29 August,2017 12:38 PM IST | Mumbai | Shraddha Uchil
This weekend, author Shatrujeet Nath will guide aspiring novelists on how to go about building their own fantasy worlds by tapping into mythology and folklore
A still from the show Game of Thrones
If reading The Lord of the Rings or the Harry Potter series has tempted you to get down to writing your own fantasy novel, here's your chance. On Saturday, Shatrujeet Nath, author of The Karachi Deception and the Vikramaditya Veergatha books, will conduct a day-long workshop on the art of writing epic fantasy.
Shatrujeet Nath
The session, titled How to Play a Dragon, is being hosted in association with Culture Shoq and Books on Toast. "Fantasy wasn't a very popular genre when I was growing up, but, lately, there has been growing interest, thanks to shows like Game of Thrones. Even the mythic fiction category is catching up, and India is filled with mythological stories and folklore to draw inspiration from," says Nath.
The workshop will begin with the author taking participants through what constitutes fantasy, and introducing them to the process of creating a fantasy world. "There is some confusion as to where mythology ends and fantasy begins.
The same goes for sci-fi and horror - the genres tend to overlap, but there are subtle differences. It's also subjective. For instance, I would categorise The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as drama rather than science fiction. Someone else, on the other hand, might view it as fantasy."
A large part of the workshop will be dedicated to understanding the concept of world-building, which is the key to writing great fantasy fiction. "It's about learning how to make your fictional world as immersive as possible - deciding what time period you want the novel to be set in, and what abilities you want your characters to have, among other points," says Nath.
Finally, Nath will give participants a fantasy premise, which they will develop into a two-page fantasy story, using the skills they have acquired over the course of the workshop. "I'll suggest props to help them along, but the idea is to get them to imagine their own fantasy-filled atmosphere," he says.
On: September 2, 10 am onwards
At: The Cuckoo Club, 5AA, Macronells Compound, Pali Hill, Bandra West
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 1,500 (includes lunch and a signed copy of any one book by Nath)
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