5 Things to Remember When Writing Fantasy Fiction
Nowadays, fantasy is almost everywhere in pop culture. From movies like Star Wars and The Avengers to television series like Supernatural and Doctor Who, fantasy has become a sweeping genre. Indeed, many people love the inventiveness and creativity that the fantasy genre brings.
In literature, fantasy fiction has also become one of the most popular genres among kids, teens, and even adults. Its fanbase is continuously growing, and its market is becoming more and more abundant. With this, there has never been a more exciting time to write fantasy but now.
Attilio Guardo, an author from Connecticut, for example, takes advantage of the flourishing community of fantasy to write some stunning stories. One of his newly published books, The Miracle of Wendy Whimple, contains a delightful fantasy story that revolves around the lovable character of Wendy who has a power to heal or resurrect animals. Ultimately, The Miracle of Wendy Whimple is only one of the many fun-to-read stories in the ever-expanding terrain of fantasy fiction.
As a heads-up, writing fantasy fiction is no piece of cake. You may need to undergo a lot of creative reflection and render so much of your time to write a good fantasy story. Nonetheless, with dedication, talent, and a speck of literary knowledge, you can certainly write an astounding fantasy story like that of the The Miracle of Wendy Whimple. To help you, below are some basic things to remember when writing fantasy fiction.
An organized narrative is a key to writing good fantasy
To write a good fantasy story, you need to have an organized narrative. This means that you need to plan ahead how your plot is going to progress before you even start writing. Planning ahead and organizing can make your story less prone to plot holes, the bane of many fiction authors. In writing fantasy, specifically, organization is a must. Since fantasy stories are often complex and eventful with a lot of twists and turns, it is necessary that you structure your narrative in such a way that it does not cause any confusion on the part of the readers. Remember, to make sure you tie all the knots, plot your story out.
Good character creation and development is essential
All genres in literature require good character creation and development. Characters are the central element of a story. In fantasy fiction, particularly, the effectiveness of the story depends heavily on the creation and development of the characters. The characters are the ones that bring the ‘magic’ into the story. They possess the powers, execute the battle scenes, and express the necessary emotions. Because of this, you need to craft your characters as best as possible if you want your fantasy story to be truly stunning. Complex and original characters are generally the best characters. These kinds of characters do not just simply possess magic and powers; they also have real motives, weaknesses, and progress.
A fantasy world should be shown, not described
An important part of the process of writing fantasy fiction is world-building. Generally, fantasy stories have their unique, invented worlds – worlds where there are superpowers, magic, wizardry, and more. Some worlds are created stupendously that they make the readers feel like they are actually living in them, while others lack a bit of touch. To make sure that your fantasy world does not fall under the latter, you need to show it and not just merely describe it. This means that you need to pay close attention to sensory detail. Let your characters explore your fantasy world. Make them interact with its environment – make them feel the strong gust of wind, smell the stench of potions, or see the brightness of the ring of fire. In other words, use the senses to make the readers feel like they are there.
Getting inspiration from other authors can help a lot
Getting some inspiration from the other authors in the genre can help you improve your fantasy story a lot. Reading the works of established fantasy authors can expand your literary knowledge, and give you some ideas on how to go about your own fantasy story. As one of the most common pieces of advice in literature goes, “the best way for any writer to improve his or her craft is to read.” When getting inspiration from other authors, however, be careful not to become too attached. Some people become too attached to the styles of their favorite authors that they tend to become mere copy-cats. In writing fantasy fiction (or any other genres), it is always important to find your own voice.
Writing fantasy fiction requires boldness
To write a good fantasy story, you need to be willing to take risks and be innovative. This means that in order to stand out from the terrain of fantasy stories, your story should have something new to offer. Do not write stories with tropes that have been used thousands of times already. You can get a few ideas from them, but your story should be largely your own. Most importantly, do not be afraid to write down your original ideas no matter how absurd or ridiculous they sound at first. In the first place, you are writing fantasy fiction – here, everything is possible.
In summary, writing fantasy fiction can be taxing and frustrating at first, but it can also be fun and fulfilling once you already get the hang of it. Just remember that to write a good fantasy story, you need to take a few things into consideration: organization of narrative, development of characters, way of storytelling, inspiration, originality, and innovation. Writing fantasy fiction is pretty much just like writing any other genres, except that it requires a little bit more of magic. With enough dedication, patience, and practice, you can certainly make your own fantasy story worth reading!
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