I've always loved writing fantasy. In college, I wrote a sci-fi short story (great first page, horrible follow-up 19 pages) and a futuristic/alien fantasy screenplay (great concept, horrible everything else). I've tried ordinary fiction with a few short stories: one was abysmal, about a breakup of proportions I'd never encountered and couldn't make believable (though there were some great Kleenex to life analogies, if I remember correctly), the other was an adventure short story, where I forced myself to pare everything down to the essentials (difficult for me) and left much of the story off the page (like all the elements that made it a little bit more than just fiction) and it was a good story, but it lacked that special something to make it great. Plus, they all lacked a solid ending (a theme of mine that I'm working hard to fix).
I've written an epic fantasy novel (of epic, 1,000-plus-page proportions) and two urban fantasy novels (both Madison novels). The next book I'll be starting soon will be a romance adventure with a feathering touch of fantasy (as I picture it now; everything could change as I write it). It's impossible for me to flesh out a story idea without it turning into a fantasy no matter which way I write it. And I consider that a good thing.
Despite all the fantasy types I've toyed with, the thing I've always longed to write is magic realism, where everyday life has accepted magic. Madison comes close, but it fits too perfectly into the urban fantasy category. I don't know why I find magic realism such a pleasing idea to write. I don't read it—at least, I haven't found a good author who writes it. I think, much like the allure of steampunk, it's the combination and possibilities of what my life and everyday life would be like if magic existed.
I haven't had any plot/character ideas that work with magic realism yet. When I do, though, you know that'll be the next book I write. Because, really, what could be better than here and now with some magic added in?
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