The Fantasy Author's Secret Tool

By Jason Koop

What are the tools any writer – particularly one of fantasy – requires?  Talent, some are more apt and able than others; communication skills, nothing kills a story’s potential than it being communicated poorly; grit and determination to see a project through to completion; and curiosity.  And not just any curiosity, but a particularly nerdy type.

Now, we will explore that last one, but first, some clarification.  As someone who has dabbled in writing fantasy almost since I could write, I have come to realize in the past few years that I have built up some assumptions that I now realize are a big “wrongzo” to quote my favourite YouTuber Arlo.  Primarily, I assumed that the best thing for a fantasy writer to do to help inspire them was to intake fantasy.  It makes sense, right?  Fantasy goes in, fantasy goes out.

One thing about being married to someone who not only writes fantasy, but has gotten multiple books published (7 as of this blog posting), is that I have had my eyes opened to the realities of getting a quality fantasy story written, and the tools necessary to accomplish this.

Yes, she has the talent, grit and drive, and has come a long way in her communication skills.  But more notably for me, most of her published novels have come from a nerdiness that predated the published work.

While we have stated on the podcast that Kenneth Oppel’s novel Silverwing did inspire Karlissa’s Kingdom of Bats, it was her love for – and knowledge of – bats that was the real driving force.  It’s evident in that there are multiple species of bat represented, and they aren’t readily defined as “good bat species” and “bad bat species”.

Dwelling in Darkness is heavily inspired by both animals of the night, the Popol Vuh (a Mayan religious text), and Malagasy mythology.  There are multiple reference books around the house about the age of sailing and weaponry of that time frame that Karlissa delved into well before writing the Tales of the Diversity trilogy.  Davy Jones’ Aquarium was primarily inspired by her interest and knowledge of creatures that live in the dark depths of our oceans… and aquariums, of course.

There are examples of this in other fantasy writers.  Madeline L’Engle had a love for science, which one can definitely pick up in her Wrinkle in Time series.  J.R.R. Tolkien had a deep affinity for Norse mythology.  C.S. Lewis was a Medieval and Renaissance scholar.

Timothy Zahn, whom has written some of my favourite Star Wars novels, has a doctorate in physics, which definitely is evident in things like space battles; he can elevate these conflicts beyond a simple shoot and explode scene.

One advantage of being at the very least curious or knowledgeable in any area is that the writer can then use this to provide greater detail and “colour” for the reader’s imagination.  If Karlissa’s knowledge of creatures that live in the dark ocean depths were contained in a Google search, then Davy Jones’ life in the Abyss would undoubtedly come across as a lot more boring, with not much to differentiate it from our own.

Fantasy is a wonderfully malleable genre.  And some of the best examples of fantasy come from taking a dash or two from this wonderful world God created and letting that influence what happens in our fantasies.

As much as writers of fantasy are encouraged to let their imagination go wild with the possibilities, I think we should also praise their own unique flairs that they bring to the table.  If a writer’s work is clearly painted by their love of animals or the way physics would interact with something fictional in space, I think it all adds depth to the fantasy experience.

What Is Chibi?

I mentioned in the Summer 2017 blog post that I’m creating Chibi-style sketches for a few of my characters from Kingdom of Bats and Dwelling in Darkness.

You might be someone who immediately knows what I’m talking about; or you might be asking yourself, “What is Chibi?”

The Japanese word actually means something along the lines of “little;” apparently, it’s an endearing term when applied to a child, and a bit of an insult when applied to an adult (not too surprising).

But the Western world has taken the word ‘Chibi’ as a direct reference to Japanese-style artwork in which the characters are given enlarged heads and simplified bodies in order to make them look more child-like or cute. (Think Powerpuff Girls.)

It’s a style I’ve played around with a little in my personal art sessions, and I decided it’d be a fun venue for creating pictures of some of my favourite characters from my two animal-themed books.

When these pictures are done, I’ll start posting them to FaceBook, Twitter, and Pinterest. So be on the lookout for lemurs, a bat, and a swallow all coming soon!

The Age of Sail and a Novel to Come

There seems to be three eras that fantasy tales stick close to: the Medieval era, the classic fantasy stage; the futuristic era, creating the genre of sci-fi; and the modern era, favoured by superhero movies and comics.

But my favourite historical era is the Age of Sail (e.g. the Age of Exploration), and I think it makes a perfect match to the fantasy genre. This is the time when the Americas were being explored; when a route to India was sought by the East India Companies; when pirates plagued the seas; when a quest for the Southern Continent led to the discovery of Australia and Antarctica; and when rumours and accounts of sea monsters abounded.

Travel and fantastical beasts, quests and riches, greed and warfare… yes, core elements that make the Medieval era so loved are there, sans helpless princesses acting as damsels in distress (which maybe we can survive without anyways).

There are two stories that come to mind when I think of creators using well the Age of Sail for a fantasy tale. George Bryan Polivka captures the era in his novel Blaggard’s Moon, inserting imaginary creatures and locations into a world that feels strongly of the culture and ethical struggles of that age. And the games Torchlight and Torchlight 2 break from traditional fantasy role-playing games in introducing weapons like the pistol and rifle: more Age of Sail than Medieval, for sure; and the games take place on a recently-discovered continent (as explained in Torchlight 2 and on the game’s website).

The Age of Sail was an era of change, which I believe is the reason it’s not as popular as the Middle Ages for fantasy story-telling. If one never strays from the Medieval era, the characters can change, but the world will be mostly the same generation after generation. That creates a sense of stability, perhaps of timelessness and romanticism.

However, in reality, the world alters, and those of us in the modern era face changes and challenges constantly. The Age of Sail captures this. Discovery of new continents means new cultures: how do we react to these natives? The invention of gunpowder changes warfare: is it more important to retain the romance and customs of the traditional swordfight, or to use technology to give our side a distinct advantage? And of course, the sailing ship opens up both great opportunity and great risk: we can cross oceans to find glory, riches, and fame, but will we succumb to pirates, storms, disease, and monsters along the way?

The Age of Sail is ripe with opportunity for cross-cultural interactions, and the character development and growth that result. As someone who has traveled cross-culturally on multiple occasions, I appreciate the lessons and stretches that come with such adventures.

That’s why I’m proud to introduce my next book, Tales of the Diversity: The Quest. This is a world I’ve pondered, developed, and loved for several years: an Age of Sail fantasy adventure full of unique cultures, creatures, and locations inspired by my own journeys.

Tracy Krauss, an award-winning and best-selling author of Christian fiction, did me the honour of reading the rough draft, and had this to say: “With sparkling prose and deep characterization, Karlissa J has emerged as a fresh yet formidable voice in the YA fantasy genre.” I believe this book is the best I’ve written to date, and I’m excited to share this story with you!

Tales of the Diversity: The Quest will likely be coming out early next year. There will be sneak peaks and updates to satisfy you until then!