Tolkien led the way to the acceptance of fantasy literature. His books received many different reviews both positive and negative. One critic called it “juvenile trash” (Pearce P. 1-10) However The Lord of the Rings was voted “greatest book of the century” in a nationwide poll in 1997. (Pearce, P. XI) This is an example of the popularity of the books. One reason for the popularity of the books is that Tolkien developed his world so much that it all came to life. “Middle-earth is probably the most thoroughly developed secondary world.”(http://ea.grolier.com/) Tolkien had started to develop Middle-earth by 1917 (Pearce, P. 83) and continued to refine it throughout his lifetime. C.S. Lewis described Middle-earth as having “its own theology, myths, geography, history, palaeography, languages and orders of being.”(Pearce, P. 83) Tolkien's work was different from previous novels; it was original and drew the reader in. Despite all the criticism Tolkien's books became popular. With Tolkien, fantasy became a distinct publishing category rather than a smaller category that not many people read. (http://ea.grolier.com/)Tolkien re-established fantasy as a serious form in modern

English literature. (http://gme.grolier.com/) Before Tolkien, fantasy was rarely read if and if it was read, it wasn't read in public.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born January 3, 1892 in South Africa. His father died February 15, 1896 when Tolkien was only 4 years old. Tolkien gained a love for the wilderness and trees while living in Sarehole, Warwickshire. Throughout his life he had a great love for words and languages. Tolkien's mother converted to Catholicism in 1900, being a Protestant before. (Lynch, P. 23) This influenced his writing and his stories took on a Catholic view. His first novel, The Hobbit, was published in 1937. His Lord of the Rings trilogy was published in 1954 and 1955. Tolkien led the way to change using transformational leadership. His books changed what people thought about fantasy literature. Tolkien died on September 2nd, 1973. Tolkien's legacy still lives on in his books, which are loved by millions.

From an early age Tolkien had a love for languages and in later life he started making one up called Quenya which he used in The Lord of the Rings. By the time he graduated he had studied nine old languages. One of his first jobs was helping compile the New English Dictionary. After this he taught English at the University of Leeds and then he became a professor of English at the University of Oxford which is a high honour. Tolkien joined a literary group called the Inklings which met weekly to read each others works and give criticism. Tolkien went from writing scholarly texts to writing novels. Tolkien's motivation came from his children's love of stories which he told them every night. Some of Tolkien's inspiration came from reading Beowulf, Northern myths and

legends, and George MacDonald's books. His Catholic faith also influenced his books. Tolkien thought of the Silmarillion, which focuses on good and evil, as his most important book. Even though, at the time of the publishing of the books, many critics thought it was awful, nowadays millions love the books and films showing how wrong the critics would be.

Many cultural ideas were changed because of Tolkien's influence. Although Tolkien probably did not intend to cause such an impact in culture he managed to change many thoughts. The Times Literary Supplement, 25th November 1955, wrote about The Lord of the Rings “This is not a work that many adults will read right through more than once” (Shippey, P. 1) but fifty years later it had had scores of millions of readers. Tolkien had created such an impact in the world that the definition of Hobbit was put in the English dictionary. “Hobbit: One of a race of imaginary beings, half human size, hole-dwelling and hairy-footed, invented by J.R.R. Tolkien in his novel The Hobbit (1937)” (Schwarz, P. 795) Tolkien's “Lord of the Rings” developed a cult status in the US. (http://ea.grolier.com/) People started going around wearing buttons that said phrases like “Frodo Lives” or “Gandalf for president”. (Lynch, P. 107) People dressed up as hobbits, showing how they admired Tolkien. Fantasy video games and board games became very popular because of this new interest in fantasy. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings

films have become very popular and hundreds of millions of people have seen the flims, which may be the most successful ever made. (Shippey, P. 409)The films brought the books to a wider audience especially by word of mouth. In trying to do something important in his life he created a huge impact in popular culture. Parodies of The Lord of the Rings have been made in commonly watched TV shows such as South Park increasing the range of audiences The Lord of the Rings is portrayed to.

