How to Write a Credible Fantasy Story
Cultivate ideas., Describe your world., Draw a map, if it's helpful., Establish the location of your setting., Figure out a timeframe.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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? -
Step 2: Describe your world.
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Step 3: Draw a map
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Step 4: if it's helpful.
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Step 5: Establish the location of your setting.
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Step 6: Figure out a timeframe.
Detailed Guide
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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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?
About the Author
Stephanie Ramos
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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