And now let's return to Charlie Jane Anders (author of All The Birds in the Sky) and #4 of her "10 Writing "Rules" We Wish More Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Would Break"...
4) Fantasy novels have to be series instead of standalones
We
love a good epic trilogy (or decalogy) as much as the next fantasy
addict. But sometimes a nice done-in-one story is also exceedingly
welcome. And this is one area where science fiction seems to have a
slight advantage over fantasy — both genres have tons of sprawling
series, but science fiction at least sometimes spawns one-off novels.
And there’s something to be said for getting a satisfying story in one
volume, without a cliffhanger or any loose ends afterwards. And
sometimes, characters can actually be developed more fully if the author
doesn’t have to hold anything back for future books. A character who
gets a full arc in one book can be a richer character.
 |
| Add caption |
Ok, didn't want to cheat by leaving this one out, but I'm sure I'll stay a follower of this "rule". Why? Too much stuff in my head and too many ideas from the babbling bunch of characters lounging on my sofa to ever fit into one book lol Besides: I'm an avid reader of series as I get to stick with familiar characters - guess I simply have a problem with saying "Good Bye" and letting go...
 |
| My inner teenager agrees! |
No comments:
Post a Comment