Writing A Fantasy Novel How To Avoid Writer's Block In This Genre
by ISreya Ray
(India)
Hello.....
I am a 20 year old wannabe author...... I have written a few short stories.... on different types of genres... but now I want to have a go at writing a fantasy novel.....example (Percy Jackson, Harry Potter) I even have the basic plotline out but its really the minute details which are persistently being a major obstacle. For example I am very poor at architecture so how can I describe buildings/monuments in a realistic manner? Do you know of any good mythological book/websites where I can get updated about myths, folklore, legends (as they are always helpful in this particular genre) and finally the issue which is agonizing me to no end...how do I avoid comparisons/accusations of plagiarism to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson?? Apart from the protagonist's gender and the genre there are no similarities to these bestsellers....should I wait for some years before publishing my book to avoid controversies and negative publicity??
Please help me out!!!!
Response: Honestly, there are so many good books written on architectural history you should have no trouble finding what you need - that is, if you are basing your fantasy on a particular place and period in earth's history. If you're creating a fantasy world, you have a lot more leeway to use your imagination.
If you're really stuck for inspiration, I suggest you find a good library and ask the reference librarian for help.
As for your second question, if the only similarities between your book and Percy Jackson are the genre and the main character's gender, you are worrying about nothing.
Think about it. Did Rick Riordan break some rule by writing in the same genre as J.K. Rowling? Of course not. If that were the case, there would be no fantasy genre. There could only be one fantasy book at a time that wasn't in public domain.
You only get in trouble if you borrow substantially from another work or if you try to pass off someone else's story or characters as your own creation.
Harry Potter and Percy Jackson had their forerunners, and there are many other fantasy books in print with male protagonists. So relax.
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