Fantasy Writing...A Primer

One of the most important, although basic, is the well-developed world you must create in your fantasy tale. And as in a true fantasy you will be writing about events that happen in a world much different from your own. And to prevent the reader from being confused, the world must be well defined and clearly depicted. It must be clear in the mind of the writer, and only then can that thought process be transferred to the reader.

Next comes a clear definition of the time period in which your story takes place. What is the government in power at that time? Or if you wish to write void of a governing body, you must make clear the region and the nature of the anarchy. Also, you must also begin to think about what type of weaponry or method of defense will be utilized in your make believe world.

Another important entity to a good fantasy story is its characters. They need to be developed in great detail, but not so much as to become mundane. You want the reader to be able to connect with the heroes, villains and also the neutral players. And unless the writer has that connection, the reader will flail about trying to relate to the characters. And as far as minor characters their development is quite different. They only need cursory attention, and only as far as their part deems them to need to be. And if you have a difficult time with differentiating between the two, then perhaps this minor character should be a major one. It is a good idea to list all of your characters beforehand, give a brief description of their roles so you’ll know where they fit within the story line.

One of the major differences in fantasy story writing is the subject of magic. This is what draws the reader’s attention, and what sets it apart from other genres. Here again, this area must be clearly explained. This is called the force that exists in your world. What does it do? How is it viewed by your characters? How is it obtained? Will it be used for peace or battle? The significance of magic may or may not influence the fundamentals of your fantasy world, but it is a required element none-the-less. With magic there is a cause and effect and you can put it anywhere you wish: in the hands of the magicians, noblemen, mages, queens, the list goes on and on. Magic is what causes the basic conflict in fantasy writing. The power that can be wielded at will.

And last, but certainly not least, is the plot. In a fantasy the plot is the story that is made from the combination of all of the above, only intricately interwoven. It is two-fold in that you must introduce each aspect of the plot, but at the same time keep the story flowing. This comes with practice and reading other fantasy writers to develop your own style in order to find what works best for you.

paulygrl

“Fantasy is the natural, the appropriate language for the recounting of the spiritual journey and the struggle of good and evil in the soul.” ~ Ursula Le Guin (1992)