I loved this post, as well as the linked post on your blog. As a fellow teacher, I've struggled with some of the same issues. Thanks for writing with so much honesty and compassion.
Thanks, Ben! Now that I'm back in the classroom, it feels like the right decision. But it's also hard to block out the siren song of being a "full-time writer." I'm not sure if I'll ever resolve that tension, LOL!
That's a lovely gift Mrs. Shaw gave you, myself I had a principal like that who helped me discover fantasy, her along with our neighbours and my dad all encouraged me to read that stuff and to escape.
So glad you had such an experience, and as a fellow writer and analyser of fantasy and lover of DnD you are in good company hereon substack mme.
It's a wonderful experience to have trusted adults encourage and support you. I had an aunt who also encouraged my love of fantasy, and her enthusiasm and interest fueled my own. Now, as a mother and teacher myself, I'm trying my best to be that encouraging force. Thank you for reading!
I know what you mean! The second person POV, putting the reader INTO the story like that, and then letting them choose what happens in the story is such a genius idea. I will never stop loving the whole concept behind the Endless Quest series and Choose Your Own Adventure, etc. And I still collect the Lone Wolf Role-Playing Adventure books because they are awesome. :)
So thrilled to see you back here, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing your thoughts & memories about the "Return to Brookmere" Endless Quest book (and for sharing my interview with its author, Rose Estes!)
I resonate so deeply with your nostalgia and magical through-the-looking-glass-lens of viewing fantasy.
I've been noodling hard in recent months on what makes fantasy so special to some - and feeling it's a sort of mythology in a sense that fulfills our primordial need for expressing and participating in Imagination & Creativity.
Our inborn wiring for story recognizes the archetypes, themes & tropes and yearns to connnect with someplace/something more in a way both meaningful & deep. Interestingly & often in our own semi-private worlds. Whether we're vicariously participating in thrills fantastique or fantasticaly profound heartache, we can find joy and meaning and connection with others - fictional & real (living & past) - that in essence, helps us connect better with ourselves.
Of course, it is also fun to escape the real world and slay some evil ass-hat wizard once in a while, find the treasure, and save the world . . .
Ok - crazy enough, but I have to share this strange coincidence. After writing the above response I checked my mail and happened to receive the beautiful new book, "The Art of Fantasy: A Visual Sourcebook of All That is Unreal" by S. Elizabeth.
Excerpt from the back cover: "Artists have explored imaginary worlds and fantastical creatures for centuries, but what draws them to the impossible, the mystical and the unknown? Is it merely an escape from reality? Or are they seeking a greater understanding of the human experience, perhaps even the very meaning of life itself?" 😮
Flipping through the 1st few pages, I encountered this quote from Lloyd Alexander: "Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it." 🙄
Then a few pages beyond, a quote from Lewis Carol . . . from THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS! 😶
I'm feeling serendipitously amazed & humbled right now. 🤯
Love this! And now I'm off to find myself a copy of this book... Looks gorgeous! Funny that you mention Lewis Carroll and Through the Looking Glass. His Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are two of my all-time favorites and deep inspirations on my work.
I loved this post, as well as the linked post on your blog. As a fellow teacher, I've struggled with some of the same issues. Thanks for writing with so much honesty and compassion.
Thanks, Ben! Now that I'm back in the classroom, it feels like the right decision. But it's also hard to block out the siren song of being a "full-time writer." I'm not sure if I'll ever resolve that tension, LOL!
That's a lovely gift Mrs. Shaw gave you, myself I had a principal like that who helped me discover fantasy, her along with our neighbours and my dad all encouraged me to read that stuff and to escape.
So glad you had such an experience, and as a fellow writer and analyser of fantasy and lover of DnD you are in good company hereon substack mme.
It's a wonderful experience to have trusted adults encourage and support you. I had an aunt who also encouraged my love of fantasy, and her enthusiasm and interest fueled my own. Now, as a mother and teacher myself, I'm trying my best to be that encouraging force. Thank you for reading!
Wow. Mine was The forest of doom. At 9 years old. Reading it on my friends bunkbed going out of my mind.
How can there be ideas like this?
And I'm in the book!!
I know what you mean! The second person POV, putting the reader INTO the story like that, and then letting them choose what happens in the story is such a genius idea. I will never stop loving the whole concept behind the Endless Quest series and Choose Your Own Adventure, etc. And I still collect the Lone Wolf Role-Playing Adventure books because they are awesome. :)
So thrilled to see you back here, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing your thoughts & memories about the "Return to Brookmere" Endless Quest book (and for sharing my interview with its author, Rose Estes!)
I resonate so deeply with your nostalgia and magical through-the-looking-glass-lens of viewing fantasy.
I've been noodling hard in recent months on what makes fantasy so special to some - and feeling it's a sort of mythology in a sense that fulfills our primordial need for expressing and participating in Imagination & Creativity.
Our inborn wiring for story recognizes the archetypes, themes & tropes and yearns to connnect with someplace/something more in a way both meaningful & deep. Interestingly & often in our own semi-private worlds. Whether we're vicariously participating in thrills fantastique or fantasticaly profound heartache, we can find joy and meaning and connection with others - fictional & real (living & past) - that in essence, helps us connect better with ourselves.
Of course, it is also fun to escape the real world and slay some evil ass-hat wizard once in a while, find the treasure, and save the world . . .
Thanks, J.Q.! I'm enjoying your Substack so much! It's good to be back here. So much thoughtfulness and creativity.
Ok - crazy enough, but I have to share this strange coincidence. After writing the above response I checked my mail and happened to receive the beautiful new book, "The Art of Fantasy: A Visual Sourcebook of All That is Unreal" by S. Elizabeth.
Excerpt from the back cover: "Artists have explored imaginary worlds and fantastical creatures for centuries, but what draws them to the impossible, the mystical and the unknown? Is it merely an escape from reality? Or are they seeking a greater understanding of the human experience, perhaps even the very meaning of life itself?" 😮
Flipping through the 1st few pages, I encountered this quote from Lloyd Alexander: "Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it." 🙄
Then a few pages beyond, a quote from Lewis Carol . . . from THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS! 😶
I'm feeling serendipitously amazed & humbled right now. 🤯
Love this! And now I'm off to find myself a copy of this book... Looks gorgeous! Funny that you mention Lewis Carroll and Through the Looking Glass. His Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are two of my all-time favorites and deep inspirations on my work.