Magic, fiction and reality

by Veronica on January 24, 2014

in Life

I read a lot of books, and lately it’s been mostly urban fantasy style stuff. Ilona Andrews. Carrie Vaughn. Patricia Briggs. Kalayna Price. Richard Kadrey. Also Robin Hobb, who isn’t urban fantasy, but she writes the best characters and magic I’ve read.

I finish these books and I’m left feeling emptier somehow, wishing for magic, for meaning, for something more.

Em Elizabeth tweeted above about dragons not being real and I sat there, looking at the screen, stunned for a bit. I spend an inordinate amount of time wishing magic were real. Constructing elaborate fantasies inside my head involving the existence of werewolves and fae, debating their existence.

And it’s strange really. I’m a married mother with three children, and yet, I desperately wish these things were real.

I’d like to say something beautiful and poignant here about bending reality to my whim, and etc, but really? I just think magic would be really fucking cool.

This is why I’m a writer. My daydreams get to become reality in some small slice somewhere. I can write rules which have to bearing on my current reality. I can have faeries, and yes, even vampires. Because why not?

But it does seem disappointing to only have the reality I want exist in my mind, completely oblivious to the world that is.

You might think me strange and that’s okay, because I am. All writers are a little weird.

Do you read Urban Fantasy? Who does it best?

 

Amy R January 24, 2014 at 2:30 pm

Robin Hobb! Ok, I think I’ll keep you. 🙂

I think that it’s possible to bond with an animal almost as closely as Fitz and Nosey. Isn’t that a kind of magic all on it’s own?

Veronica January 24, 2014 at 2:36 pm

Yes, I agree. But then it makes me want MORE.

river January 24, 2014 at 8:53 pm

I haven’t read urban fantasy for quite a while and I’m writing down your list of authors.
I would love for magic and dragons to be real. If only wishing would make it so.

Anne January 24, 2014 at 9:14 pm

I don’t really have a favourite author, but I love to read (have done so since primary school). I’m a fan of ‘fanfiction’ too. Whether paperback novels or e-books downloaded onto my tablet, I usually carry a book in my bag. Some nights I take my tablet with me to bed and read until late under the covers (the high-tech version of reading under the covers with a torch lol). It’s great. 🙂

A recent trip to the local ‘re-use’ shop scored me some of Charlaine Harris’s ‘True Blood’ novels for six bucks. Awesome find I reckon 🙂

Dragons are cool, too. (Kids are currently watching ‘How to train your dragon’, again lol) 🙂

Dorothy January 24, 2014 at 9:19 pm

My favourite dragons are those dreamt up by Anne McCaffrey. I can’t wait for my kids to be old enough to read her books and get swept up in the magic.

Zanni Louise January 25, 2014 at 10:17 am

I don’t read fantasy at all…but I am living in a magical, fantasy world with a four year old who constantly fantasises and wants me to be part of her magical world. She falls asleep to me weaving magic stories for her. I love and need the magic in my life too.

Kate January 25, 2014 at 3:07 pm

Have you read any Gail Carriger? She’s my favourite. Hilarious! And if you like the Paolini books you might like Michael Pryor or Ben Chandler. BTW, this is the first time I’ve commented but I love reading your stories. Have you tried writing some fiction yourself?

Veronica January 25, 2014 at 4:26 pm

If you check out http://veronicafoale.com there are a bunch of flash fiction/short stories over there.

In the middle of editing a manuscript currently 🙂 And THANK YOU. It’s so nice to hear people like my writing.

Veronica January 25, 2014 at 4:29 pm

Oh and yes, I love Gail Carriger.

Marylin January 27, 2014 at 2:23 am

And now my kindle books wish list is even bigger!! 😉

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