Oooh, another “rant” where I get to burble. “Limyaael,” someone might say, “if sudden epiphanies are unrealistic and badly-handled, and static characters are silly, and declarations by fiat don’t work, then what exactly do you think well-written change looks like?”

( I’m so glad you asked )

This one won by a huge margin, by which I conclude that a) a lot of people have gotten bored with their novels in the past, b) a lot of people think they might get bored with their novels now or in the future, or c) a lot of people want to be pointlessly entertained.

( Well, I aim to please )

Okay, the rant on deathbed scenes and last moments. If you notice a seemingly invisible subtitle floating about, which is “How to make them something other than disgustingly sappy”…yes, well, that’s deliberate.

( Onwards! )

And another largely “Whee!” rant. Third in a series, of sorts, following this one and this one. More shiny!

( Here we go… )

And it’s the ‘ten alternatives to writing genetic magic’ rant! Aren’t you excited ( Read more... )

In a way (a very vague way) this is like one of those rants about things I think are cool and ignored too often, but it concentrates more on plot and characterization ideas than world-building or themes. And it springs directly out of having read far too many fantasy short stories that follow the exact same structure ( Read more... )

This is a follow-up, in many ways, to the rant that I wrote here. That means more happy burbling, more “oooh, shiny!” ideas, and more dreams-I regularly dream about walking into a bookstore and finding books like this. I am always so disappointed when I wake up.

( Oooh, shiny! )

This rant is very similar to one I did a little while ago, things Limyaael thinks would be really cool. Transformative fantasy isn’t a defined genre of fantasy as such. It’s one I’m defining. The books I like best tend to have at least one of these qualities, and the more they have, the better I like them. Summed up, they tend to add up to:

( Change is Lord, and God )

This rant is so personal it’s not funny. And it’s full of more wide-eyed burbling than bitchiness. Just a warning.

(When did the day come that I have to warn people for something not containing bitchiness?)

( Things Limyaael thinks would be really cool )

The second part of the “daily life” rant, containing a few things more specific to fantasy.

( Because altering a nod into a zgeiwak just asks for a beating )