Form and Genre Challenge #12
“The Magical Realism Challenge”
For submission the week ending Sunday, 29th April.
Challenge: To write in the magical realism genre.
Form: Open
Word Count: 3500 words
Submission Tips
- Please ensure your story is clearly labelled ‘FGC’ along with the challenge number and the story name in the title of your blog post. Example: [FGC #12] The Greatest Magical Realism Story to Date.
- Note the word count at the bottom of your entry.
- Submit your story via the Mr Linky Widget. Stories linked in the comments section will be INELIGIBLE for judging consideration.
- Leave a comment below.
- Tweet your story with the hashtag #FGC2012
- Go forth and enjoy the writerly goodness of your fellow contributors and consider placing a vote in the Readers’ Choice Award and tweeting your favourite story on Friday with #fridayreads or Sunday with #sundayreads
- Readers’ Choice Poll opens 01:00 GMT(UCT) Monday
Unfamiliar with the form or genre? Each week we’ll give you some pointers to help you find your feet. This week, Write Anything’s own Emma Venables shares some quick tips on merging the magical with the real.
Magical Realism is a tricky one, I’ll give you that. I studied it at university and really enjoyed it, so I hope my notes will be of some help to you!
So, here is Magical Realism, in a nutshell:
- Magical Realism is the monotonous, everyday aspects of our lives presented as unreal and magical. So your character could be washing the dishes as he or she does every day but something fantastical happens this particular time.
- This magical aspect occurs as part as reality—neither your characters nor your narrator should question it! They just accept it. There is no logical explanation for it. Just go with it.
- It incorporates elements of mythology, fairy tales and dreams which are stirred in with everyday life.
- It has a strong narrative drive pushing the story forwards.
- The narrative doesn’t have to have be linear—play around with time. Let your mind run wild. But be mindful of the word count you have to play with.
- Stories written in the genre usually contain some form of social criticism masked with fantastical elements. So have something to comment on. What angers you about society? Write about it.
If you’ve got time have a gander at the short fiction of Angela Carter and Gabriel Garcia Márquez.
Happy Writing!!
