On Writer's Legacy

Legacy; the most common definition of this word is of something handed down (as from an ancestor or predecessor). I have seen on the internet and heard in interviews this question being put to writers of varying success; "what do you want your legacy to be?" Because of this I thought I would think through my view on this. That way, if anyone should ask me this question in the future, I can direct them to this post (sort of pre-emptive laziness!)

As a writer one leaves a legacy of work behind. Every word put to paper (or in digital format) is likely to survive past the span of your years. Perhaps we can ignore this fact and simply proceed putting down anything that comes to mind. After all, that’s what blogging is about, and pretty much what I’m doing right now. Yet is that the best approach to take? Is there not a higher purpose that a writer should aspire to?

Characterisation

Characterisation is the art of creating characters for a narrative. Obviously this is very important to any writer, but perhaps more so for anyone wanting to write in the fantasy genre; after all, we need to create characters that belong to another world. Our characters can be fierce tribal warriors, meek and persecuted servants, imbued with magic, noble knights, and of any one of a multitude of races. Despite this, it is doubly important to ensure that our characters feel real. So, how do we go about this?