The worst way, in your opinion, to start a fantasy?

[Onesilvia]

I still have no idea how to answer this question for myself and a lot of readers that i know answer in very different ways so I'd like to know your personal opinions!

 

[BAYLOR]

By accidentally reading the second book in the series first?

 

[Justin Swanton]

Writing or reading one?

 

[Onesilvia]

Writing or reading one?

Reading one

 

[Justin Swanton]

I'm not sure there's a worst way. I mean, everybody reads a book pretty much in the same fashion: you start at the beginning, work through the middle and finally reach the end. Probably reading the end first to see how the story concludes is bad.

 

[BAYLOR]

Reading one

Are you looking for book recommendations ?

 

[hitmouse]

It was a dark and stormy night...

 

[Le Panda du Mal]

Hints that the protagonist is the Chosen One

 

[hitmouse]

Swimming in the upper Amazon with your toes being nibbled by piranhas.

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

Watching the movie adaptation first?

Bonus points if you watch it in a language you don't understand.

 

[Extollager]

Reading one

I suppose the worst way to start reading a fantasy would be the same as the worst way to starting some other book, namely being in a state of severe mental impairment: being drunk, or greatly distracted.

 

[Justin Swanton]

At the kitchen table during breakfast whilst the kids are fighting.

 

[Mon0Zer0]

Reading one

Suspended from a crane above a pit of venemous sharks whilst people are hitting you with sticks and playing Wozzeck at ear splitting levels to stop you defusing a nuclear bomb.

 

[williamjm]

By accidentally reading the second book in the series first?

It was sometimes very easy to do this in the pre-Internet days.

 

[BAYLOR]

It was a dark and stormy night...

Unfortunately , this line leads to an Edward Bulwer Lytton novel.

 

[BAYLOR]

It was sometimes very easy to do this in the pre-Internet days.

Ive done that a few times.

 

[BAYLOR]

Best advice , open the book and read.

 

[Lostinspace]

I have also started with volume 2. It was an interesting experiment. Normally, possibly because I like world building, I tend to like the first volume of a series better than subsequent volumes. In agreement with that theory, when I read Juliet Mckeena's "The Swordsman's Oath" before "The Thief's Gamble", I liked The Swordsman's Oath better. Unfortunately, a female friend suggested that as The Swordsman's Oath had a male POV character, I probably found it easier to identify with him.

 

[Astro Pen]

As a scientist.

 

[IWillREBEL]

Hmm...that's a question with a lot of layers. But I'd say the worst way to start a fantasy would be to try and explain your fantasy world and the conflicts of the characters within the first chapter or two. Trust me I've tried it and...you know what, we're not even going to go there.