Tolkien led the way to change using Transformational Leadership and he changed people's views on fantasy literature. As a University professor Tolkien put, in his very influential essay “On Fairy-Stories” (1938 lecture) “his key concepts of fantasy, recovery, escape and consolation, which have became[sic] central to much modern fantasy theory”. (http://ea.grolier.com/) Tolkien wanted to do something special after the war in memory of his comrades. He felt that whoever survived must do important works. Tolkien himself decided to create a web of legends. (Lynch P. 64) These legends formed The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Before Tolkien's work, fantasy was mostly made up of ancient epics and legends, after that, during the nineteenth century, there had been Lewis Carroll (Alice books 1865, 1872), George MacDonald (Phantastes 1858, Lilith 1895) and L. Frank Baum (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1900). None of these books were as popular as Tolkien's works. Tolkien's work was a more complete fantasy world and differed from everything that came before. The Lord of the Rings became a “must read” book. Many writers have been influenced by Tolkien. Hundreds of imitative series have been published for example, Christopher Paolini's books; The Inheritance Trilogy.

Fantasy literature is now one of the biggest genres of literature and it is read by millions worldwide. People disliked fantasy literature and it was un-appreciated before Tolkien's works. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and its prequel, The Hobbit, made people think about whether fantasy literature was really “un-cool” as they had been told before. Many people had their thoughts changed and they became great fans of fantasy, changing cultural thoughts.

Tolkien was a huge influence in literature and he helped lead fantasy writing into the limelight of literature. He was a great inspiration to many fantasy writers who came after him and he led to an increase in fantasy writing. There was a change in fantasy's place in popular culture. Before him if someone was seen reading a fantasy book on a bus or in a public place people thought of them as weird. Now fantasy is one of the most popular genres in literature and millions of people read and enjoy it.

Decide what type of world you want. It's always good to start with what you want. Limit yourself to one world with a max of four. (You'll notice that most sci-fi movies rarely visit more then for world per movie.) If you concentrate on one world then it's far easier to describe it. This can go for a whole galaxy but it takes a long time and isn't important at first.

Figure out what you want in your world. This peppers your stories and makes it far easier take the story where you want to take it. Monsters plants and natural hazards make the world far more interesting. You don't have to do this all at once. Just make sure you have an idea before your committed.

Name your world. Your world's name isn't important to your story as you might think. If it's not earth you should name it but if you want your readers to think it's earth wait to call it by name otherwise say it in the first part.

Start your story. This is actually the first and last thing you do. When developing a world you should write stories that tell you of the hardships of the world and allow you to build on your base idea. The Velden stories are a good example of this. (For the Velden stories got to authspot.com and search Velden. It should bring them all up.) When the story starts it seems like a primitive world but you quickly find out that it's not. It's part of a much larger world that I have worked on for a long time. The other stories come out you'll see how big the world is.

This isn't the only way to build a world but it is the one that makes the best worlds. Don't spend too much time building your world. If you do it will end up unfinished and hard to understand.

Create a world

It's far easier to write a story if you know the world your writing for. Fantasy is far easier then sci-fi. All you have to do is learn about ancient times and make it into something fantastic but sci-fi you have to worry about science and the universe. Space is vast so you have to worry about a lot of information. Modern sci-fi and fantasy is easiest because you know the world and it's not hard to come up with science, technology or beasts that make it fantastic.

Create a character

Most people say that a group is better and I agree but I've found that the best stories start out with just one main character and expand later. It's easier to start with just the main characters point of view then as you add characters you can shift to one of them. This is where I have the most fun and enjoy making numerous characters for a story. Have fun with it.

Create a reason

This is especially important when writing fantasy. Your character should always have a goal(s) and said goal(s) should be met in the story. Yes your character should have an ultimate goal that is never reached until the end of a series if that's what you are writing. If the character ever reaches that goal the story ends or you need to introduce a new goal.

Create and opposing force

The antagonist is a powerful source of ideas for a story. Without the opposing force of an antagonist the story has no conflict which breeds advances and your hero would be pointless. The opposing force should always be equal to or stronger than your hero(s). People love the underdog for them. Use that to get people to go for your story.

