Better yet, help me do it, because I need the money from it! As I struggle through my ideas both for a meaningful non-fiction book, and my children's novel, I want something stupid and fun to do that I can fall back on when procrastinating.

This will be a dictionary of fantasy cliches for easy reference for fantasy writers. So I need a long list of things typically found in Fantasy novels. See Off-Topic thread to contribute.

The finished product will largely be humourous in nature. Sample entry style (un-finished/edited)

Dragon: A large winged creature, usually intelligent, mostly invulnerable, and magic. Given to collecting treasure. Breaths fire or something that makes less sense. If including dragons in your setting, please try to explain why the hell they haven't conquered everything, and how normal development of human settlement happened with these things around.
Personally, I'd say they only make sense if they are incapable of reproduction, and afraid of dying as a result. Make them magical constructs that never age and are paranoid. Have the treasure collecting be a way to bribe heroes who find them into leaving them be, thus getting them confused with leprechauns (which don't exist).
If, for some reason, you let them take human form do not have them fall in love with a human. Please. Just...... don't.



Ok, It's rough, and you can think it's dumb, but that's not a problem, as long as you contribute to the list!


Thanks in advance,

Mac