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You can start and finish this challenge whenever you like!
Welcome to the Magical Realism Trope Challenge!
Sometimes you're just in the mood to read certain tropes and I thought it might be a great way to explore different books and have a place to go back to when you are looking for that little something.
I've tried to make one for the different genres and story aspects.
If you want to add more tropes to this list, please feel free to fill out this form and I will be more than happy to add it to the list 😄
Sometimes you're just in the mood to read certain tropes and I thought it might be a great way to explore different books and have a place to go back to when you are looking for that little something.
I've tried to make one for the different genres and story aspects.
If you want to add more tropes to this list, please feel free to fill out this form and I will be more than happy to add it to the list 😄
What Is Magical Realism?
Magical realism is a genre of literature that depicts the real world as having an undercurrent of magic or fantasy.
Within a work of magical realism, the world is still grounded in the real world, but fantastical elements are considered normal in this world. Like fairy tales, magical realism novels and short stories blur the line between fantasy and reality.
- Contexual Setting: Magical elements are seamlessly woven into a realistic setting or world
- Subtlety and Ambiguity: Magic or supernatural occurrences are presented matter-of-factly, without explanation or emphasis
- Blurred Boundaries: The line between reality and and magic is often blurred, allowing for a fluid and subtle interplay between the two
Here's a great article if you want to read more about the difference between magical realism and urban fantasy
As a fantasy genre, the narrative weight of an urban fantasy story is the magical—Interview with a Vampire is a lot more about vampires than it is about interviewers. By contrast, magical realism is often framed as giving “equal weight” to the magical and the mundane. An everyday problem like a couple’s dissolving marriage is often the focus, even while wild events and impossible imagery swirl in the background.
Challenge Prompts