Figure out the technology or magic

This one flips from the world. Science doesn't change much (in less someone figures out that Einstein had learning disabilities and e=mc2 is actually m=e2c or something like that) so all you need to do to technology is advance it about 100 years. Magic on the other hand is seen as a fools hope and some stupid trick. It's easiest to just let your imagination tell you how magic works and do you own thing.

That's it for now. I'm working on expanding on parts of this so you can get a better grasp of what you should do. Please remember that my way may not work for you so don't take this as the end all be all guild. I got a lot more to write to get to that point.

1. Read similar works and deconstruct them.

   Personally, I hate doing this, but it does help. What you do is figure out what you want to write, then read something that's already been written in a similar vein. As you do it, you observe the techniques and styles the writer has used to set the atmosphere, mood and pacing of the story. You have to study the piece rather than read it, which in my opinion takes a lot of the joy out of reading. It's like watching a magic trick to try and figure out how it's done rather than appreciating the wonder of it. But still, especially if you are an inexperienced writer, you can learn a great deal from doing this.

2. Don't try to use too many literary techniques.

   Similes, metaphors, oxymoron, antithesis, alliteration, rhyme… there are many, many specific words for certain sentences and structures in the English language. Don't bother with them, at least for now. People have a tendency to try and use them without thinking why their using them, under the impression that it will make their writing seem more professional. Believe me, your writing will not look professional when your characters are speaking in sonnet form for no real reason. The exception here is if your name is William Shakespeare, then for some reason it makes you a genius. Apparently. Walk before you can run. Concentrate on forming flowing, functional sentences (see what I did there?), and building up a good vocabulary before you experiment with these techniques.

3. If it's against the rules but it works, do it anyway.

   Poetic license isn't just for poets! If you can find ways and means to achieve what you want, but the rules of grammar and spelling say no (usually with squiggly red or green lines), do it anyway! A one word sentence can create impact, even though it's technically not allowed. Several short paragraphs (a few sentences each) can either slow down or speed up the pace of a story, despite the fact it looks a little tacky. Just be careful with this, as if you flout all the rules completely, your work is going to look like you vomited alphabet soup on the page and handed it in for submission. Remember, rules have a reason! Think why it is you're not doing something within the rules, why the rule is there to begin with, and how exactly you are breaking it. Think like that and you should be fine.

4. Forget about your work.

   Once you've finished writing, save your work, or stick it on the bookshelf (if you're still that old fashioned), and let it collect dust for a new months. Try to forget you ever wrote it, work on something else. Then when you finally find it again you can proof read it properly. The problem with proof reading is that if you do it too soon, he story is still in your head and your mind will compensate for mistakes subconsciously, in other words you read what you think you wrote, rather than what's actually on the paper. Another way of getting around this is to give it to someone else to read, but many people may not understand what you where trying to achieve with your work, especially if they are not your target audience. This is very important to produce quality writing as I can guarantee, there will be typos and dodgy structuring in your work that you will miss the first time you proof read.

5. Focus, Atmosphere and Pace.

   You need to decide what you're trying to achieve from your story by looking at the above three. Firstly, decide what the focus of your story is going to be. Is the story going to be primarily character development, or are characters just a tool to tell the story? Is the story even the main point of the piece? Perhaps you are simply trying to provoke a set of emotional responses from your reader- a sort of prose poetry. Define your focus and stick to it. If you do want to change focus, then don't do it too often or all the effort you've put into building up your desired effect will be for naught, and your story will not have much impact.
   
