To begin our FAQ book, let's now delve into the most basic thing that you should know as a writer in the fantasy genre, and that is...

Topic number 1: What is Fantasy?

So what comes to your mind when you hear the word fantasy? We asked the members of our club and these are the answers we got:

magical creatures

magic

adventure

quests

sword and sorcery

Fantasy

Origin of the word

- late Middle English: from Old French fantasie, from Latin phantasia, from Greek, 'imagination, appearance,' later 'phantom,' from phantazein 'make visible.' From the 16th to the 19th centuries the Latinized spelling phantasy was also used.

-From: Dictionary.com

- A Fantasy is the forming of mental images that have no solid basis in reality; a daydream or an illusion (n).

So what elements should a story contain to be considered a fantasy story?

A story in the fantasy genre should contain any of these elements:

1. Events that occur in the story are beyond the laws of the real world. Fantastical happenings that can't be explained by science.

2. Magic is present in the story.

3. May be set in the real world (primary world) or an imaginary world (secondary world setting) where fantastic things/happenings exists.

Magic in some form (it may be blatant or subtle) should be present for a story to be considered in the fantasy genre. It may be in the form of magical creatures (elves, unicorns, dragons, etc.), or a magical place (Neverland, Narnia, Middle-Earth, etc.), or have things of powerful magic (The Sorcerer's Stone, the One Ring, etc.) or strange happenings that can't be rationally explained (levitation, transformation via a curse, talking animals or things, a rain of meatballs!) It may be as subtle as falling into a rabbit hole and meeting a talking cat or all-encompassing as a school of wizardry and magic.

All you need is magic...

Fantasy and Science fiction are often confused with the other, and there was a time when they were mistakenly used interchangeably, but they differ in what they focus on:

Fantasy – There is some form of magic in a story used in the current world (may it be imaginary or real). To make it easier: things happening in the story cannot be explained through scientific means.

Ex: Harry Potter Series

Science Fiction – focuses on science and has themes centered in how it could shape a possible future world. Simply put, we are talking about a possible future world; or a reality that maybe far-fetched but plausible through scientific means such as time travel, aliens, etc.

Ex: Ender's Game

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 Unang Paksa: Ano ang fantasy?

Pinagmulan/Depinisyon:

- Mula sa salitang "fantasie" (Old French), phantasia sa Latin, sa salitang Griyego ang ibig sabihin nito ay galing sa 'imahinasyon', 'pagsasalarawan''' phantazein 'maipakita'. Noong ikalabing-anim hanggang ikalabing-siyam na siglo nagsimulang gamitin ang salitang "phantasy".

Sanggunian: Dictionary.com

- Ang isang kuwento o konsepto ay maituturing na 'Fantastic' kung ito ay galing sa imahinasyon at walang konkretong basehan sa realidad; isang panaginip o guni-guni lamang.

Paano natin masasabing ang isang kuwento ay napapabilang sa fantasy genre?

Ang mga kuwentong nakapaloob sa fantasy genre ay dapat magkaroon ng mga sumusunod na elemento o katangian:

1. Ang mga eksena o pangyayari sa kuwento ay hindi maaaring mangyari sa tunay na mundo.

2. Ang mahika o paggamit nito ay isang sentral na elemento ng kuwento.

3. Maaaring ang kuwento ay nasa tunay na mundo (primary world) or kuwentong gawa-gawa lamang (secondary world) kung saan may mahika.

Ang magic o mahika ang pinakaimportanteng sangkap upang matawag na Fantasy ang isang kuwento. Maaring ang isang kuwento ay mayroong mga magical creatures (nuno, tikbalang, dragon, unicorns, etc.), o nasa isang mahiwagang mundo (Neverland, Narnia, Encantadia, etc.) o mayroong mga bagay o sandatang may mahika (The Sorcerer's Stone, One Ring, etc.) Maaaring ang mga tauhan ay makakatagpo ng mga ibang tauhan sa aksidenteng pagpasok sa isang portal o maimbitahan na mag-aral sa isang magic school. Ano man ang anyo, ang magic ang siyang importanteng element sa isang kuwentong fantasy.

Karaniwan rin na napagbabaliktad o napaghahalo ang genre ng Fantasy at Science Fiction. Tandaan lamang natin na ang pagkakaiba ng dalawa ay ang fantasy ay naka-pokus sa mahika, samantalang ang science fiction ay may mga kakaiba/kakatuwang bagay/planeta/pangyayari na maaring ipaliwanag ng siyensiya o may posibilidad na mangyari sa hinaharap.