Aku agak, ramai penulis yang bercita-cita untuk menghasilkan ‘magnum opus’ seperti yang pernah Tolkien buat. Atau mungkin mahu menjadi seperti David Eddings. Atau paling dekat dengan Ahmad Patria Abdullah, jaguh karya fantasi negara kita.

Kita tengok artikel berikut bagaimana dan apa yang harus anda letakkan dalam karya epik fantasi anda. Tapi aku sebenarnya lebih banyak ketawa bila membaca artikel itu. Mungkin si penulis mahu bersifat sarkastik. Mungkin dia benar-benar jujur. Apa pun, memang ciri-ciri itu banyak dalam novel epik fantasi (tak semua). Mungkin klise, mungkin ‘lame’, apa pun itulah dunia epik fantasi.

Baca artikel tersebut:

How to write a best selling fantasy novel.

Antara benda yang menarik (dalam pada masa yang sama menggelikan hati) adalah:

- All fantasy worlds are roughly square. i.e. the shape of the double page of a paperback

- This Villain always has access to vast armies which require no food, payment or other provisioning and can travel thousands of mile and lay siege to cities without any need for a catering corps.

- Although the Enemy’s powers are magical, for some reason he must always try to defeat the good guys with good old fashioned hand to hand combat.

- To make Character Names, just run some nonsense syllables together until it looks like a foreign language. If they are unpronounceable they will be seem even more authentic. “Y”s, “H”s and apostrophes add an exotic feeling. Words like “Dn’a’brht”, “ynhazzmhn”, “jbreheh’m” are all acceptable.

- Fantasy Worlds never have working economies. Very few people work, there is little agriculture and it is not clear where food comes from.

- Even the most heavily fortified stronghold always has small unguarded side door where the garbage goes out. Once inside the Enemy’s Castle there is only a smattering of people walking casually about. The Loser/Hero will be able to penetrate right into the Enemy’s most inner sanctum without being detected.

- The Enemy’s fatal flaw will always be that he is over-confident.

Selamat menulis karya agung anda. Beritahu aku bila sudah diterbitkan dan oh ya, dapatkan penerbit yang tak macam sial seperti…err..anda tahu sendirilah.