   Next is atmosphere. This is primarily determined by the genre you are writing in. If you're writing horror, you want the atmosphere to be dark, scary and make the reader feel "creeped out". You may even want to add light happy sections in to make the horrific areas seem even more compelling by comparison. If you're writing a love story you want to consider the elements of love you will explore. Will it be tragic or easy? Serious or comedic? Once you have defined atmosphere you want there are many ways to create it. Choose specific words and sentences. If you want to create a soft, relaxed atmosphere use punctuation that allows the reader to read at their own pace. If you want tension, slow it down or speed it up by not using commas where one may be appropriate. If relaxed, your choice of words should be soft sounding and probably a little longer to keep the reading pace down. In tense situations, use short, sharp harsh words that will keep the reader needing to think fast. Description is another important part of atmosphere, especially if you can relate it to a reader's own experiences, for example the clichéd description of the character in a cold sweat while under stress.
   
   Pace is an important part of atmosphere as I have described above. However it is also important to consider the overall pace of your story. If the story moves too slowly, for example you bog it down with over description, many readers may get bored and wonder off. This has happened to me with The Lord of the Rings, and a couple of Stephen King's Books. Pace should be dictated by target audience and genre. In general, older readers are more likely to enjoy a book that moves slowly, but describes things in exquisite detail, whereas younger readers prefer to keep things moving so they know what happens next. In terms of genre, you should think carefully how it will work for yourself. For example, in a thriller style story, a description of the long slow tedious investigations into a murder may help readers empathize with a detective character who just can't seem to get anywhere. On the other hand, a fast paced action scene with a victim fleeing the murderer would get readers hearts racing and thrill them in a different way. A mix of the two if done properly could accentuate each other, the chases become so much more intense, and the investigation so much more rewarding when clues are found. Think of your target demographic, and your preferred genre. See what happens.

6. Write in sections

   Before you put pen to paper (or finger to key), decide what it is you will be writing and where you will finish. Get into the mindset to write that style, and once the story no longer requires you to be in the mind set, stop and go do something else. Basically, let's say you spend half an hour writing an intense, action filled gun fight section which then ends with a cliffhanger, and then move on to a completely different area of the story (you know, to build suspense). Say, the hero's love interest wondering around oblivious to their partner's peril. You may well find that that you just can't present on paper what you have in your head. The reason for this is you've got stuck in "high gear". You're used to writing in the action style, and it's hard to get back into a different mind set.
   
   Another advantage of writing in sections is time management and fatigue. Let's face it, sometimes writing feels like a chore, but if you stop then you may never get back to the story! Having a clearly defined goal will motivate you to keep going until the end. To put it another way, it's a lot easier to finish a race when you can see the finishing line. Doing this well ensure you are productive, and remain writing without fatiguing yourself. If you just try to write until you drop, then you will notice a definite decline in the quality of your work as time goes on. Write in sections though, with a break between each one and you can maintain your standard for a lot longer. Just know when to call it a night!

7. Know when something isn't working.

   One of the very first things I wrote was back when I was about 14. I had a great idea for a science fiction novel, a trilogy in fact. To be honest, I doubt I could do it justice now, and back then I certainly couldn't have. I wrote over 60 sides of A4 in size 10 font before I realized something. It was crap. The concept was awesome, but the sheer scope of the story made it almost impossible for me to do it justice, and with very little writing experience under my belt anyway, the writing itself was crude, amateurish, and generally a pile of manure.
   
   The moral of the story is, don't overreach yourself. But more important than that is the ability to tell when something isn't working. If you just can't get a comfortable pace on the story, or you can't generate the atmosphere you want maybe it's not worth bothering with. Perhaps you've bitten off more than you can chew and should try this again when you've got more experience under your belt. Or maybe the concept was just flawed no matter how good of an idea it seemed.
   
   There are few things more disheartening than spending hours and hours on a piece, only to find you have produced the literary equivalent of an Alan Smithy movie. Save yourself the disappointment and the wasted time by always looking at your writing objectively. That's not an excuse to give up just because it's hard though!

8. Set realistic goals and scales.

   When you start out writing, begin by writing short pieces, describing a scene or an event. No more than about 500-1,000 words. We'll call these little mini writings bits. Once you can write bits, you'll realize that writing a story is simply a matter of making lots of these and putting them together in an organized way.
   
