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A Christian Writing Course

If you would like to try your hand at Christian writing then I have put together a short online course based on a series I presented at my church called Writing as Worship and Witness.

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1. Christian Writing Course
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1. Writing for women’s magazines
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3. Understanding men’s magazines

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3. Writing historical fiction 2 – doing the research

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1. People’s Play Award + scriptwriting resources

Check out the trailer if you’re not sure what all the fuss is about:

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For a British-based reality check, you should also check out my post on Can You Earn Money as a Writer?

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Image courtesy of ginieland

The difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy

Although these genre have much in common, the essential difference is that Science Fiction broadly deals with the ‘theoretically possible’ (although often improbable!) whereas Fantasy deals with the impossible (although that doesn’t mean everything in the story is impossible). Science Fiction takes the existing world to another dimension; Fantasy creates entirely new worlds and infuses them with a degree of familiarity. See for example Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ fantasy novels. The most recent, Wintersmith, won the British Bookseller’s Children’s Book of the Year (2007).

The difference between Fantasy and Magic Realism

Although some critics place them both in the same basket, strictly speaking, Magic Realism is a genre in which fantasy elements such as magic or the supernatural enter a realistic, natural world without the reader questioning their presence. Clay by David Almond is a good example of Magic Realism.

Fantasy as ‘crossover’

Long before Harry Potter, adults were secretly enjoying ‘children’s’ literature in the form of fantasy. The Lord of the Rings was originally categorised as a children’s book, as were Orwell’s Animal Farm and Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, even though all three deal with very adult themes. It is really only from the late 1970s and early 80s that fantasy was given its own shelf in the adult section of the library. So is there still a dedicated children’s fantasy genre? I think so. Although it has much in common with adult fantasy (similar plot lines, conventions etc) there are things (common to all children’s writing) that set it apart, such as: child protagonists, age appropriate language, sanitised plot lines (no or limited sex and violence). In addition, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy suggests that what sets children’s fantasy apart is the theme of transformation. This is a fantastical metaphor for the age-old theme of ‘coming of age’ that is found in most children’s writing for the 10+ group. As Lisa Tuttle explains in her Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction:

It is the ability to experience either a transfer of self from place to place or through time, or a change in being (from poverty to riches or from beast to beauty). The latter process is particularly important as it allows the child to come to terms with its own change from child to adult.
(Tuttle, p119)

Common fantasy sub-genre in children’s writing

The Encyclopedia of Fantasy suggests six common sub-genre:

• Worlds in miniature (eg Mary Norton’s The Borrowers)
• Secret gardens and hidden worlds where children can temporarily escape from real life (eg The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis).
• Time fantasies where children travel to another era or encounter ghosts from the past. (eg Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quartet)
• Otherworlds (secondary worlds such as Tolkien’s Middle Earth or Ursula Le Guin’s Earth Sea)
• Wish fulfilment (Mary Poppins, PL Travers)
• Animal Stories (eg Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep Pig aka Babe!)

General fantasy conventions:

The following are the main conventions you’ll need to be aware of when writing fantasy:

• The fantasy world
• Myths, legends and fairytales
• Magic
• Archetypes
• Landscape with meaning
• Maps
• Journeys
• Suspension of disbelief and internal logic

The fantasy world

Ever since The Lord of the Rings, the stock setting for most fantasy books is a pre-industrial one, with much in common with Earth’s Middle Ages. However, ‘futuristic’ fantasies are becoming more common as the stock setting has been done to death.

Myths, legends and fairytales

Elements of Celtic, Arthurian and Central and Northern European mythology are easily identifiable.

Modern fantasy has its roots in fairy tales, myths and legends – an imaginary past more than a real one. It is therefore less concerned with novelty and innovation than with old stories retold. Even the most inventive and original fantasy tends to look back to earlier epic tradition and what might be considered eternal truths.
(Tuttle, p22)

Magic

This is an almost essential element, as without it, ‘logical’ explanations would have to be found for fantastical events – that would make it Sci Fi, not Fantasy. Critics of Fantasy say that often the ‘magic’ reflects forms of occultic religion, unsuitable for children.

Archetypes

Fantasy is rich ground for Jungian psychologists: the wise old woman, the divine child, the young hero or heroine sent on a quest, helpful animals, a walled castle, the wasteland, the dying king, shape-shifting tricksters, dragons and unicorns. These archetypes have a pre-existing meaning for the reader, and are, to a degree, expected to appear in some form or another.

When they’re handled well, these familiar characters have the ring of truth about them, and seem both familiar and yet original; but if the author is lazy or unskilled they’ll come across as cartoons or clichés.
(Tuttle, p21)

Landscape with meaning

In fantasy, the landscape or ‘world’ that is created has equal importance with character and plot. However, resist the temptation to go overboard on description, and only include as much as is needed to further characterisation and plot.

Maps

Since Tolkien, these have become almost de rigeur in helping your reader to picture the world you have created.

