:: A Brave New Old World

Yep, it's been a long time since my last post. I've been a bit busy. My current manuscript is coming along nicely, and, like everything I've written (= actually typed or constructed merely inside my head), it's got a fantastic, or seemingly fantastic element in it. The idea of a premise that appears to be supernatural but really isn't—or at least is supernatural only in the sense that it just might be since it cannot entirely be disproven—continues to fascinate me. Unlike in the novels Fred Vargas writes around her delightfully weird inspector Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his equally quirky crew, the setting of my current project does not provide the a priori conclusion that what appears to be fantastic will, in the end, have a completely rational explanation.

In a word, I like the fantastic.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I've always liked the fantastic. Particularly in the fantasy genre made so popular, first and foremost, by J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings trilogy and the works surrounding it. I enjoy good Science Fiction, as well, but it doesn't charm me as much. And yet I've never felt the urge to write pure genre fantasy. The reason for this reticence is mostly that, as anyone even remotely familiar with the genre will know very well, it follows certain conventions that can make any fantasy writing that is not Tolkien appear like an imitation of, or homage to, his works. 

Unless, of course, it's brilliant and original in its own right. It's certainly been done. But clearly, to write original fantasy that still retains the charm that draws fans of the genre to these tales in the first place, while offering something new and unique at the same time, is a daunting task. Nevertheless, in recent months it's become clear to me that I have to try. Whether I will succeed is another matter. I certainly love the idea enough. So: a new project is in the works.

The beautiful thing is that my current manuscript is not yet finished. But I have always envied, and been slightly mystified by, writers that say that they have so many irons in the fire that when they have written themselves empty working on one project, they turn to another. This is the first time that I will be enjoying this particular kind of situation—and it is a very nice feeling for this aspiring writer, who has always been half afraid that no new story might start growing in my head once one novel was finished.

The road does go ever on an on...