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Dragons, swords, and magical lands have been the highlight of fiction in the twenty-first century. Children, teenagers, and adults alike thrill to the adventures of brave heroes who exist in a place beyond reality, but nevertheless accessible through the vibrant pages of a book. Don't believe it? Just step to the young adult fiction shelf of your local bookstore. You'll be hard-pressed to find anything but fantasy.

What is it that draws so many readers to fantasy? Maybe it's the romance of the medieval settings; maybe the compelling action sequences scattered throughout; maybe the mythical creatures like dragons and unicorns that hold such appeal for contemporary audiences. But regardless of the initial attraction, it's hard to escape the realization that most works of modern fantasy usually have a common denominator.

The basic plot is simple: a young and dashing hero wakes up one morning to learn that his true identity is one of greatness.
Unfortunately, his life is on the line because a certain wicked villain is seeking to steal his power and rule the world. Throw in some dwarves and telepathic dragons, and your fantasy clich has come full circle. We've all heard itprobably more times than we'd care to tell.

When did such an intriguing genre become an almost exclusive slush-pile? No one denies that Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is a brilliant story by a brilliant author. Same for The Chronicles of Narnia. But as times goes on, and the genre of fantasy grows and flourishes, we tend to see more and more repetition and less originality. Elves, dragons, and magica person can't help but wonder how often the same fictional elements can be mixed up to create a new storyline.

Has the fantasy genre become a stagnant pool of overused ideas? Most definitely. But in trudging through the muck, you're likely to find a few gems still remaining. In the end, writers of fantasy should stop seeking to "be original" with material that has already been used, but rather focus on the story they plan to tell. Observation is beneficial; imitation is detrimental.

C.S. Lewis says it best: "Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring two-pence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."

Learn more about this author, Beth Maisano.
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