This post is all about fantasy writing tips.
So, you’re writing your first fantasy novel and want to make sure it’s the BEST story you can possibly make it! Whether you’re brand new to the world of fantasy fiction or have been reading fantasy books for years, it takes time to build the skills you need to write a great book. Here are the best fantasy writing tips to start you off.
One piece of advice I frequently give to writers as a writing coach is to stop over-complicating their writing process (which is easier said than done). And the truth is, it’s easy to over-complicate your story when you’re writing in the fantasy genre because there are so many moving pieces.
But fantasy stories are also among the most beloved out there. It just requires some work and careful thought.
Let’s dive into a few of the best fantasy writing tips that will help you stay on track with writing your story without over-complicating it.
What is a fantasy story?
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that usually involves magical or supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world. It goes beyond just creating a setting and characters that don’t exist in reality… the settings, characters, and events that take place in fantasy stories are farther removed from reality. These stories are often full of adventure in worlds where the rules and norms differ from our own.
- Here are some key elements that a fantasy story *can* (but doesn’t need to) include:
- Magic Systems: Magic often exists in fantasy stories and may be utilized by characters or it may exist in the story’s world (such as enchanted forests).
- Imaginary Worlds: Fantasy stories often take place in a completely fictional world (like middle earth) or a version of our own world that includes fantastical elements (like in Harry Potter).
- Mythical Creatures: Many fantasy novels include mythical creatures like dragons, elves, fairies, trolls, and other non-human imaginary beings.
- Epic Quests: Usually, the main character (protagonist) in a fantasy novel must undertake a journey or mission that involves a fight between good and evil powers, people, or kingdoms.
- Themes of Heroism: Fantasy stories are often characterized by themes like bravery, sacrifice, and good vs evil.
- Cultural and/or Historical Influences: Fantasy can draw from mythology, folklore, medieval history, and cultures
FANTASY WRITING TIPS:
Now let’s dive into some tips for fantasy writers that you can use to make writing fantasy easier and help you craft a compelling story.
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1. Your plot, characters, and world go hand-in-hand
This is true about any story, but it’s especially important in fantasy novels.
The best writers are able to seamlessly integrate characters, setting, and plot. This means that whatever actions your characters take to drive the plot should make sense with their personalities and character development, and your story’s setting and your world’s rules should support all the action that is taking place.
The key to making sure your plot, characters, and world go hand-in-hand is to plan them all out side by side and take some time to brainstorm each aspect of your story before jumping into your novel.
You can use our complete novel planning workbook bundle to walk you through each of these essential elements of your story!
2. Establish clear stakes
Every epic fantasy novel needs clear stakes. In other words, what is at risk if the protagonist fails?
This will also tie into who the protagonist is.
What do they fear?
What motivates them throughout their hero’s journey?
How do the high stakes cause them stress and pressure in their everyday life?
Having clear stakes will help you establish good characters and will make your readers invested in your story.
3. Don’t follow a formula
As a writing coach, I often find that when someone starts writing a fantasy book, they fall into the trap that they need to follow the exact formula of a certain type of fantasy book. While there are common fantasy tropes that can add great value to fantasy novels, you don’t always need to follow an exact formula or plot structure to write a good story.
You can choose to follow a plot structure if that helps you, such as the hero’s journey. But my encouragement to writers is always to trust your gut.
- When you’re trying to figure out your story, think less about following a formula and instead ask yourself probing questions like this:
- What is the next logical step for this character?
- How would this character react to the situation that just happened?
- What do I want my readers to feel at this point in the story?
- Does this scene/character/plot point serve the overall story?
- How is the tension? Is the story getting a little flat or am I overwhelming the reader with too much? (Find a happy medium!)
- How is the pacing? Is the story dragging? Am I trying to squeeze too many big events or plot twists into a short section?