Journeys

Much of fantasy fiction writing has a journey of discovery or ‘quest’ at its heart. We accompany the POV character on his / her journey, and this helps us to navigate through the new world.

Suspension of disbelief and internal logic

When writing fantasy you will expect your reader to suspend their disbelief as they enter your world and take it as you describe it. However, this doesn’t mean that anything goes. Every fantasy world has rules or laws that cannot and should not be broken. Characters need to act within the restraints of these laws. For example, dragons derive energy from the sun and can’t stay on the ground for long (‘Glint’, Ann Coburn, p26). As the creator of this world, you make up its rules, but you too must be subject to them.

A writing exercise:
Create your own fantasy world and write a story set in it. Ask yourself:

1. What is the name of your world?
2. What does it look like?
3. Who lives there?
4. Describe a typical child in your world.
5. Is the world at peace or at war?
6. If at war, who is the enemy?
7. If at peace, what threatens that peace?
8. Who rules your world?
9. What are the ’10 Commandments’ of your world?
10. What happens if someone breaks them?

Now write your story.

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US vs UK version

I first encountered Writer’s Market through the US version in 2004 when I was trying to break in across the pond. I was very impressed with the layout and the depth of information given, particularly in the magazine section (as this was what I was targeting). Of particular help, was the ‘inside info’ and ‘tips’. They also gave an indication of what rights the mags bought and, with the help of dollar icons, how well the outlet paid.

The British version has the same clean, accessible layout, the inside info and tips, but doesn’t have an equivalent ‘pound’ icon or info on rights bought. This doesn’t matter as much in the UK though as British publications rarely demand ‘world rights’ like the US mags.

Fresh new articles

The other two British writers’ yearbooks intersperse helpful articles from established writers in between the market listings according to media. Writer’s Market UK groups them all at the beginning. I quite like this as I actually sat down and read the articles (123 pp) like an overview of the writing market. ‘Big’ names like Joanne Harris and new writers whom the average up-and-comer will be able to identify with, share their respective wisdom and insight into the writing industry.

As a teacher of writing for children, I’ve pretty much read everything out there on the subject, yet Elizabeth Kay’s ‘Gallons of lemonade …’ was something fresh. Another goodie was ‘Why not turn to crime?’ by Simon Brett and ‘The publishing house’ by Writer’s Market editor, Caroline Taggart. Yet-to-be-published writer Sara Crowley wrote a realistic and informative piece on ‘Notes from my living room – one writer’s journey so far.’

I must say, I was getting a bit bored with reading the same writers in the other two yearbooks – Eoin Colfer, for example (I’m a great fan of his Artemis Fowl series, but his articles were just repeated year on year). So this batch of articles was quite refreshing – I hope Caroline Taggart will change them regularly though if I’m going to buy it in the future.

As an eclectic writer of fiction, non-fiction, magazine writing, children’s writing, screen and scriptwriting, as well as a writing teacher, I use yearbooks extensively. Let’s see how Writer’s Market UK has helped me so far:

What I found helpful

• In my monthly Arts Council-sponsored Writing For Children workshop I was able to recommend Elizabeth Kay’s article to my students. They’ve been with me four years, so it’s a challenge to find something new.
• Some of them are busy approaching agents and the agent listing was helpful. However, it’s not as extensive, for obvious reasons, as the dedicated Children’s Writer’s and Artists’ Yearbook. There is also a Children’s Market UK, but I haven’t seen it yet.
• I also teach a weekly non-fiction course. Last week we looked at doing market research of magazines – we used Writer’s Market UK mag listing and found the insider info very helpful.
• I host a monthly writer’s circle supporting poets and prose writers. I will be sharing the articles on finding markets for poetry and short stories there.
• As far as my own writing goes, I’m currently on the look-out for an agent for a young adult novel, a children’s picture book and a screen and stage play. Writer’s Market UK has a list of literary agents and the insider info on who is currently taking on new clients is very helpful.
• Like the other two yearbooks, Writers’ Market UK has gone online – you can find them at www.writersmarket.co.uk. There is a dedicated Children’s Market section of the site which I look forward to using. The ‘communities’ section is not yet up and running but overall, I like the look of the site. It is user-friendly and easy to navigate – and of course, it’s free!

What I didn’t find helpful

• In my non-fiction course not all the magazines my students are researching were listed eg Cat Magazine, North East Life and the Northumbrian. However, neither of the other two yearbooks are fully comprehensive either.
• It was hard to find dedicated script agents in the general literary listing. However, the other two yearbooks are the same. It would be useful – and a good USP – if there was a separate listing.
• Apart from writing for radio, there were no articles on writing for stage or screen which I found very disappointing.

So would I buy it?

If they expand their scriptwriting coverage next year, then yes, I would buy it. If not, I’ll probably stay with Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook (although, as I’ve already hinted, I’ll probably end up getting both anyway).

If you have any questions or comments about the content of Writer’s Market UK, please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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