The Spark of Fantasy Within a Child...

When I was a child, it was all about glitter. Loved the glitter. Glitter, glitter everywhere. Henceforth, I LOVED movies such as Labyrinth and Legend, chock full of the glittery goodness. And - what a shock - these movies were fantasy. Perhaps this is where my love for fantasy lit within me. Could it be this childhood whimsical love of glitter is what hooked me on magic, castles, and dragons?

Other movies solidified my new-found love. The Last Unicorn. The Neverending Story. The Princess Bride (while not magical in plot, it still counts as a "fairy tale", and by proxy, a "fantasy").

After watching these movies, I knew I wanted to read fantasy books. I cut my teeth on Terry Brooks' "Shannara" series. I no longer follow those books, but I read the first three, The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, & The Wishsong of Shannara. I then picked up David Eddings' "Belgariad" series from my school library in Jr. High.

I didn't actually try out C.S. Lewis until later on in childhood, after a friend of mine recommended them. After I read them, we both searched high and low for Narnia. We never found it. :( But these books and movies all served a purpose. They created a fantasy author.

Sure, I write many other genres, but fantasy was my first love, truth be told. I've always wanted to write romantic stories, and I felt the fantasy genre was light on the LUV. :P Sure, characters got together and had a mention of a courtship, but we never got to *see* the good stuff. That's when I decided to write my own.

One of the reasons for this post is that I truly believe we need to keep fantasy alive in the hearts of our children. Who knows who the next great fantasy author will be? With fantasy movies such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Stardust being made, I can only hope the spark that once lit within me will also light within my children and young ones around the globe.

We all deserve a little magic now and then, a little hope of good defeating evil - despite the odds, and a fantastic world to lose ourselves in.

If you haven't read a fantasy novel in awhile, pick one up. If you haven't watched a fantasy movie in a while, watch one. If you're like me, you'll be enveloped in the nostalgia of a time when anything was possible, when magic was mysterious and glitter made everything all the more wonderous.

~~Becka
http://www.rebeccagoings.com/

(Interesting fact: David Eddings' Belgariad probably influenced me the most when writing my own fantasy series, The Legends of Mynos. I fell in love with his world, how he portrayed magic, and the entire mythos he'd created. It wasn't until I was an adult that I learned Mr. Eddings lives in Carson City, NV, the very city I grew up in and read all his books. I could have passed the man in the grocery store and never have known. Could that be a sign I was destined to write my own fantasies one day? Perhaps it was merely coincedence. Or perhaps... it was meant to be...)