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San Jose's Darlings - GR

San Jose's Darlings

Marcuria's End - GR

Marcuria's End

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Join My GoodReads Group

Group name: "Ask Joshua Steelman Anything"

Check it out here.

Come join my scrumdiddilyumptious GoodReads group! I formed it so readers of my book could have easy access to me in order to ask any questions they'd like, no matter how personal. Anything goes in this group; it's that dangerous. It also functions as a discussion board for interesting chats about any of the following topics: the writing process and techniques, why I write / why do you write, "writing and mental illness," the fantasy genre (likes / dislikes), publishing, the state of the publishing industry (self-publishing vs traditional), book discussions, in-depth breakdown of Marcuria's End, and so much more.

This group is open to everybody and I do not discriminate, so jump on in and join us. It will be a lot of fun. I give it my 100% Steelman guarantee.

This week's topic: Likes / Dislikes of the Fantasy Genre (Books)

What I mean by this topic is this: From your experience reading in this genre, what do you like / dislike about fantasy books?


My Take


What I like most about books I've read in this genre: pure escapism, originality in creating new types of monsters and threats--new brands of villains, sense of mystery and wonder, opportunities for discovery (secret locations, hidden or forbidden knowledge), interesting commentary on societal problems, the ability to experience something brand new (something very different than real life).

What I've disliked: reliance on dragons and other standard fantasy monsters and races (pet peeve: since each fantasy world is unique, creatures and races need to be introduced that fit into that specific environment--they should feel like an organic piece of that realm), shallow characters and stories--stories with no substance, bad writing (even fantasy authors published by traditional publishers aren't the greatest writers), bad dialogue, reliance on sex and titillation to "spice things up," political intrigue (so boring I want to cry).

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