In fantasy everything is possible – It’s real life that sucks

I’m not J.R. Tolkien or George R.R. Martin. I didn’t set out to write any fantasy whatsoever. When I first decided to write, I thought it would just be some romance with or without some steam in it. I wasn’t sure at the time.

Then I stumbled across a website that offered flash fiction challenges with prompts for writers of fantasy or sci-fi … not romance. I decided to take the challenges because I really like the owner of that site and his writing style. I ended up with three pieces of flash fiction, two of which belong in the fantasy genre.

Guess what I discovered? Writing fantasy is fun, it’s true. What’s strange though is that it also makes stories seem more real. Ironic, right?

Here’s what I mean. To me writing is about incredibly intense emotions. I can dig deep down within myself and bring out the kind of emotions I would like to see and experience. I can put those emotions in modern day characters and have a pretty decent story. A story that I would like to read myself.

Or I could take those same emotions and put them in imaginary characters: dragon born barbarians, nature fairies, warrior princesses, or anything else my mind comes up with.

The problem with modern day characters is that it becomes harder and harder to make them seem real. Who, nowadays, feels the kind of love that leaves you breathless? The kind of love that makes you want to spin around in a crazy dance with the one you love, or makes you want to cuddle with a great book, your even greater lover, and enjoy each other’s silent company for hours?

I might be wrong, but I mostly see wheels spinning nowadays. There aren’t too many dancers left. Hardly anyone has more than five minutes to spare for someone they love. Our jobs, our kids, our cell phones, and Facebook take the rest of our time.

I’m not going to use my Sixth Sense voice here and tell you that “I see dead people”. But I see people who are too rushed to feel anything real.

In a fantasy world, I can write that my love crazed barbarian was ready to rip his heart out and offer it in exchange for the life of his fairy bride who had been captured by an evil wizard.

You might sigh with envy when reading about the strength of his love and wish that someone loved you the same way too. You might snort and think that’s one foolish barbarian who should just keep his heart where it belongs and go on to find another bride. But I doubt you’d think that could never happen. After all, it’s a story about barbarians, fairies, and wizards. Anything could happen in there. Even people ripping out their hearts and living to tell about it.

In  a ‘real life’ kind of story, one happening in our social media crazed, empty living, rushed world,  you’d call me on my dramatic bullsh*t right away. Who in this world feels that kind of love anymore? I wouldn’t want anyone to rip out their hearts for me. The way I feel things I’d probably be the one to rip out my own heart first. But it would be nice to know that someone would love me enough to truly think they could.

Well, I’m going back to my novels now. They are all ‘real life’ novels. They all take place in this cold present I’m whining in here about. My characters seem to have forgotten that. If that will make them seem less real to you, I’m sorry.  I’m writing for a world that I would like to feel though, not for the world I see right now. I do promise to leave out any ripping of the hearts! I’ve seen enough episodes of Dr. House to know that it would be quite messy.

Plus,  I’m not a bloody writer. Well, I am a bloody writer but I don’t write about blood!!!