Favorite Fantasy Tropes...& How to Subvert Them: An Introduction

I'm going to do something new (!) on my blog, starting today. I read a lot (a ridiculous amount) of fantasy. In every sub genre you can think of. It's my favorite thing--always has been--to read.

I went to Rae Carson's signing last Tuesday, (you can see a picture of me with her (huge stalkerish squee!) in the left sidebar, and read my review of her stellar debut THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS here) and one of the things she mentioned that inspired her to write TGOFAT was that while she loves fantasy, she got tired of seeing certain tropes, and she wanted to write a book that turned some of them on their heads. I think she succeeded.

I agree with her 500%, and making sure not to fall into the traps of tropes is one thing I strive to do in my writing. Kristin Nelson, in a couple of my favorite blog posts ever, talks about the "groan worthy" fantasy openers she's seen in her career as an agent. Seems like people are interested in this kind of thing. Well, okay, *I* am, anyway.

So what I want to start doing on this blog as a regular feature is talking about the tropes that I see so often in fantasy, as a reader and as a writer. Some tropes I see broken down more and more in books, and some I see staying for the most part the same. Maybe I'll even get to use that college degree in English to analyze some of these things.

What I'm particularly excited about dissecting:

+ Freakishly familiar settings

+ Why that damsel is always in distress

+ Flaming! Red! Hair!

+ What is this fascination with royalty?

+ Sexism and it's feminist counterpart

+ Hark! Another quest, Frodo!

+ Why Really Old Men make the best wizards

So...DO you want to know what's up with princesses in towers and magical swords and chosen people? Me too! I'm hoping to figure out some of why this is so popular, which parts we might still want to see, and which parts we're sick of. And, if you're trying to polish up a fantasy story, I hope I might provide you with an idea or two. I certainly hope to find some new ideas during this endeavor. :)

A note: This is all meant in good fun, and to help writers and readers of fantasy like me! And, because I'm such a geek, to provide me with discussion opportunities with like-minded geeks.

Come back TOMORROW! I'll be talking about setting and worldbuilding! :)

Also, today on YA Confidential, I'm blogging about the teen perspective on LGBT lit. I would love it if you went to check it out and gave me your thoughts!