A Cup of Fiction

Good morning to all of you lovely authors, readers, and followers. I hope your week went well. Breathe, you are a success, and more is yet to come. You are awesome, and my life is better because I know you. I enjoy reading your wonderful articles, stories, and poetry. I wish I had more time. I am thankful for those of you who follow me and take the time to read my works. Today, I feel like chatting about Epic Science Fiction and Fantasy writing. The term Epic refers to a subgenre of fantasy and science fiction literature characterized by a grand scale, complex plot, large cast of characters, and a deeply developed fictional world, often featuring themes of destiny, heroism, major societal shifts, and the conflict between good and evil. I will highlight a few examples of this type of writing and include an Amazon Affiliate link within our discussion here. 

The Expanse by James S.A. Corey is a very popular Epic Science Fiction series of books that Amazon adapted to the small screen. Corey has created a Speculative Fiction work set in Earth's distant future in nine fabulously crafted novels. If you have not read them, you should.

If we were to choose to use the Heros Journey Story Structure to create our Epic work of Fiction, we must consider the following details. 

The Ordinary World: We introduce the protagonist to our readers in their everyday lives. This introduction allows world-building and story arc creation. 

The Call to Adventure: An event disrupts the protagonist's ordinary life, forcing them to confront a challenge or quest. This allows you, the author, to show things about the world that were previously unknown to our Hero.

The Refusal of the Call: The character may initially resist the call to action, fearing the unknown or the potential consequences.

Meeting the Mentor: A wise and experienced figure with knowledge of the outside yet-to-be-experienced world calling our protagonist provides them guidance, training, or magical items to aid them.

Crossing the Threshold: The protagonist commits to the quest, leaving their familiar world behind.

In an epic tale, we have to have a grander vision of the world in general, and there are multiple characters and story arcs all moving in the same direction. A Fantasy Epic that does this well is George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, also adapted to the small screen in the series The Game of Thrones. There are no less than ten characters in this tale that Martin follows, many of them to their demise in an exquisitely crafted world of zombies, dragons, armies, castles, and, of course, the great battle of Good and Evil.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies: Of course, in our Epic tale, the characters must face a series of trials, both physical and emotional. They encounter allies who support them and enemies who seek to hinder their progress, and in a true epic, even the physical environment can hinder their efforts. 

Approach to the Inmost Cave: Our characters and their story arc reach a crucial turning point, a moment of ultimate challenge or decision. Should I stay or go, embrace the darkness, or turn to the light? The ordeal our characters endure is often a life-or-death situation. The choice may even be life-altering for the border world about them. After all, we are talking Epic. 

Reward (Seizing the Sword): The protagonist overcomes the ordeal, gaining a valuable reward, such as a magical artifact or newfound knowledge. Or even the temporary advantage over the Antagonist.

The Road Back: Our characters begin their journey home, facing new challenges, temptations, trials, and tribulations. 

Resurrection: The world and our character undergo a final, transformative experience, often involving a near-death experience, a spiritual awakening, and or a cataclysmic event that compels the world and characters forward into healing.

Return with the Elixir: The protagonist returns to their ordinary world, transformed by their adventures and ready to share their wisdom or protect their people.

Another grand epic is Rober Jordan's The Wheel of Time. This Epic world plays host to not less than eleven novels and is a masterpiece of Worldbuilding, a foundational aspect of Epic Fiction writing.

A well-crafted world is the cornerstone of any epic fiction writing. Here are some key elements to consider. Create distinctive geography and diverse landscapes, from towering mountains to vast oceans. Consider the climate, natural resources, and the impact geography has upon the cultures and societies that inhabit the world. An epic tale will have a grand history and rich, possibly complex mythology and religion that informs or guides the world the characters live in. from the brief mention of them like that of the Song of Ice and Fire, where the characters are constantly splashing each other with "By the old Gods and the new." Or the question of the existence of divinity in the tale of Dune by Frank Herbert, where creatures that might be mythology in other epic tales become actual and, in the case of the Shai-Hulud, achieve a place of divinity by the Fremen. 

Crafting memorable characters that are engaging is essential to any successful epic tale. Each must have their own set of flaws and strengths, making them relatable and realistic. The quest will clearly define what drives your characters. What do they want? What are they afraid of? Why would they leave the comforts of their everyday lives to endure the foreshadowed hardships to come? Show how your characters grow and change throughout the story, and a good writer will develop a strong and unique voice for their characters. Dialogue can make or break a story. Reflect on their speech patterns, word choice, humor, and expression of frustration or anger. 

By understanding the structure of epic science fiction and fantasy, building rich worlds, and crafting memorable characters, you can create epic tales that will captivate your readers and transport them to unimaginable realms. Good luck now, go and write.

The beginnings of my own Epic Fantasy Fiction series, Adventures in the Grand Taosan Galactic Empire, are linked below; I invite you to read them. They are currently being worked on and reworded into the series of books that will eventually be available on Amazon.

Thank you for sticking with me. And now, my favorite part of this blog is

A Fresh Cup of Fiction

Enjoy! This is far from Epic, but truly a Flash Fiction tale at 108 words.

Let the Sleeping Man Lie

The fire lept, sparked, crackled, and flashed in the fire pit, casting wicked shadows that danced upon the tree line. The wild sounds of the woods answered the snap, hiss, crackle, and pop. Jason sat back against a tree. He purposefully built the fire near the tree as he had observed the storm clouds gathering to the west and did not feel like getting soaked. He fed the fire with a large log that would ensure it burnt throughout the night and leave coals to start afresh in the morning. Then he closed his eyes and slept.

Jegor the bear sat a distance off from the fire, waiting.

© 2024, T. Mark Mangum 

I am T. Mark Mangum. From an early age, I was hooked on the imagined, unfathomable worlds of Star Wars, Star Trek, Conan, the Lord of the Rings, and many others. I love writing fiction tales. I love writing in multiple genres, but my favorites are sci-fi and fantasy fiction. I am a father of six; we have a cat and a dog. Tabletop gaming is a passion of mine.

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