Fiction vs. Fantasy

Is fiction different from fantasy?

fiction = a creative work

fantasy = a creative work involving magic and the supernatural

Fantasy is a type of fiction but it does not mean all fiction is fantasy. There is a difference believe it or not. Fiction is the general term for things that are made up and fantasy is a type of fiction that is about the supernatural and the magical realm. There are many types of fiction. There's even something called creative non-fiction which is basically fiction that is heavily based on real life or things that are fact. 

I didn't know this until I took a class in college about it.

In fantasy we are dealing with things that are not of this world and are not known to be in existence. Magic, monsters, heroes, super powers, the paranormal, vampires, werewolves are some of what makes up this genre of fiction. Basically it is about a world that is completely imaginary. We don't see unicorns or centaurs or vampires or aliens. No human can possibly fly without a plane or break through walls with nothing but their own strength.

Fantasy, I realized, is one of the toughest kinds of fiction to be good at.

When a story about magic and witches or things like that is good, we know it and we like it. When it's bad we kind of shrug it off and don't think much about it. People don't realize that fiction is a broad genre and it isn't all the same. There are different types and certain elements that work in some types don't work as well in others.

When someone is able to finally come up with something in fantasy that is good it is really quite a feat. At least that's how I feel about it. It is hard and it doesn't happen often. I hope aspiring fantasy artists will read this and realize that they are gifted if they can actually put together something that is worthwhile and interesting. This kind of fiction is especially difficult because it is not just made up but about things that don't really exist.

How can something like this be real and enjoyable? It is mysterious but it happens and it is super cool when it does. 

Good fantasy will inspire people to be role models to those who look up to them. Ever heard of the hero and the hero's journey? It is one of the most popular themes in fantasy. This kind of thing thrives in fantasy because the people are special and have special abilities. Therefore they can do things that people can only dream of doing. Most of us live our lives every day without thinking we can be a hero to someone. We may not be able to fly or throw fireballs at the enemy but there are people around us who need to be cared for.

That's what being a hero is really about.

Good fantasy makes people want to be adventurous, to laugh, to have hope when there seems to be none, to take risks though it may seem too much and to simply find the magic in the ordinary. If that doesn't inspire us to come up with such amazing stories I don't know what will.