The Stereotypes and Cliches of Fantasy Writing

First, I'd like to thank Ian T. Healy (spelled correctly this time..) for the subject of today's blog post. His original post is as follows: @rebeccablain "Fantasy: more than dark elves, demons, and magic"

There is so much more to this subject than just dark elves, demon and magic... so I thought it would be a good time to do the post on the whole lot of them.

Let us first be honest with ourselves. It is very difficult to write a 100% original fantasy piece. With thousands of fantasy novels on the shelves, many of the ideas held within those volumes are twists on cliches or stereotypes of some sort until they are no longer cliche or stereotypical.

However, there are a lot of writers who stick with the cliche / stereotype. This is a shame, but it is not really avoidable. After all, you must border on true genius in order to totally escape having these elements in your novels.

With that said, I will start by regurgitating a very insightful post from a short story publisher of the science fiction and fantasy genres. If you are not aware of this publisher, you should be. Allow me to introduce you to Clarkesworld Magazine. The below is an except from their submissions page. This content is a direct copy paste and used for educational purposes. It in no fashion belongs to me. I only wish I were this brilliant.

Though no particular setting, theme, or plot is anathema to us, the following are likely hard sells:

• stories in which a milquetoast civilian government is depicted as the sole obstacle to either catching some depraved criminal or to an uncomplicated military victory
• stories in which the words "thou" or "thine" appear
• talking cats
• talking swords
• stories where the climax is dependent on the spilling of intestines
• stories where FTL travel is as easy as is it on television shows or movies
• time travel too
• stories that depend on some vestigial belief in Judeo-Christian mythology in order to be frightening (i.e., Cain and Abel are vampires, the End Times are a' comin', Communion wine turns to Christ's literal blood and it's HIV positive, Satan's gonna getcha, etc.)
• stories about rapist-murderer-cannibals
• stories about young kids playing in some field and discovering ANYTHING. (a body, an alien craft, Excalibur, ANYTHING).
• stories about the stuff we all read in Scientific American three months ago
• stories where the Republicans, or Democrats, or Libertarians, or the Spartacist League, etc. take over the world and either save or ruin it
• your AD&D game
• "funny" stories that depend on, or even include, puns
• sexy vampires, wanton werewolves, or lusty pirates
• zombies or zombie-wannabes
• stories originally intended for someone's upcoming theme anthology or issue
• stories where the protagonist is either widely despised or widely admired simply because he or she is just so smart and/or strange
• stories that take place within an artsy-fartsy bohemia as written by an author who has clearly never experienced one
• your trunk stories

This is perhaps one of the best pages I have ever seen that goes into exactly what not to do for a serious submission. Read this, absorb it, and quickly Hall of Shame most of the things for this. However, there are venues for this type of writing. But, for the most part, they are hard sells, just as the magazine states.

Let us go through this list and pursue just why these are stereotypical, cliche, or hard to sell.

• stories in which a milquetoast civilian government is depicted as the sole obstacle to either catching some depraved criminal or to an uncomplicated military victory

First, milquetoast means the following: sissy: a timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive -or- A person of meek or timid disposition; meek, timid (source, define: milquetoast via google.)

Reason: Well, first, anything timid or meek isn't really a challenge. Second, give us a better villain, something more interesting, please! Granted, this is just my interpretation, but I wouldn't be interested in reading this.

• stories in which the words "thou" or "thine" appear

Reason: Above all, most people do not use thou or thine appropriately. It takes away from the genre, it does not add to it, ladies and gentleman. I have seen it used exactly once in modern writing to good success. David Eddings used it sparingly as flavour text. This is why he got away with it. Thou and Thines often take away, they do not add to the environment. Especially when they are not used properly.

• talking cat, talking swords, talking.. anything.

Reason: I lumped these together because it is the same basic concept. Talking animals can work, but in this case, it doesn't fit the publication. I can think of several great series and stories that use these concepts. However, most tend to be cheesy at best, without good justifications for the talking pets and objects. This concept is so abused that publications like Clarkesworld have totally just abandoned them completely.

• stories where the climax is dependent on the spilling of intestines

Reason: I absolutely love this. I became a huge fan of Clarkesworld just for this reason. Gore has its place in fantasy. Especially Sword and Sorcery. However, a story dependent on it is not a great story. I've yet to read a published work that was dependent on it and I ever read a second time. With that said, there is stuff like that out there. But, I have not returned to those novels since reading them. This does not mean that you cannot have death or gore in your books. It means that you should not base the story or novel on the gore. This is an important distinction.

• stories where FTL travel is as easy as is it on television shows or movies (time travel too)
  

Reason: Magic can be limitless... but limitless magic can be truly annoying. If they can do all of these things so easily, then what is the point? In my opinion, once a character is able to do such things easily, he or she should be able to snap their fingers and get it done. Then, there would be no point to the story.

• stories that depend on some vestigial belief in Judeo-Christian mythology in order to be frightening (i.e., Cain and Abel are vampires, the End Times are a' comin', Communion wine turns to Christ's literal blood and it's HIV positive, Satan's gonna getcha, etc.)

Reason: I think this is fairly obvious. There are markets for this type of work, but your short story or novel should stand on its own feet, not on the belief systems of the real world.

I have done a few of them... you can figure out the rest.

Dark Elves, Dragons and Dungeons, Oh my!

Novel or short story writing is not without entering into the world of stereotypes and cliches. I have stated this before, I will state it again in the future, I am certain. What will determine whether or not you are a good writer is what you do with the stereotypes and cliches you come up with.

There is nothing stating that you cannot use a cliche or stereotype. However, in order to succeed, it is up to you to make certain that you somehow twist it so that it becomes something new. Making something unique is truly a difficult task. It is very difficult, as a writer, to separate yourself from the things that inspire you. Writers who read and enjoy a certain series will often pick up aspects of that series in their own writing. It is so very common. The key is that you catch yourself doing it and transform trash into gold. Until you make it your own, those elements are trash. Just accept that, it will make you a better writer in the long run.

Is there more to fantasy beyond the stereotypes? Of course there is. Make your Dark Elves distinct by stepping away from the normal evil elves and go into a world where these elves separated from their lighter skinned brethren for a good purpose. Have them just be a genetic mutation and no different than their lighter counterparts. Get rid of the lighter counterparts altogether. And for the love of all that is pure, don't make them look and act like a cookie cutter. Make them dark skinned humans with an ear mutation. Do something to make them different than opening a Dungeon Master's Guide and reading about it.

Dragons? There are lots you can do with dragons. The best concept I've heard for a dragon? Make them stupid and dislike hoarding things. That will make people stop long enough to go "What the heck is this?"

The instant you make your reader ask questions is the moment that you are stepping away from the stereotype. Fantasy need not be cookie cutter. If you find your concept in another book, add or take away until your concept becomes unique. Then take it and make it your own. Only then will you surpass the cliche.

I cannot give you a template on making sure your races and people are not stereotypical. That is something personal you have to conquer on your own. However, we have all dealt with it. If you find a truly unique concept, work with it. It may just go somewhere really pleasant.