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Inside
the Cover Book Reviews Writing
the Fantasy Film: Heroes and Journeys in Alternate Realities With
the growing popularity of the fantasy genre, both in film and book publishing,
it is no surprise that screenwriters are flocking to their computers in search
of the perfect fantasy film idea. Executing this idea with skill is something
author and Scr(i)pt Magazine contributor Sable Jak can definitely help with in
her new book, Writing the Fantasy Film: Heroes and Journeys in Alternate
Realities. Sable Jak takes an intricate and often misunderstood form of
writing and dissects every element imaginable in this comprehensive guide to
creating alternate realities filled with believable, if not fantastical,
characters and stories that will fill the screen with magic and meaning. If you
want to write fantasy, you MUST read this book. Starting
with the simple question "What is Fantasy?," the author gives us the
many varieties of fantasy stories and styles, along with their origins, always
providing us with great examples of corresponding films as she goes along. We
literally then are taken on a journey, or quest, if you will, through the world
of constructing other worlds, as Jak lays down the rules of law for creating
proper story structure, doing research, developing characters that include the
usual suspects in fantasy (i.e. hero, heroine, sidekicks, villains, and love
interests among others), creating magical beings and beasties that compliment
the story, using magic and its purpose in your story, location (although this
chapter is way too short and could have been focused on more), the importance of
battles and inner and outer conflicts, the use of religion within the context of
fantasy, politics (who knew that political intrigue played such a strong role in
good fantasy?), sex and romance, developing a "fantasy" language and
how to make it sound "realistic," and so much more. The
second part of the book focuses on the story itself, and the necessary plot
points that most great fantasy tales contain, including the elements of the
"hero's journey" that Joseph Campbell helped to popularize. By the
time you finish reading this book, you will know everything you need to know
about writing a fantasy film, for Sable Jak leaves no stone, or Stonehenge,
unturned in this highly entertaining and informative guidebook. One
of the best things about Writing the Fantasy Film is that the author
includes exercises with each chapter, allowing the potential screenwriter a
chance to try out firsthand the new skills he/she has just read about. These
exercises make this book a powerful tool for really understanding the intricacy
and detail that goes into developing a fantasy film world Writing the Fantasy Film is an awesome blueprint for constructing one of the most difficult and mysterious film genres, and it is a blueprint that any aspiring writer can utilize to create an amazing and fantastical world that never existed before; a world that, hopefully, many others will want to explore as well at their nearest movie theater. Marie D. Jones writes screenplays as well as fiction, articles and essays for several national publications. Her new book is LOOKING FOR GOD IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES (Paraview Press). She is the creator of an award-winning children's video, PIG TALES, and has written and produced several direct-to-video projects in national distribution. Her greatest creation is her toddler son, Max, co-created by hubby Ron. They live in San Marcos, California. |
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