This is where you can really set your story apart from others in the genre. An innovative, intriguing magic system is often the key to helping your novel stand out in the saturated fantasy market. Your magic system should play a key part in your story. To get an idea of what constitutes a well-developed magic system, take a look at the works of some established fantasy authors. George R.
This is another absolutely vital element within fantasy fiction. In order to immerse readers in your world, you must develop your setting thoroughly and thoughtfully. In fantasy writing, this process is often referred to as world-building. Tolkien is often viewed as the original master world-builder; the depth and detail with which he created the world of Middle-earth is unparalleled.
Everything from language to societal customs to history and lore is explored throughout The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings and supplementary texts such as The Silmarillion. Here are a few things to consider when starting the process of developing your setting :. There are plenty more aspects to consider when developing your setting. Check out our Ultimate Guide to World-building for an in-depth look at how to approach the process. Containing over 20, words in total, the bundle is packed with advice on getting your novel planned, written, edited and published.
Plus, join our email list to stay up-to-date. Alternatively, if your story is extra complex and your cast of characters especially large, you may wish to have more than one of these main characters. A good example of the latter technique is Sarah J. See our article on how to master alternate points of view for more on managing multiple POV characters. No matter which method you choose, the key thing to focus on is creating complex, flawed, believable, relatable and realistic characters.
They also demand that they be pulled from reality into the fantasy world itself. This is arguably the toughest task for fantasy writers to perform. Creating a picturesque fictional world from scratch is challenging enough. However, designing a scenic fantasy universe and fully immersing the reader into the fictional environment is something very few writers can muster.
Nonetheless, good fantasy novels are somehow able to pull it off. Although it is a tall order, there is nothing that even comes close to the feeling of forgetting about reality and entering the realm of fantasy.
Readers do not want to read the same reworded fantasy narrative over and over again. They crave fresh, original fantasy content that is different from anything else they have read prior.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Drawing inspiration for fantasy writing is no small task by any stretch of the imagination. If you are looking for effective means to stumble upon the inspiration for your fantasy work, check out my article, 15 Ways to Draw Inspiration for Fantasy Writing.
These tips may help you uncover the next big thing in fantasy. Writing fresh and original subject matter involves a bit of risk on the part of the author. To write something the fantasy reading community has never seen before…. Most of these original fantasy concepts will flop, but there are a select few that strike gold.
The bottom line is that recycled fantasy content never usually bodes well with seasoned fantasy readers. Good fantasy novels always incorporate some one-of-a-kind concept that separates them from the competition. Fantasy readers want to take away something from the fantasy they read and apply it to their own lives.
The entertainment and allure of a fantasy narrative should be the primary objective. However, it never hurts to have the bonus of practical elements that transition nicely to the real world. For example, most young adult fantasy novels integrate the coming of age theme to better appeal to their target audience.
Young adult readers can discover much about themselves from the coming of age theme alone. The trials and hardships that the young protagonist experiences serve as a model of what to do or not to do during the maturation process. Such priceless knowledge will carry with them for a long time, ultimately shaping who they will want to become. All of this stems from just one example of the coming-of-age theme. But, could you imagine what sort of effect several of these themes could have on a reader?
Good fantasy novels share precious life lessons time and time again through their literary themes. These life lessons alter numerous lives for the better.
This priceless wisdom deserves its due credit for setting the bar high for good fantasy novels. Magic systems that are mere copycats of other renowned fantasy works are easily sniffed out and rebuffed. However, supernatural concepts that are completely original are what distinguish the good fantasy novels from the pack. The thing with magic is that there are an overwhelming amount of opportunities a writer can take advantage of. Since the laws of nature do not apply, fantasy writers can quite literally bend nature to their will.
It is a blessing in that the writer has the freedom to write whatever their heart desires. They can showcase the extent of their creative artistry without any restrictions to hold them back. On the other hand, there is a certain expectation that goes along with this creative writing freedom. Readers call for fresh, cutting-edge magical concepts every time they pick up a new novel. Thus, the use of magic has been growing increasingly significant over the years as more and more supernatural concepts flood the fantasy genre.
I mentioned before that a complex storyline is virtually a prerequisite for good fantasy novels. Although authors should rightfully seek a complex storyline after, this should not come at the expense of comprehension. No good ever comes from a fantasy novel that is impossible to understand. If the reader has no grasp of what is going on, the reader will abandon the novel without a second thought. Do not get me wrong. Good fantasy novels definitely have multiple moving parts.
Nonetheless, the web of plot developments should be organized and presented to minimize confusion as much as possible. A bit of confusion here and there is inevitable. However, if it gets to the point where every couple of pages, the reader has to backtrack, that will knock the writing quality down several notches.
Nobody is consistent all the time. In the great high fantasy novels, characters surprise not only each other but themselves too. Writing a realist novel set in a familiar city is a challenge itself. Writing an epic high fantasy that sprawls across imaginary continents and peoples is a mammoth undertaking.
To avoid this, plan your world and its inner workings in advance. Once you have a loose idea of your invented world you can depart from this blueprint wherever you like.
Create a framework to base your world on all the same, so that you can keep track of the different backgrounds and characteristics of the people and places in your high fantasy novel. When there is an epic quest unfolding, it can be tempting to use dialogue for info dumping. Good high fantasy novels manage to balance descriptive writing, dialogue and action.
Most importantly, dialogue conveys not just factual information but a sense of the character of the speakers. Compare this to the lyrical and flowing speech of the elves.
When writing dialogue, especially between members of different civilizations in your fantasy world remember:. In Ursula K. High fantasy is epic in scope and typically has a large cast of characters. Think about how you can use names to convey aspects of your characters. This will help to keep them memorable.
Compare this to the sibilant and arcane-sounding name of the fallen, corrupted wizard Saruman. High fantasy book writing is challenging because of the scope of creation and invention it requires. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. Any advice? Thanks in advance! My apologies for the slow response. Perhaps think of ways you can introduce them without revealing all their mystery could there be rumours about their whereabouts or plans that precede their actual appearance, for example?
What would you say about explaining origin in fantasy writing? Is there a key event in world history that explains something important in the story you want to tell? Then make that the focus. You could start with exposition explaining how key groups in your world came to live where they do, for example, if conflict or trade between them is important in the narrative. Just what I needed to know. Now things have changed where I now have the time to flesh these stories out and God-willing finish them.
I needed to read what I saw written above; especially about writing an outline and thinking more about the geography and culture of my world in my head. Just based on those classics worlds and cast of characters, does anyone else find themselves not purposely of course molding their characters very similar, or at least they have some very similar characteristics, to the ones that inspired us to write in the first place?
I have 4 main characters so far with 2 secondary characters and I always see them as a melting pot of characters from all the above mentioned influences.
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