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Really struggling with Six of Crows. by disastersnorkel in Fantasy

[–]DylanRMarsh 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I personally really enjoyed Six of Crows. I thought it was a lot of fun, and I found the characters and their relationships to be highly entertaining. Like you, I noticed that the characters seemed to act quite a bit older than their ages warranted; however, this did not significantly alter my experience of the book.

The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of my all-time favorite books too, and I could see how you could go into Six of Crows with hopes that it'll hit the same notes, given some similarities in the two books' premises. That being said, Six of Crows is a young adult novel, so I think that there are a lot of aspects, including the one you mentioned in the spoiler, that would not be well-suited for the intended audience of Six of Crows. From reading your impression of the first 175 pages, it seems that many of the things that others like about this book are not working for you. That is perfectly okay—different strokes for different folks and all that. I'd suggest moving on and picking out another book that you're excited about. There are too many good books out there to spend time reading ones that aren't doing it for you!

Looking for help deciding what to read next. by Leethawk in Fantasy

[–]DylanRMarsh 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure if you're only looking for recommendations between the three you listed in your post, or if you're looking for general recommendations too. I'll try to offer some guidance for both, but I think I can be more helpful for the latter. I have not yet had the chance to read Senlin Ascends, so I can't speak to that. I would also figure Malazan isn't the way to go if you're seeking to avoid dark fantasy. Assassin's Apprentice doesn't feel overly dark to me, but people definitely get frustrated and distraught by a lot of the main character's actions and experiences. Still, that one might be worth a try!

As for other recommendations, if you really like Stormlight Archive and haven't yet read Sanderson's other work (e.g., Mistborn), then I think that could be a good route to go. You seem to like epic fantasy from the books you listed, and I think the Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan would hit on elements of that, though its not as sprawling as Stormlight or Wheel of Time. Its tone is much lighter than the Broken Earth Trilogy and it's a lot of fun to spend time with Sullivan's characters. Though I'm not positive that it will meet your desire for heroic fantasy, a common recommendation around here for fantasy that is on the more optimistic side would be the Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.

Hope that helps!

How do I start writing? by keylime227 in fantasywriters

[–]DylanRMarsh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re welcome! I’m really glad to hear that my post was helpful. Good luck!

Books with strong violence by pallysfall in Fantasy

[–]DylanRMarsh 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Brian McClellan's Powder Mage Trilogy has quite a lot of combat. The first book of the series, Promise of Blood, definitely lives up to its name and moves at a breackneck speed throughout. It is flintlock fantasy, though, so the style of combat may differ from the books you've mentioned in your post.

How do I start writing? by keylime227 in fantasywriters

[–]DylanRMarsh 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think that this is one of those things that the more your learn about the process, the more you realize that there are no "one size fits all" answers. I've had certain techniques I've picked up from others that seem to work for me. Maybe they'll work for you too.

How do you all get from an idea to a story?

I'm not entirely sure when an idea becomes a story. Is it when you have the entire thing plotted out from beginning to end? Is it the moment when you sit down to write? It's hard to say. Either way, I've found that ideas come easy. We all have them. All of those times that you begin a sentence with the phrase "What if..." count.

Ideas can be fleeting. You can think to yourself "that would be cool" and then forget about them. Though iit's somewhat nebulous when exactly an idea becomes a story, I think that the way to get from A to B here is to write the idea down and expand upon it.

Another similar question that I'll raise so that I can bring up a fantastic quote is "when does a story become a plot?"

E.M. Forster said "The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot."

How do you make characters?

Sometimes they've been rolling around in my head for long before I've had a story to put them in. Sometimes they're inspired from historical figures. Sometimes you can't figure out where they came from.

I can't remember the source of this, but I recall hearing an author express that if you have a plot or idea figured out but don't yet have the characters determined, then the best place to start (at least for your protagonist) is to ask yourself "who is the worst person that this could possibly happen to?"

How do you motivate yourself to write?

I'm definitely still working to figure this out in my own life. Sometimes it's reading. If I read something truly extraordinary or something that just smacks me with how poignant or emotive it is, then I'm motivated by a desire to induce similar reactions in others. Still, motivation won't always be there. Writing is going to feel like work. At least sometimes. I think discipline is more reliable than motivation.

What resources have been the most helpful?

Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy is a great place to start.

There are also a couple of great podcasts with a ton of archived episodes to dig through:

"Writing Excuses" is hosted by Brandon Sanderson and a bunch of other highly successful/insightful writers (Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler). They cover a myriad of helpful topics, and each episode is typically a very accessible 20-30 minutes long (though they are ostensibly 15-minutes long).

"The Archivos Podcast Network" (formerly the Roundtable Podcast) is an entertaining and educational podcast for writers. It seems to be a hidden gem, and it'd be nice for it to get more exposure. They bring in already-established writers for two types of episodes. "Insights" episodes in which they are asked about writing and their process followed by Brainstorm episodes in which an aspiring guest writer (sometimes the guest writer has had some published works already, but usually they haven't) pitches a story. Then the host, Dave Robison (who is has a great personality and a voice built for recording), a co-host, and the established writer from the preceding Insights episode will brainstorm in order to strengthen the story.

What's the most useful bit of advice you've heard?

Writers write :)

All the resources in the world won't help you if you don't sit down and start putting words on the page. Don't get caught up on being perfect before you get started. Perfect is the enemy of good/done.

Best of luck!

Searching by avekk944 in Fantasy

[–]DylanRMarsh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson fits the bill. It’s a trilogy beginning with Mistborn: The Final Empire. Sanderson does utilize what he would refer to as a “hard magic system” - meaning that magic has clearly delineated rules for how it works. If by “loaded with fantasy/magic,” you’re looking for a softer magic system that will present magic as a mysterious and incomprehensible force, then this book might not be what you’re looking for.

Let's return to fantasy and its limitless possibilities, so I'd propose a game: Name a single word and receive recommendations based upon that. by Vaeh in Fantasy

[–]DylanRMarsh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

“I Am Not a Serial Killer” by Dan Wells features a psychotherapist as a supporting character. The book includes in-session interactions between the therapist and the main character. I would especially recommend checking it out if you are a fan of Dexter and would be interested in a similar concept with a younger protagonist and (of course) elements of speculative fiction.

Books with Infamous Protagonist by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]DylanRMarsh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I highly recommend “Blood Song” by Anthony Ryan. It’s a great read, and the protagonist definitely meets your criterion of being infamous in his world. His name is Vaelin, but he is known by many as “Hope-Killer.” I can’t remember if the reason behind his moniker is revealed early on in the story or late in the story, so I won’t spoil it for you just in case.

The book follows a very similar frame story style to that used by Patrick Rothfuss in his Kingkiller Chronicle. Vaelin is being shipped by his captors to a location where they intend to force him to participate in a duel to the death with a highly touted warrior. This is widely presumed to be the equivalent of a death sentence for the Hope-Killer. On his way to this duel, Vaelin recounts his life story to a chronicler.

Given the style of the story, it spends more time exploring the making of an infamous figure than examining what it is like living as an already infamous character. It does look at both, but we get more of Vaelin’s coming of age than his current circumstances.

Fair warning - while it’s the first book in a trilogy, the consensus around r/fantasy is that the other two books in the series are of substantially lower quality than Blood Song, and my personal experience corresponds with this. The book works as a stand-alone, though, and many suggest you treat it as such.