(In alphabetic order)

1. Race (contest, conflict), running (escape)
2. Raid, reconnaissance, restraint, roundup, (capture, imprisonment)
3. Ransom, reclaim, recovery, release, relief, rescue,
4. Reasons/Reason/Rhyme (or, conclusions - the "why")
5. Redemption, rectify, remake, remedy, remodel, repair
6. Religion
7. Revelry - rally, rave, recreation, refreshment, recognition, reconciliation, remembrance, reunite, reward, (celebrations)
8. Riddle, rebus, (mystery)
9. Romance
10. Royalty, resplendent, regal, reign, rule, rank, Riches

If doing a mystery story on crime than knowing how the crime could be committed would be an advantage. There are so many ways a life death situation can be worked into a story. It takes more than just general knowledge of the subject if one wants to get real reader interest. This might be accomplished by dealing with hard to handle subjects; collaboration between prisoners fighting for a similar cause could be written in the story to blow the cover on another criminal organization.

A corrupt lawyer may be involved in a rape story and then the reader can be introduced into the personal life of the lawyer to find out how corruption pervades his personal romance. So when touching on prisoner friendship, the reader may find out how bonds can be useful in creating a lasting rapport between the lawyer and the man he has to defend. When discovering the shady side of the lawyer's family involvement we can find out if the lawyer has opposition at home as well as in the courts and how that affects him.

Twists and turns in plots are often the key to success. Someone appears in the main line of action that one wouldn't expect which adds more intrigue. The hero may now have to deal with British and French police in his escape and has now traveled to another country to escape the wrath of the first. So there is added intrigue, as the fugitive now has to worry about the collaboration of the two police systems. A subplot would also be good to add depth.

That runs parallel to the main story. The subplot adds dimension to the tale, creates a wider perspective allowing the reader to appreciate the story from other angles that would not be simply accessed by just going through the front door of the tale.

One has to overcome writer's block just as a regular writer would. To get around the obstacle, one can think of a personal story or experience. In order for the creative story to last there should be a strong interest in working the story around the characters. A more complex story may involve a layer of characters. Sometimes the writer might tailor his piece around a particular protagonist in mind. A story like writing about a person born from a mixed marriage in Britain is not considered British because of the colour of his skin and yet is not recognized as a Pakistani national because he was not born there.

Another topic could be writing about the secular nature of the society you come from. Obviously the writer is going to decide whether his story is going to be fictional or a true account. This could be the backdrop of this person's struggle to seek identification with one or another society or reject both.

Real life references help to enliven a book even though it is fictionally based. This is also the force that is behind fictional documentaries. One can elaborate on events that tie into the rejection behind this person like racism and build a vignette on that using information that is also available in the news like racist reactions among certain pockets of the population like the lack of acceptance of Sikhs in conservative neighborhoods or the fact that a Persian family lived in an airport before they were granted asylum into Canada.

The secret is to get the right amount of atmosphere, aka environment, character description, mood, reason for the crime(s), aka motive, and the means to commit the crime. That, tied in with the idiosyncrasies of everyday life in a novel and the little non important details is what keeps it all going.

In this writer's opinion, one of the best is Tony Hillerman. There are others of course depending on what type of mystery you like. Whatever type you like, enjoy the mystery for the mystery itself, not the Ho hums of all the prattle, the mystery is what keeps the interest flowing.

These roles of fantasy in human existence have been present throughout the book, Life of Pi and the movie, Big Fish in many ways. It has been the source of determination, helping the characters shed some darkness in their lives. However, fantasy has also hurt their characters and the people around them, because even though fantasy can bring faith and hope in people's lives, it can also push us away from reality, making us unaware of the truth.

In Life of Pi, the role of fantasy is evident in the story during Pi's great adventure. It is still questionable whether Pi's story is real, but as he foretells another version of his story to Mr. Chiba and Okimoto, we learn that his journey might have been a fantasy after all. If this was the case, fantasy has helped Pi survive his high adventure, as it gave him something to believe in. The story with animals made Pi's adventure less traumatic, helping him overcome death's door. During his travel across the Pacific Ocean, Pi might have put aside the reality so that he would be able to overcome the unordinary.

Fantasy was especially present in the story when Pi heard Richard Parker's voice and started talking to the animal. This is significant because it helped him overcome the feeling of fatal weakness in him, giving him strength to live. In his fantasy-like conversation with Richard Parker, we see his determination to keep going when he said,

“Once upon a time there was a banana and it grew. It grew until it was large, firm, yellow and fragrant. Then it fell to the ground and someone came upon it and ate it.” (Life of Pi, pg. 251)

However, fantasy has also harmed Pi when he finally landed into the “real world.” When he reached Mexico, we see how Mr. Chiba and Okimoto struggle to believe Pi's story. This has hurt Pi because in his heart, he believes that it was real and the reason why he survived was because of his fantasy tale. Nevertheless, in the end, we see how the characters all preferred fantasy over reality. This point is particularly important in the story, as it shows how society always wants to separate fact from fiction. Most people prefer the better version that hides the existence of darkness and evil, because often times, it is fiction that makes us believe and find faith.

In the movie, Big Fish, we also see the role of fantasy coming into play, as Edward Bloom tell-tales about his life, full of giants, blizzards and witches. His stories gave people hope about the journey of life, using allegories to describe his defeats and failings. Although Bloom's story has made a big impact in almost everyone's lives, his son, Edward, slowly drifted away, as he believed that his father's stories were all lies. Edward grew up believing his father's tales, but realizes that such stories cannot be told to a grown man anymore.

Because of that, he had become distant, believing that he could no longer trust his father. But as Edward uncovers the real story behind the tales, he had come into realization that his father was just trying to protect him. He learns that the tales are real after all, which helps build a strong bond between father and son.

After analyzing both the book, Life of Pi and the movie, Big Fish, fantasy clearly plays a significant role in human existence. In reality, fantasy is still a determining factor of our faith. Even though we do not often believe in what we see, somehow, it still affects us in both helpful and harmful ways. Fantasy tales often take away the truth and the real facts, but at the same time, it is our on-going source of hope and determination, giving us a greater belief in the unordinary.