I finished The Colour of Magic a week ago, and decided to let it stew for a while before posting about it. I knew I wouldn't review the book: it's older than me, and I'm rather certain there are already more reviews than I can count out there.
Reading Pratchett was a release, though.
As a fantasy writer you hear a lot about suspension of disbelief. Despite the magic and the supernatural, you have to make your reader believe that your story is real, that the characters exist. Closing the book must be like waking up: you're slightly dazed, and when you look at the clock you can't believe you slept that long.
Often as I work fantasy elements in my story, I wonder if it'll work. Am I pushing too far? Will the reader scoff and stop believing? Will he think I'm abusing his trust?
The Discworld is a reminder that you can get away with a lot more than you think. It takes talent. It takes justifications. But it's possible. If Pratchett can get away with a world riding on top of four giant elephants standing upon a giant turtle well... somehow I feel my modest bit of magic can be worked in, too.
Don't be afraid to let your imaginations run. That's what fantasy is for.
I'm glad you found Terry Pratchett. He's an excellent and FUNNY storyteller. Be sure to read the footnotes as that adds another dimension of humor to the story. His characters are also delightful. My personal favorites are Death and the Witches. The Librarian is fantastic, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading his books in the order they were written and just finished "Monstrous Regiment". While his early books are more of a lark, he gradually works in some parody (my favorite was the one on movies) and after that he has something important to say.
Oh, I've read the footnotes alright. :) I love them. While I haven't seen the Witches or the Librarian yet (and won't for a while, considering the size of my TBR pile), I have to say I love Death. Still, I should make sure I pick up some of the later books among all that reading.
ReplyDeletePratchett's one of my favorites. :) And I love the Death stories too. Enjoy!
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