Write a Credible Fantasy Story

Do you want to write a fantasy novel, but want to make it credible, original, and distinct? It can be tricky to write fantasy, as you're starting in a world of your own. However, with some careful planning and consideration, you can create a world that draws readers in and feels real. Establish a fictional universe, create some rules regarding magic and the supernatural, decide on your characters, and then write your story down.

Steps

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Establishing Your Setting

1. Cultivate ideas. Fantasy stories typically exist in fictional worlds or universes. If you want to write a fantasy story, you'll be creating a world for readers that's slightly different from our own. To start your fantasy story, try to come up with a fun idea for a setting.
   • Fantasy writers get ideas everywhere. You may see an article in National Geographic about a desert region that gives you an idea for a fantasy planet. You might go for a walk in the woods and see an unusual looking tree and get an idea there. Exposing yourself to unusual or unexpected settings can help trigger your imagination.
   • Read some fantasy as well and pay attention to setting. How does the world of Narnia differ from the real world, for example? What about Hogwarts sets it apart from a regular school? What makes these settings feel real and unique?
   • Jot down any ideas you get. Keep a notebook where you write down ideas about the scenery, housing, and weather in your imaginary world. You'll be surprised how quickly things start to come together, and how real your world begins to feel, when you begin journaling its creation.
2. Describe your world. What does your fantasy world look like? If you want your story to feel realistic, you need to have a clear vision of your world. Try to make a detailed description of the planet, town, city, or universe where your story takes place.
   • You can practice descriptive writing by describing a real scene first. For example, sit down outside and write down everything you see with as much descriptive language as possible. Incorporate all your senses. What does it smell like, feel like, look like, and so on?
   • Then, try to use all your senses to describe your fantasy world. What kind of plants are present? What kind of animals? What colors? What smells? What is the weather like? What noises linger in the air? Free write a long, detailed description of your fantasy world.
3. Draw a map, if it's helpful. Many famous authors included maps of their fantasy worlds in their work. JRR Tolkien had a map of middle earth, for example. If you're artistically inclined, get out a piece of scrap paper and map your world.
   • Draw the rough shape of your world. If you're writing a fantasy story that takes place on a distant island, for example, maybe that island is shaped like a heart.
   • Plot out major landmarks. Draw a series of trees to represent the looming, mysterious forest in your world. Draw a star to represent the capital of each city. Draw ripples of water to indicate rivers, streams, and oceans.
   • If you've begun to think about the history of your setting, incorporate that here. If you know where the last emperor of your kingdom died, mark that on the map. If you have some idea where the hero saw a ghostly vision of her grandmother shortly after birth, mark that on your map.
4. Establish the location of your setting. Where is your setting located? Some stories take place in worlds within our own world. The Harry Potter series, for example, involves a hidden world within the realm of modern England. However, The Lord of the Rings takes place in its own universe called Middle Earth.
   • If you create another world or universe entirely, there are some benefits to this. You will not be bound by realistic laws or rules, for example. You'll be allowed full creative control of your world and can create any kind of setting you choose.
   • However, creating an entire world of your own had drawbacks. You will not have anything to fall back on. You will have to come up with entirely new landscapes, creatures, rules of reality, and so on. While this can be freeing, it can also be intimidating. If you base your setting in a real world, you'll have some grounding as you work.
5. Figure out a timeframe. Your fantasy world should be grounded in a certain moment in time. Some fantasy worlds take place in the future, and therefore technological advances are present. However, if you're writing something set in a more primitive society, people may not have modern technologies. Keep timeframe in mind when establishing your setting.
   • Do some research. Researching can help aid your ideas about technology in a fantasy story. If you want to incorporate a cure for aging, for example, read some articles on the process of aging. Understand how and why aging occurs so you can depict how aging could be paused of stopped altogether in a fashion that feels realistic.
   • If you want your story to take place in an ancient world, research how past cultures lived. Maybe everyone in your story travels by horse and carriage. Read about basic horse care and carriage maintenance. You should be able to find historical accounts of traveling by horse online or at your local library.
   • Think about the ethical implications of technology as well. For example, let's go back to the aging example. How might society change if people suddenly did not age? Would there be potential resistance to the idea of halting aging? What might the public response look like?

