Writing Fantasy

I'm either blind or just not the author's friend

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Probably someone with low standards. It might be a prime example of a "how not to write a how to book" so there is something informative to be had here.

Would you ever listen to anything by Blaine Hart again?

In something else. Maybe anything else.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

In a way, he does sound like if reading an infomercial. I'm wary of holding him responsible for the terrible content he had to give voice to.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Aversion for the most part. Add a bit of contempt for the lack of true, worthy content. Add a speckle of disgust for the trite examples and the woefully wrong pieces of advice such as "Deus-Ex machina is totally A-O.K. in fantasy settings".

Any additional comments?

Let me preface this by the fact that this is well... not as terrible an event as I might make it sound. Mostly, it's wasted money and time. Not that much time, but wasted it was.


Now, it wasn't so much money wasted. Neither too much time, clocking at a short length. What boggles the mind is how with such very little, precious time to craft some useful advice, the author decides to blather on about setting up aromatic doodads, relaxing with tea, and setting up music. It is no small wonder he has the time to write anything at all. Around the 1/4th mark of the whole turgid thing, he actually gets onto the topic.

And oh man, that's where it gets mediocre at best. The good advice I've heard before (and never anything really excellent as the writer has not the most keen of insights) and the terrible advice really does its best to set you astray on your writing career. Terrible in every possible way.

If you'd like some better writing knowledge for your time: Try anything by the great courses. Or better yet! Want quality sans cost? Podcasts like "Writing excuses" and "Helping authors become writers" deliver useful, solid, and quality advice at a regular pace and they do take so much less time than this unbelievable heap of mediocrity.

So yeah, not that much harm done and I won't be returning it. But by the good Lord is it terrible.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Not exactly about fantasy writing

I was really interested learning something about writing fantasy stories: what are the specialities, and what are the elements that differentiate fantasy form other genre. The length seemed to be right to cover this subject.
I have to say I'm dissatisfied. Maybe quarter of the book covers writing advice that directly related to fantasy, and half of that is common knowledge, or you just learn it while reading fantasy books.
The rest was general writing advice and common task management knowledge related to writing in general. I found myself repeatedly tapping the +30 second icon (I was listening to the audio version) or jumping to the next chapter.
The book is not total waste of time, it gives sound advice for wannabe writers who just start to learn about the craft (hence the three stars). But it should be clearly mentioned in the summary that this book is about writing in general with some aspects of fantasy writing added.
The narrator did a good job.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Excellent ideas for fantasy writing.

Loved all the in depth ideas this has given me, going to listen to it again just to let all the knowledge really sink in.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A Great Help to Fantasy Writers

I have been training to be a great writer for many years, taking courses and reading books with tips and hints on how to do it better. I recommend this book as one of those that has been well-researched for the best strategies that can be found in this particular genre. Writing fantasy isn't as easy as it sounds. Even though you can have almost anything happen, it has to fit, it has to make sense or there won't be any cohesion to the story and the brain will become confused. Readers don't want to be confused. They want to be transported to a fantasyworld they never could have imagined on their own. Fantasy is an excellent creative genre. I would get this book if you are considering boosting your fantasy writing skills.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Helps you to Focus on Writing

This audio book has tips and tricks to help you become a more productive fantasy writer. This book isn't just about the fantasy style of writting because there are tools and software recommendations that are useful for any type of writting. There are structure suggestions that will make you a more disciplined and focused writter. Really good information!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Improve those fantasy writing skills

Any additional comments?

I loved this book and can now make better fantasy stories after listening through it. The book goes into great detail on how and what to include in your fantasy book. Well the next one that you start to write anyway. Or make improvements to older books you have already written!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Liked It!

Very organized. Helpful. I'm a first-timer. Liked narrator's voice. Easy to understand voice and content.

Most helpful

Very easy to listen to and full of helpful hints and ideas. worth every penny

Fantastic tips to help writers capture creativity!

Where does Writing Fantasy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the top definitely. There is a lot of information in this book that can help you as a writer craft more detailed and engaging works.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are no characters.

Have you listened to any of Joshua Mackey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, this one is on par with all other performances I've heard by Joshua.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Fantasy: the realm of ideas."

Any additional comments?

This book is really helpful to writers who need help exploring deeper creativity and ideas in order to create fuller stories in their writings. If you are a fantasy writer who loves to capture the wildest ideas imagination could possibly bring you I would highly suggest giving this book a read to see all of the great tips and advice inside.

"Inspired to give Fantasy Writing a try!"

I was blown away by the amount of information presented in this book. From practical hints about your writing space and limiting distractions, to describing suspension of belief and developing the story line and characters, this book has it all. It would be a valuable resource not only for someone who wants to be a fantasy writer, but also for anyone who wants to be a writer period. The author does not promise the moon but instead describes the hard core set of skills needed to succeed. Considering the age that we live in, I was also glad to hear the author talked about some tech resources that can be used to the actual process of writing. Other genre specific items that are covered include: being able to get your audience to suspend belief, coming up with interesting and sometimes new terminology to describe things, and thinking up names for your often unbelievable characters. Before reading this book I might have wondered if I was brave enough to give it a try. Now I think . . . why not?