   Next, just take up short stories. Around 3,000 to 4,000 words. Now, the challenge is to write in such a way that each "bit" in such a way that it flows into the next one. Remember tip number 6; write them one at a time. Your aiming to create a sort of liner jigsaw, where each bit builds up to give a little more of the big picture. The last few bits should make the picture clear as day, a sort of summary.
   
   If you write in this way you will get used to the idea of escalation and also time management. Aim to write a bit a day at first, you won't overtax yourself, but you'll still produce a meaningful amount of content, so as to finish your work in a reasonable time.
   
   As you grow in skill you will be able to write more and more each time without tiring yourself out mentally. Keep track of this and adjust the amount you write each day accordingly. Remember not to push yourself too hard though, or your quality of writing will suffer. But you do need to push your boundaries, or you won't improve!

9. Write free of distractions.

   Turn off the TV, put the cat out, close your browser, turn off your IM software and lock the door. About the only thing you can do at the same time as writing without suffering a quality drop is listening to music- and even then only certain types. Before you start writing clear your head too. Take a lie down, have a glass of water, have a few deep breathes, whatever. When you write you should be focused on writing. If you are not concentrating on just your writing then your speed will slow right down, and what you do write is likely to be of poor quality. So don't waste your time trying.

10. Stop reading advice and write.

    This may sound like a cop out, but I can assure it's very important. You can read all the advice in the world, take writing lessons and ponder your writing all day- and still write crap. The only way to improve is to write, recognize your mistakes, and fix them. Advice like this can help you identify your weaknesses, but if you don't keep writing and keep trying, they're not going to help you at all. Also, remember that the advice given by other authors tends to be what works for them. You may well find something completely different works for you. But you need to experiment to find these things out. So get writing!

Well, that's ten tips from me. I hope they help you out with your writing. If you found this advice helpful, please click the "I like it" button, or a stumble thumbs up, you know the drill, that way the advice can be accessible to even more people. Also, feel free to leave your own advice in the form of comments, or let me know how these tips have helped you (If they help you).

Writing a fantasy novel can be hectic and challenging, as it requires great creativity, imagination and writing prowess, and if you're finding it a little stressful, here's some pointers to keep you striving along the road.

• Keep the goal of fantasy in mind - fantasy is more about understanding life in different situations, its more about understanding and exploring humanity and its feelings, its virtues and its sins. So, keep in mind, though the magic and the bandits and the fighting are important, set a goal of your novel and carry it throughout the story.
• Draw a blueprint of the novel - don't go blindly into writing from scratch. Get your story followed out; create summaries and scenes of everything that's going to happen. Now, when you have the blueprint, elaborate on it. Believe me, this will really keep things from muddling over and resulting in a writer's block.
• Keep it original - people don't want to read about elves and dwarves all over again. Try something new and keep a little distance from famous ideas especially series such as Tolkien's and Lewis's.
• Keep it real - can your ride seven hundred leagues on a horse with full armor, fight the evil overlord and rescue a maiden without rest? No. The same goes for your heroes.
• Apply a simple style of writing - flowery writing is a thing of the past. Though you should use vocabulary, metaphors and engaging imagery in your sentences, try not to overdo. At least keep in mind, that the average reader can understand what you're saying!
• Add the necessary spice -remember to add a little humor, thrill, mystery, suspense and just the right amount of romance. Keep the plot twisting, make it unexpected and engrossing. Keep your characters intriguing and keep in mind, try to have the reader in mind while you write.

Keep writing and be passionate about it!

There is a reason why R.A. Salvatore is a bestseller. When the character Driz'zt Do'Urden came onto the scene, there was zero written about the drow race and people wanted to know more. A lot more. His career was built on that unique character. Yours can too, but don't write about:

1. Boy Wizards with Powers Beyond their Understanding

   Agents have a new term for this new wave of "boy wizards" who must save the world-The Harry Potter Clones. Unless you do something drastic, it's going to be rejected. It made a certain woman in England rich, but it's going to get you a rejection letter.

2. Evil Fairies

   This newest trend is another copy. Again, people don't want a clone. They want the original. If your heroine was captured by fairies and must escape their clutches, you're writing a new cliché.