Making the Rules

1. Create social conventions. If you're creating your own world, keep social classes and conventions in mind. This will make your world feel more realistic. Ask yourself important questions. Are there distinct class systems in this world? What are the common customs and rituals?
   • Many fantasy writers base social conventions on aspects from the real world. For example, most societies have rituals like birthdays, weddings, funerals, and holidays. Try to think of similar rituals for your own world. How do your characters celebrate growing older, for example? How do they mark death?
   • Researching other cultures can be a great way to come up with ideas. Many fantasy writers borrow their ideas from older cultures or different cultures. Research rituals from ancient cultures or isolated cultures to help you gain ideas.
2. Make social classes. A lot of conflict in fantasy stories is driven by divisions of class. In the Hunger Games, for example, the upper and lower class systems are very much divided, eventually resulting in a revolution. How is class divided in your world? Are there strict divisions between the rich and the poor?
   • Write down your social classes. For example, maybe your society exists in a caste system with seven different classes. Jot down all the classes.
   • Write down how customs and jobs differ between classes. For example, maybe people in the bottom class are hunter/gatherers while people in the top class are royalty and do not have to work.
3. Decide how supernatural elements work. Supernatural elements are key to most fantasy stories. Maybe magic is an accepted part of your fantasy world. Maybe ghosts are real and can interact with humans. If you're incorporating the supernatural, you need to establish rules as to how elements of the supernatural work in your world.
   • Decide where supernatural elements originate. Do they come from gods or goddesses? Are magic powers simply a part of the natural world? Can you gain special powers through certain rituals?
   • How do supernatural elements affect the story? If your character can talk to ghosts, for example, is her gift widely known or is it a secret? In your fantasy world, do mediums have a special place in society?
4. Make decisions about weapons and supernatural objects. Fantasy stories often include advanced weaponry or supernatural objects. If you choose to incorporate such things into your own story, make sure you understand how such objects work. In Harry Potter, for example, the wand chooses the wizard. These are the kinds of rules you should establish if you want your story to feel credible.
   • If your characters fight using a particular style of weaponry, do some research. For example, if your main character is an archer, you'll need to know a bit about how archery works. Read up on archery so you know how to operate a bow and arrow. This will make your story feel realistic.
   • If you have a supernatural object, know how it works. In Harry Potter, for example, the resurrection stone can raise the dead. You have to turn it in your hand 3 times while thinking of the deceased relative. If you have a supernatural object in your work, know how a character would use that object.
5. Follow your own rules. When making rules for your fantasy world, be consistent. Audiences will get frustrated if rules are bendable based on the situation or conflict. Once you establish a rule, do not change it.
   • Pay attention to detail. If you're creating a fictional world, you may have a lot of new rules to follow. Write down any rules you establish as you write your story. This will prevent you from inadvertently breaking them later. If your character can only interact with his dead ancestors' spirits when a full moon is out, for example, you do not want to describe the "looming crescent moon" shining down on his late Aunt Cassie's face.
   • Rules should not be broken to suit the storyline, even if this means a certain conflict or tragedy is unavoidable. For example, in the popular fantasy show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, characters can only bring someone back from the dead when that person died of supernatural causes. Therefore, when Tara is killed by a stray bullet, Willow is unable to save her. It's tragic, but it follows the rules set out by the show. This makes the program's fantasy world feel credible.

Defining Characters

1. Create non-human creatures. If you want to make your fantasy world feel real, include some non-human characters. Part of the fun of a fantasy world is seeing mythical creatures come to life. However, make sure your creatures read as realistic.
   • You can use traditional mythical creatures, like vampires or mermaids. Just make sure to establish the rules for those creatures in your own story as variations of mythical creatures vary. In Twilight, for examples, vampires can choose not to eat people and sparkle in the daylight. In Buffy, however, the majority of vampires cannot control their tendency towards evil and will die if exposed to sunlight. If you write vampires into your story, how would they work?
   • Feel free to create your own creatures. However, be careful when doing so. Do not combine too many different types of mythical creatures or animals. Stick to a character with a few characteristics and powers. For example, a vampire-mermaid-unicorn that breathes fire, tells the future, and lives underwater may feel overwhelming. Instead, you could create a winged horse that can fly and also communicate with its owner telepathically.
2. Keep character motivation in mind. When writing fantasy characters, you can follow some basic storytelling conventions. All characters should have motivation.
   • Your characters should all have flaws or strengths that relate to their central motivation. Ask yourself what each character wants. For example, maybe a character named Ramona was abandon by her mother. All she wants is a family of her own. She tends to be overly jealous and clingy with her friends, a flaw, but one that's understandable given her abandonment issues.
   • Make sure your character's actions are believable in the context of your story. For example, Ramona is from a hunter/gatherer class, but displays an ability to talk to the dead. She may have some special knowledge of ancient hunting techniques, learned from a long-deceased relative, that will help other characters out in a crisis.
3. Decide on a hero. Almost all fantasy stories have a hero. One character with unique strength and determination helps move the plot forward. This character will fight the main antagonist and solve the central conflict. Decide on who your hero will be before you begin writing your story.
   • Usually, the hero does not realize he or she is special right away. Luke Skywalker does not realize he can use the force until meeting Obi Wan Kenobi. Harry Potter does not know he's a wizard until Hagrid informs him. Try to choose an otherwise ordinary character as your hero. Readers will more easily relate to a character who seems like a mostly normal person.
   • Try to find ways to foreshadow the hero is important, however. This is usually achieved by telling the story from the hero's perspective. Returning to the above example, if Ramona is going to be the heroine of your story, try having her narrate or frame the story from her point of view.
4. Consider a mentor. Many fantasy stories feature a mentor. As stated, Obi-Wan serves as a mentor for Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Harry Potter has a variety of mentors, like Hagrid and Dumbledore, who help introduce him to the wizard world. A mentor can help your fantasy story run smoother.
   • Traditionally, the mentor is someone slightly older than your hero. The mentor generally knows the rules and conventions of the society your hero is navigating. The mentor has often known the whole time the hero is special or unique.
   • Introducing a mentor is a great storytelling technique. It allows you to explain the conventions of your world in a manner that does not feel clunky or overly expositional. Think of how awkward Star Wars would be if Luke simply explained the force to the audience. Having Obi-Wan explain it allows the force to be explained smoothly. He's introducing the concept to Luke for the first time, as the audience is first introduced as well.
5. Make a memorable villain. A villain is an important element of a fantasy story. The hero should have a central antagonist to fight against as the story progresses. Spend some time developing a credible villain.
   • A villain's motivation should be clear. Many villains want power. However, wanting power for power's sake can feel dull. Think of Scar in Lion King. Yes, he wants to rule the kingdom, but he also feels inadequate when compared to his brother. Sibling rivalry drives his actions as much as a desire for control. Think of a deeper motivation for your villain.
   • Try to be empathetic when writing your villain. Audiences will be more moved by your villain's plight if they feel they understand him or her. For example, give your villain a tragic backstory. This can help explain why he or she has turned to evil in the present.
   • Create an interesting visual appearance for your villain. Try to aim for something sinister. Think of how scary descriptions of Voldemort were, given his slit-like eyes and nose. Think of your scariest nightmares and pull imagery from there.

