So, over the last year or so, I’ve been getting more involved on the creative side of science fiction and fantasy, taking a big plunge last year with NaNoWriMo. One of the big bonuses of that has been greater interaction with the local writers in my area, one of whom is my good friend, Diane Morrison. She approached me a few months back about coming onto Virtual Fantasy Con, for participation on a panel for discussing fantasy warfare. More specifically, what a lot of writers missed. The panel was “Realism in Fantasy Warfare”, and it was a solid two hours (edited to 1:38:53) of great discussion and presentation of ideas and concepts around war, conflict, politics, and world building for fantasy.
My key points, which will be elaborated on in future posts:
- Think about how the world and conflict will be affected by what you’re introducing, whether it be high magic, dragons, magical-technology like airships, or magical healing.
- Militaries have structures for a reason, and they don’t mirror gangs or wolf-packs. Read up, study up, and make your fantasy militaries amazing.
- Please learn about the culture that created the military that’s inspiring your work, it really matters.
- Don’t let tropes or stereotypes limit you! Don’t be afraid to break away from the essentialist and established ideas around stuff! It’s fantasy, so have fun with it!
