Writing Excuses Transcripts

Writing Excuses 5.32: Urban Fantasy

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/04/10/writing-excuses-5-32-urban-fantasy/

Key points: Urban fantasy? Sometimes defined as broadly as fantasy that takes place in modern-day. Genre fiction is built around a sense of escape from reality, what if, and anchor points. A lot of urban fantasy is built around the secret history, the underworld of magic. Another big chunk has the world changed, and everyone knows about magic. Howard said, "There's almost no way to write without tripping over the tropes.... Your story has to be about interesting characters doing interesting things in interesting ways." If you want to do a secret history or magical underground urban fantasy, make sure you know what ties the two worlds together and keep your characters moving between the two worlds.
( Behind the doors marked Employees Only ... )
[Howard] OK. Writing prompt. Urban fantasy, and the source... or the point of origin for your crossover between the real world and the magical world is any retail space that would qualify as a big-box store. You figure out why big-box stores break the borders, but Wal-Mart, Home Depot, that's where it's going down.
[Dan] Nice.
[Howard] You're out of excuses, now go write.
[Brandon] Now go write.