4. Define & integrate magic, don’t force it
There are often magical elements in fantasy novels that shape the world and plot. Magic can have a huge impact on your story, so it’s important that you introduce it in a way that makes your story more compelling and engaging, rather than confusing!
- Here are some tips for defining & integrating magic:
- Define the rules of your fantasy novel’s magic system
- Outline the impact magic has on your characters, plot, and setting
- Create conflict around magic
- Brainstorm how your world’s magic system will be connected to the cultural and political elements of your world
5. Define & integrate governance, don’t force it
Governance is all about how your fantasy world is structured politically and where the power lies. Your governance might reflect some kind of real life governance system, or it might be totally new and different!
Either way, it’s important to treat your governance system similarly to your magic system in how you plan and implement it. Governance should be tied to your fantasy setting and plot, making it clear how the power distribution impacts your fantasy world and makes it a different world.
- Here are some tips on defining & integrating governance:
- Define the rules of your fantasy novel’s governance system
- Outline the impact governance has on your fantasy characters, plot, and setting
- Create conflict around governance
- Brainstorm how your world’s governance system will be connected to the cultural and personal elements of your story
5. Building a fantasy world
- There are several things to consider when you’re building a fantasy world:
- Is it fully fictional or is it based in the regular world?
- Is there much magic that influences the world?
- Does it take place in a certain, real-life time period?
- What are the main differences between your fantasy world and our modern world?
- How do the elements of fantasy impact the way your world operates?
- What is the economy like? What are your characters’ lifestyles like?
If you want a more comprehensive guide to building a good fantasy novel, grab my complete novel planning bundle here!
6. Subvert tropes
Fantasy authors often use tropes, which generally become widely loved and lead to other authors wanting to employ the same tropes in their fantasy series or story.
But subverting common tropes will help your story stand out and make it all the more engaging for your readers.
Subverting fantasy tropes means that you’re taking the expected elements of the fantasy genre and flipping them in unexpected ways.
For example, prophecies are used in lots of fantasy novels. But what if your “chosen” character misinterprets a prophecy? Or what if the prophecy ends up being false? This is a great way to subvert a trope and raise the stakes for your characters while creating an unexpected plot.
7. Understand sub-genres
I’m a big believer that you don’t need to understand all your story’s genres and subgenres before writing because it might box you in or make you feel like you need to stick to a certain formula (without even realizing it!)
But it can be helpful to understand fantasy subgenres in case you need more context or definition to your story as you write it.
Understanding the subgenre might help you dive deeper into your plot, characters’ internal conflicts, and the story themes that will impact your entire world.
- Here are some examples of fantasy subgenres and what they mean:
- High Fantasy: an entirely fictional world that involves battles between good and evil, complex worldbuilding, and magic systems
- Low Fantasy: fantasy that takes place in a more realistic world, but with some magical elements
- Epic Fantasy: A large-scale story that often involves entire nations, multiple characters with long journeys, and complex plots
- Sword and Sorcery: Action-oriented fantasy that focuses on heroic adventures with swords and magic
- Dark Fantasy: A blend of fantasy and horror
- Urban Fantasy: Fantasy that takes place in a modern world with an urban environment but features magical or supernatural elements alongside everyday life
- Historical Fantasy: Fantasy that is rooted in a historical setting
- Portal Fantasy: A fantasy story where characters from the real world are transported to a fantastical world through a portal
- Fairytale Fantasy: Fantasy that draws inspiration from classic fairytales
- Mythic Fantasy: Fantasy that draws inspiration from myths, legends, and folklore
- Romantasy: Fantasy romance that centers around romantic relationships in a fantastical setting
How to start your fantasy story
This was by no means a comprehensive guide to fantasy (or else it would be a whole book in itself haha) but I hope this gave you a helpful baseline for understanding how to write a fantasy with these fantasy writing tips!
If you’re struggling to settle on a fantasy story idea you really LOVE, join my 3-day story idea challenge! It’s completely free and you can start it anytime you want to find and fine-tune your future dream bestseller.
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