#Magical realism writing prompts series

For instance, many Greek and Roman myths could be considered magical realism examples. Importantly, many magical realism authors used the genre with subtle political intent, criticizing or subverting the political unrest that many South American nations endured in the 20th century.Īlthough magical realism is a distinctly Latin American invention, works of fiction that far predate the genre still uphold its basic requirements. Allende’s stories blend elements of Chilean folklore with modern twists, while Marquez’s stories dwell on utopia and the freedom of love.

It makes sense, then, for the genre’s pioneers to hail from Latin America, and many historians credit Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende for popularizing magical realism. Much of the folklore and storytelling in South and Central America relies on elements that today’s magical realism stories use. The genre certainly began in Latin America: much of the folklore and storytelling in South and Central America relies on the elements that today’s magical realism stories use. Magical realism shares much the same conundrum. If that were the case, then Voltaire’s Micromegas would just be a fever dream, not an advanced work about interplanetary travel. For example, some writers argue that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the first science fiction novel. While historians can track when a term was first used, deciding when a genre began is a wholly different matter. A Brief History of Magical RealismĬharting the history of any genre is tricky.

#Magical realism writing prompts series

This is also why Harry Potter doesn’t count: though the castles and Department of Magic are both vaguely “muggle-esque,” the books require too much world building for the series to be anything other than fantasy. This is why works of fiction like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, or Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus wouldn’t be considered magical realism: though these novels often occupy real world settings, their plots require fantastical creatures and places to keep the story going. What is magical realism? It’s literary fiction with just a dash of fantasy.Īnother way to put it: magical realism is literary fiction with just a dash of fantasy. The use of fantasy as an extended metaphor, often representing something internal to the protagonist.A focus on the real world implications of that brief magical phenomenon in other words, a “literary fiction” style of writing, without any traditional plot structure.Brief exposition based on the occurrence of something magical or supernatural.While their plots and writing styles differ, these pioneers of the genre included the following elements in their magical realism stories: Other magical realism authors include Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Toni Morrison, and Aimee Bender. In all of these examples, the plot starts with a dash of fantasy, but the story isn’t concerned with the logic of magic, just its aftermath. Stories include: a detective connects a string of assaults in New York City to a wave of spiritual turbulence two women have a baby without a father and, a man wonders about the ribbon connecting his wife’s head to her body. Some great magical realism examples show up in Carmen Maria Machados’ collection Her Body and Other Parties.

Magical realism definition: a genre in which fantasy slips into everyday life. Fantasy often acts as an extended metaphor, externalizing some sort of internal conflict or moral quandary in the protagonist’s life. However, the focus isn’t on the fantastical elements of the story, so much as on what those elements mean for the characters. In short, “magical realism” describes a work of fiction where fantasy slips into everyday life. I’ll explain why later!)īut if those books don’t count, then what is magical realism in literature? Let’s unpack this genre step-by-step, starting with the basic components of magical realism stories and ending with tips for writing the genre yourself. (For example, the Harry Potter series would not be considered a set of magical realism books. Yet, because the genre is growing in popularity, many writers have a sense of what magical realism means but apply it incorrectly. Magical realism authors populate many of today’s fiction journals, and magical realism books have recently won Pulitzer, Nobel, and Booker Prizes. This odd blending of the magical and the mundane constitutes the elements of magical realism, a wonderful genre for writers of all paths. What is magical realism? Imagine a woman discovers she can cry fabric (instead of water), so she starts a clothing business where she knots her tears into dresses.