I don't typically write fantasy, or at least high fantasy or traditional fantasy. I find the walls to be rather confining for the type of writing I like to do. That is because what I write is usually in some way technology oriented. For NaNoWriMo, I tried my hand at writing fantasy, or as close as I could bring myself to write fantasy. It was set at the eve of the known world discovering magic, to loosely sum it up. I was describing it to my boyfriend in very broad strokes before I had start writing it (the main character is royalty, selected to go to a prestigious school in another country based on her outstanding academic record and gets tangled up in the 'professors' that are looking for this magic for all the wrong reasons). He said the plot sounded like Harry Potter. Reasonably, I was upset by this. I happen to think that my book is nothing like Harry Potter. The character is not deprived of any knowledge of magic, since no one in the world except for the 'professors'** looking for it knows about magic, and even they think its mostly just a myth. Further more, the character grew up in a good household, was treated fairly, is heir to the throne, is female - and very sexist. The magic manifests itself in a different way, and come on - magic is the cornerstone for fantasy. After thinking, I explained the plot to Arrow of the Queen to him, a book by Mercedes Lackey written in the 1980s. Roughly, its about a girl who is brought up in a polygamous culture. She does not want to become anyone's second or third or fifth wife, and she wants to read and learn - which is looked down on. She is stolen away by a horse - and is taken to learn a type of magic only she possesses. And he said that sounded like Harry Potter too!

Anyways, it is annoying. I doubt I am the only one this has happened to. >_>

**I keep using this word in quotations because that is not their name in the book, its just easier to explain it this way.

I epically agree. *glares at Norm* See this topic: http://www.staredit.net/topic/9447/ (Yes Kame, I know you already posted there. The link is for others. )

Harry Potter didn't know any kind of magic no-one else could do. It just kinda happens when he's fighting Voldemort >_>

And that probably happens with anyone else and their nemesis too.

Harry Potter is terrible...

But that isn't the point of this thread, so I'll stop talking now.

I've always been interested in fantasy, and from the way you describe it, it's nothing like harry potter. Just dont make the plot so predictable like almost every other magic fantasy book is...