3. The Same King Arthur

   If your spin on the Arthurian Legend reads like a literary version of Excalibur, then re-think what you're doing. Something must be vastly different to get an agent's attention. This is not to say it cannot be done because it can. But you better be sure yours is better with good reason.

4. Elves, Dwarves, Humans and Others Must Unite Against a Common Foe

   This is the most played out of the plotlines and the most common. If you can replace your character names with ones from Lord of the Rings or The Dragonlance Saga for basically the same plot, you've doomed yourself.

5. Mortals Against the Gods

   This newest wave met with some success, but you are behind the trend if you are submitting your novel now. Again, unless there is something unique about it, it will be a no starter.

6. Secret Royalty that Must Save the Ungrateful World

   If your protagonist is secretly royalty who is disliked by the world he/she must save, you've fallen into another cliché. What's uncommon now is common people rising to the challenge in fantasy. It's always some princess, king, emperor or noble that must do it while the peasants slop the pigs. How about having those pig farmers save the world instead? That would be different.

7. The Handsome Knight Saves the Princess

   What made Shriek standout was that an ugly ogre saved the princess who could save herself at any moment if she wanted. Of course, making the princess an ogre herself was gravy. Indeed, marketable gravy. If your hero is another golden knight on his white charger saving Princess Needs-A-Knight, then you need to think again.

8. Destroy the Evil Artifact

   Has some warlock somehow found an evil trinket that has made him into a power-hungry warmonger? Do your heroes have to come together to stop the despot from ruling with an iron fist? Was it utopia until Mr. Big-Bad got his mojo on? If so, please see number four.

9. Dwarves are Short and Bearded, Elves have Pointy Ears and are Immortal, and Humans are Just Like You and Me

   If this is your work, you love Tolkien. You also love stereotypes. This is not to say it doesn't work. We all know it does, but if you are following the basics of someone else's ideas, you are not really creating your own unique world either. Again, stand out. Make those elves circumcise their ears at birth. Pointy ears are considered unhygienic. They clip them! Trust me, people will take notice.

10. The Antagonist is Irredeemably Evil

    And ugly. And has bad habits. And never calls his mother on Mother's Day. You get the idea.

Always remember that a unique story stands head and shoulders above others to an audience that is hungry for something different. In fantasy literature, your work must stand out. Know this now and be proud to be different!

First, let's get some general guidelines out of the way. I'm assuming you have a workspace, a word-processor, or, much better, a computer with manuscript tracking software. If not, go to your local library. You can get everything you need there, and it's mostly free. Set aside a realistic amount of time. Read, and write, and research, and write. A realistic 5 hours per week is better than 30 or 40 hours that you can't manage.

Choose your Science Fiction Flavor

In the second-century BC, Lucian of Samasota described voyages to the sun and the moon, and in the early 1960s, science fiction was still talking seriously about little green men from Mars. Now, we're all living in a Science Fiction age, and the boundaries of the genre have exploded outwards. You will probably settle into one or two of the sub-genres of Science Fiction writing. If you are not sure what direction to take, read as many different types of SF as possible.

• Alternate history. - Read some of the works of Harry Turtledove
• Blend - SF/Fantasy, SF/Romance, SF/Mystery, SF/Western (as in the Brisco County TV series)
• Cyberpunk - think Matrix, or William Gibson
• End-of-the-World
• Hard SF
• Humorous SF
• Space Opera
• Near Future
• Alternate Universe
• Sociological - read Ayn Rand for a conservative point of view
• Something sublime. Try Ray Bradbury
• Weird stuff. Read J. G. Ballard.

Read as much as possible, then settle into what you do best. Good Space-Opera is better than preachy apocalyptic stories, or implausible "hard" science-fiction. And currently, if you can write hypertext fiction, you have a whole new world of writing at your feet. The point is, do what you're comfortable with. (However, take heed when an editor offers you a suggestion. He is the person who will publish your masterpiece.)

Conjuring up different worlds - some pointers

Here are a few ideas to play with. They should help you to come up with at least an outline for a story, or a novel.

