The short story:

Mystical World Wars is a radical approach to fantasy storytelling, though it may not seem so on a surface examination of most stories. If I were to sum up my philosophy in a single sentence, it would be:

I will strive to create unique modern myths and parables that are challenging and entertaining.

Briefly, my goals are to:

• Create a unique series unlike anything currently offered under the banner of commercial dark fantasy.
• Evolve older myths incorporating modern metaphors.
• Develop the world to a predetermined point and turn the system over to other writers and game developers.

The long story:

Create something unique:

I have always loved myths and parables, and when I began my own fantasy series, one of my goals was to make my stories more like older myths. I wanted to place my stories in the modern world, reflecting our myriad conflicting social values, and woven with hidden symbolism and cautionary warnings.

It can be argued that other fantasy writers are attempting this same feat, but in my opinion, too much of mainstream dark fantasy is still traditional fantasy tales of heroes slaying monsters. These stories often carry messages that might makes right and good will always triumph over evil. Far too many are about an individual or a small group saving the whole world from an "ultimate evil." They offer hollow antagonists who exist solely to be murdered in a justfiable way by the hero. The reader doesn't have to think about the monster, because they weren't really a person. They were just an evil monster who was trying to take over the world. Murdering them is okay, and two wrongs make a right. The End.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with writing or reading this kind of fiction. But as a reader I got burned out on it, and as a writer, I long to create something unique. So instead of following vampire hunters, I will follow the vampires. I will follow the serial bombers and the rogue werekin; the mutant vigilantes and the shapeshifting scam artists. When I get around to offering stories from a human perspective, it will not be from the perspective of a self-righteous hero, but an average Joe struggling to adjust to the constant changes in his world.

In short, I want to write dark fantasies that reflect our complex modern reality instead of casting every story in black and white values. I wish to work in ethical shades of grey.

Evolve older myths incorporating modern metaphors:

Our older myths and fairy tales were usually pretty grim. Red and Grandma got eaten by B.B. Wolf, the little mermaid died and turned into sea foam, and Rapunzel spent a "few" years imprisoned in isolation. (Think about how long it would take to grow hair down the side of tower...yep, bitch shoulda been in a Snickers commercial: "Not going anywhere for a while?")

The stakes of these stories are fairly small scale compared to our modern "save the world" standards. Their characters and settings are reflective of the societies they developed in, and the moral messages hidden in the parables reflect the values of the culture at that time.

I want to create stories with similar themes, and with similar small scale conflicts. But I also want to update the formulas to reflect our cultures as I see them. I want to project these values across a wide variety of mystical creatures. By putting these creatures in a modern world, I can use them as metaphors for different minorities groups.

Some of my stories will be cautionary tales, while others will simply be legends with no hidden moral to find. Of course, just to make things interesting, I'll leave it up to readers to decide which stories are legends, and which are myths and parables.

Offer a fully developed fictional environment to writers and game developers:

In most RPG development houses, serial fiction comes after the successful deployment of the game system. This makes sense: they're building the audience for the game before they worry about selling fiction. But, have you ever noticed how characters in serial fantasy novels don't have to obey the rules of their games the way you would if you were playing the same character?

I want to work the opposite direction by writing the world and the limitations of the original "player characters." In this world, psychics cannot use psionic abilities without burning electrolytes, and magi cannot cast unlimited elemental spells without being hit with mental fatigue. If a bard's song gets interrupted, their spell will backlash and attack the caster with negative energy. Nobody gets a free lunch.

Only after these rules are set down for the major races and classes will I worry about making up a gaming system. This is a long shot that assumes the series is popular enough to warrant a game. But if I reach that stage, I will open the world up to game developers and to other fiction writers. Then the real fun can begin.

This lengthy philosophy may not lead to great commercial success, or to a celebrity status for me. But it is a project that I can believe in, and that I can feel good promoting.

If you made it all the way down here, thanks for reading. I hope I didn't make you roll your eyes too much.