Writing the Story

1. Outline your story. As fantasy stories can include a lot of twists and turns, outlining ahead of time can be helpful. Before writing your story, draft an outline.
   • You can create an outline with headings and subheadings. Headings are traditionally marked by roman numerals, while subheadings are marked by lower case letters or numbers. For example, something like, "I. Introduce Ramona, a. Ramona is in the fields working, b. She is interrupted by the spirit of her Aunt Jean."
   • Think of basic story structure. Your story should have a beginning, introducing the characters and the world. Then, there should be a turning point where your character's course of action much change. There should be rising action, building up to a climactic moment where the conflict is defeated. From there, the story should move towards a resolution.
2. Introduce the central problem. You should introduce the central problem early on in your story. This is a twist in the story where your main character is suddenly forced into action, setting them on the path to heroism. Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games. Buffy Summers realizes she has to accept her duty as slayer when her friends are attacked by vampires. An event should occur, early on, that provokes your hero to action.
   • If you include a mentor, it's often the mentor's arrival that marks the beginning of a story. For example, Harry Potter realize he's a wizard when Hagrid shows up at his aunt and uncle's cabin. Creatively introducing your character's mentor can serve as the turning point of your story.
   • In many fantasy stories, the character leaving home is the turning point. Maybe your character needs to go on a journey. Ramona, for example, could receive news that her mother, who lives in another country, is ill. She has to travel across a desert, smuggling the medicine that's banned in mother's home across the border.
3. Develop the hero's story. Each event in the story should help develop your hero. Your hero's strengths, skills, and special talents should be tested by each event and conflict.
   • Pay attention to how this occurs in your favorite fantasy stories. What trials and tribulations does Harry Potter face that help him accept his destiny as the boy who lived? How does Katniss come to accept she has to lead the revolution?
   • A lot of mini-conflicts should lead up to the climax, each one testing your character's strength and helping her use her skills and powers. For example, Ramona has to deal with rival smugglers attempting to steal her medicine. She's able to outwit them with the help of a wayward ghost and then continues on her journey.
   • Mini-conflicts should build up to a main climax. The character should face the villain and succeed or fail, using the skills he or she has developed in the process.
4. Choose an appropriate ending. Once your character has faced the climax of the story, choose an appropriate ending. How you choose to end a story depends on where you want to go next.
   • A fantasy story can have a happy or sad ending. You can end with the conflict ultimately unresolved or the hero losing. You can also end with a partial victory. Some evil has been defeated, but there are still unresolved conflicts. This can be particularly useful if you want to write a sequel. There will be challenges for your hero to face the next time around.
   • If you do not want to write a sequel, you can still have an unhappy ending. However, keep in mind audiences often crave victory in a fantasy story. An unhappy ending may not go over well.
   • Try to tie up emotional loose ends as well. A character should learn something on his or her journey. For example, Ramona may reconnect with her mother, some of her abandonment issues lessening. Audiences want to see characters grow emotionally during the progression of a story.

Tips

• Read a lot of fantasy stories while you're working. The best way to improve your writing is to read. Ask your librarian for suggestions on fantasy novels.

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Sources and Citations

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