• A science fiction story has to be about people, even if the "person" is an alien, a robot, a computer program, or a sentient cloud of roving, intergalactic gas. Take a look at any episode of any of the "Star Trek" series and you'll see what I mean.
• Try to visualize (depending on your age), what you would have imagined the year 2004 to be 10, 20, 50 years ago. Would you have imagined a world without the USSR, robots on Mars, faster than light travel, cloning, nanobiology, a world of computers. They all exist today. - Faster than light travel?? Take a look at some of the latest research into quantum mechanics.
• Now try to remember how you thought then, and how you think now
• Do you have any idea what your grandfather thought, how he saw the world? Your world is as different from his as yours will be to the cyberpunk kids of 2025. Of course, the same applies to women, only more so.

Here are a few more things to consider: -

• Don't try to force a message or a plot, unless your editor suggests it, and even then, think carefully about it
• Do listen to the advice of your editors
• Don't worry about criticism
• Do consider it. Constructive criticism is important
• Draw on the world around you
• Keep your mind in a "what if" mode
• Watch people, and tuck away weird facts
• Write, write, read, and write

Practicalities

Everyone writes differently, but you can still learn from other writers. A classic "how to" book is Orson Scott Card's "How to write Science Fiction and Fantasy" It's comprehensive, examining "speculative fiction" from several perspectives. It talks about creating worlds with logic and internal consistency. It looks at story and character construction, viewpoint, and language. Finally, it focuses on markets, agents, classes, and finances.

Markets, Agents, Classes, and Finances.

Connecting these is the very important subject of research. Please, if you have a computer, or have access to one - use it.

Research the markets for likely online and hard copy publishers. Go to a search engine such as Google, type in "Writers Guidelines", and you will get 112,000 entries (as of today). Search within results for "Science Fiction" and you will get 4,650 results. How on earth can you handle this avalanche of information? Think about your own areas of expertise. Say you're a history buff, hardly a subject for science fiction, you might think. Search for "history" within the 4,650 results, and you'll get close to 1000. It's tough to have a world of information at your fingertips. Let's say you find the perfect market(s). Now you can look up the American Civil War, Quantum Mechanics, and all the different ways a gunshot wound of knife bleed.. You can also join an email discussion group or a newsgroup.

Agents are listed in the Writers and Artists Yearbook, and Google will dig them up for you by the hundreds. Then you can narrow your search. There are also specialty search engines that on the areas you require. Where do you find these? Do a search on "Specialty Search Engines." You'll get about 11,600 hits.

If you want to take writing classes, look them up on the Internet, and compare prices. Or, go to your trusty newsgroups or discussion lists. Another option is to visit writing websites, many of which have writers' forums. One of the best I've found is a website designed by Francis Coppola, which has forums for all kinds of writing, including SF.

As you can see, research will also be very helpful in controlling your finances. With a vast amount of information on the web, you can choose between deluxe and free classes, research forums, manuscript and writing software, and anything else your science-fiction heart desires. Free content is often as good, or better than, an expensive product.

Over the Top

As in trenches. It's a big effort to launch yourself into the unknown, face the minefields of rejection and writers block. You must keep running, despite all obstacles. Eventually, you will make your first sale, and all the effort will be justified. Then you will make your next sale, and your fiftieth, and with each sale, all the effort will be justified again.

This aspect of reality is key, especially to works of fantasy. In a world full of power and magic, little is left to give the reader a secure bridge through which he can enter. What the reader wants is something that ties this new world to his own: just one thing he can relate with. Many books use emotions to this end; others use “growing-up” and everything ties to that.

Stephen King really sums the whole matter up when he talks about fiction as the truth beneath a deceit. For him fiction is like a man with a mask on: true on the inside, but “fictional” on the outside. Yet how many people fail to recognize that there is a man under the mask, that there is a truth in fiction. Perhaps one day people will find that truth, and they will realize that fiction can tell us about the world around us just as much as any other book and that it is up to them to open up and receive it.

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.