I know her writing and errors like “I can be more freedom” do come out often, but in the end, the bottom line was that we'd continue because the story was interesting. W also jumps into Academia writing, mainly because I brought it up, but just by the mention of academia she made her feelings toward school based writing clear. An interesting point W makes about academia is that she compares it to a straight jacket, and, like the importance of grammar and structure in academia writing, it comes off as restricting and even overly restricting to most fantasy writers.

Excerpt 2:

W: 'Cause, even though I can't write formal writing. I'm gonna say that right now. Me no good at formal writing, but I can do good at, um- I can do good at, um.. at like, non-formal and narrative or something with anecdotes, -light chuckles while speaking- which I actually know what that is, but uh.. I don't mind that stuff because I can be more freedom; not like those persuasives and stuff, like, there just too, neh.. Like, they're straight jackets to me in a way.

Z: That's pretty cool. It makes sense. I feel the same way about um.. academic writing and all that kind of -

W: Academia!

Z: Academia, Yea. Because it's-

W: Filled with Stupid Jargon.

Going hand in hand with academic writing, a common theme in the need for fantasy writing is the idea of a dull reality. It connects because everyone needed to go to school at some point in any form, and most people will argue that reality for the most part is relatively boring. Fantasy writers use the genre as a means of escape, even pointed out by W in the interview. Reasons may even be more personal than what I talk about.

Section of Excerpt 3:

“Z: Um... Can you tell me any example of what you've written, like... like why you enjoyed it so much... Maybe?

W: -snickers- Uh... Because I can actually escape out of what I can like- like I can escape out of what's happening in my life. Like, if something's bad I can start writing or I can think, but that's when I got obsessive with role play post, 'cause I'd be walking around and my mind would be running role play posts of what I should write and what I shouldn't write and, like, multiple scenarios and what the person would reply to and stuff like that.”

Even while talking about escaping reality, W retouches on the idea of expression and the unimportance of grammar in excerpt three, but explains how much she learned and improved, despite W's belief in the unimportance of structure and grammar. Despite her need for expression, W explains that nothing she wrote had any direct connection to events in her life, and changes the topic to Alice in Wonderland. This is where W jumps into fairy tales, mainly one of her favorites, which happens to be one of the more abstract slips into fantasy stories.

W didn't explain something directly, but she did explain her becoming obsessed with role play and co-operative righting. This falls into the idea that fantasy writer's continue to write for their own entertainment. She herself was obsessed with role playing and wanted to continue it because she enjoyed it. Her focus wasn't on the people involved in her co-operative stories, but on he own need for posting the shorts or pieces to continue the story for her own purpose.

Excerpt 3:

Z: Um... Can you tell me any example of what you've written, like... like why you enjoyed it so much... Maybe?

W: -snickers- Uh... Because I can actually escape out of what I can like- like I can escape out of what's happening in my life. Like, if something's bad I can start writing or I can think, but that's when I got obsessive with role play post, 'cause I'd be walking around and my mind would be running role play posts of what I should write and what I shouldn't write and, like, multiple scenarios and what the person would reply to and stuff like that.

Z: I need you tell me like, stuff like um... how you felt like when you were writing.

W: Like what I feel when I'm writing is that, you can exp-, it's more about expression and how you can do it like, when I first started to role pl- Fantasy write, like, I didn't give a care about grammar. All grammar nazi's would curl up into a ball and go over to the side and in a corner. Like they.. But now I can write proper dialogue and stuff like that.

Z: So everything was just based off making the story.

W: Yea, and not the actual making sense and stuff.

Z: At any point in time, did any of the stories that you went through, did it ever link to you and maybe some part of your life.

W: No.. No.. Either from like some stuff I

heard, and I think I did one based off of Alice in Wonderland.

Z: Is that one of your favorite stories or something?

W: Yea, I liked Alice in Wonderland. It's one of my favorites.

Now, W did say that she didn't use any of her life events as points to plot down in a story, but she does help bring up a point on character choice and development. When making a character or many characters, writers often, if not always, put a pinch of their own personality in their characters. W explains how she couldn't play off of fan-based characters which would be the main character in known stories, but had to make her own original character to partake in a pre-made world. W creates her own character in order to partake in the co-operative writing, and that falls under expression, which ends up being one of the main reoccurring themes.

Excerpt 4:

Z: Ok, that's mostly fan-fic, but that's still part of you. Um.. gee, what was I gonna ask?...Characters! How do you develop a character, like, what makes a character your character?

W: Hmm... Through names, by looking online for name generators and looking for a good picture, and just go straight to personality, but I try to skip over personalities. Because- when I do big profiles, because if I don't, If I do, I'll feel like I'd have to be accustomed to it. Cause that's why I can't do fan-based characters, I can only do “OCs” like original characters because they're not structure and that's why- Yea I'm not good with structure.

Z: That's cool, so everything has to be Original character, but um, is there any kind of personality or trait that makes your character Your character, like what makes your character unique?

W: Um.. sometimes most of my characters are stubborn and short tempered and I can be both of those very normally because, cause even teachers and my boyfriend have told me that I can be both, “That you are very- you can be sometimes short tempered and you can be very stubborn.” Even- Especially when I'm sick

Z: That's an interesting aspect because, every writer, every one of their main characters, they always put, or even any one of their characters, they always put a little bit- a part of them into the characters to at least make them interesting to themselves. So, what's important I writing to you, like what part of writing is important to you, like, other than expressing yourself.

W: Making sense.

Z: But you just told me that making sense wasn't that big of a deal, you used to say that it was all about the story.

W: Yea, but it has to be a story, but it has to make sense and... if you want them to read it... we did fairy tales, we did fairy tales from a different perspective, and I did quite well because I did it from another persons perspective. And um... and this fairy tale I wrote, it's funny because I found this online. It was from the Grimm Tales.

Just from one interview, I was able to gain the general basis of the purpose of fantasy writing in the writer's eyes. This is even despite the fact that I am a fantasy writer and follow similar rules. I don't normally talk to other writers about the writing, only write with them and observe their principles through their writing. Fantasy writing is used to possibly touch actual events or even instances in one's self in a manner that will let the writer fully express themselves without the restrictions from other genres and even the restrictions of everyday life. Fantasy writing lets idealism reflect realism and even uses idealistic settings to solve realistic problems.