Tips on how to write a fantasy novel?
Goodness, where to begin! Do you know what type of fantasy it is? Is it High fantasy (ie like Lord of the Rings, with elves and trolls, etc) or Urban Fantasy (set in this world but with a difference), etc. You can read up on all the genres here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_sub... My point is, try to read some of the books that are similar to the genre you are writing, so that you don't repeat cliches or make mistakes that other authors make. Start writing your story. Things you have to pay close consideration to is world building, especially if it is set somewhere other than the contemporary world we live in today. What is the landscape like? The weather? What colour is the sky? What is the system of Government? Is there a class system? All these things are things to think about, to influence your story, but remember to show NOT tell! Think about your characters. Even if they're not human, they still need to have recognisable human traits or else the reader will lose interest. This applies even to the villians (unless it's a monster story). In fact, the most interesting villians are the ones with complex characters. Write your story to the end. Finish what you're writing, even if you get disheartened. It's a great way to learn just the process of putting a story together. Most fantasy novels are around 100,000 words long. It will take some time. Don't give up. I'd recommend reading Neil Gaiman's blog for some inspiration, and Stephen King's On Writing book is brilliant (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Stephen-... You could get a copy of How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy too, which might give you a bit of inspiration http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Write-Scienc... or alternatively, you could wait til November and start for NaNoWriMo http://www.nanowrimo.org/. Good luck with the writing!
What are some good tips for writing a fantasy novel?
What are some good tips for writing a fantasy novel?Draw inspiration from sources like mythology in real life. It resonates with people and provides a strong framework. I don’t mean just wholesale referencing Greek deities (though that worked for Rick Riordan and his Percy Jackson books, so you could!), but taking inspiration from archetypes—the wise mother, the all-powerful father, the trickster, etc.Your world must have its own internal laws and consistency. Magic shouldn’t be a catch-all for any cool thing you want to put in to the story, but should have some rhyme and reason to it. It needs rules. Inherent structure like this helps keep your plot consistent and can help provide conflict to write about.Don’t focus only on the fantasy. The people, the environment, the cultures—these are all important. They should be strong enough to be interesting even if they were deprived of magic—that’s a good litmus test to know if you wrote them well.For what it is worth, those are just my recommendations. Those might work for some people! They might not for others! Your results may vary. Happy writing!
What are some good tips for writing a fantasy novel? Just don't give me the "no chosen one" and "no Europe" tips; my novel isn't set in Europe and doesn't have a chosen one, so no.
WorldbuildingI’m a big fan of worldbuilding in general, so I’d say make sure you’ve got the majority of your world and its complexities (at least as far as they impact the story) ready and laid out beforehand. I’d agree with Steve that these shouldn’t take the form of exposition. Readers like to get glimpses at what’s going on in the world. Throwing back the curtain and pointing out every detail takes away the mystery and the fun of it.Just think of a couple details in fantasy novels that stuck with you long after you finished the book. Odds are they were some little hint at deeper lore that the novel never really went into detail about. But it got your imagination going, and you started picturing this really cool story that might be connected with that lore detail. As a rule, individual readers are generally able to imagine much more interesting things (interesting to them at least) than a writer will, so putting the burden on your readers’ imaginations can actually help make your world seem rich and vibrant.So long as you actually have a detailed world, that is.MagicIf your world has magic, or if the characters have access to special powers, don’t have that magic solve all the problems they face. Characters should solve problems. If an issue can be solved by waving a magic wand and knowing the right words to say, it wasn’t really a serious issue.Also make sure your magic acts consistently. Readers will notice if a certain kind of spell was impossible on page 60 but was common knowledge on page 32. Trust me. I keep notes on that sort of thing.Write and Re-writeBasically, once you’ve got the groundwork down, just write. And be prepared to go back and re-write, especially if this is your first book. I think I’ve re-written my first novel at least 3 times now, and I know others who have gone through more revisions and re-writes than I can keep track of.
Writing a fantasy novel - Magic system?
The apprenticeship is a good way to keep magic in the hands of the few. If a character has to spend years toiling under the guidance of a master, it would be more believable that fewer people can harness the power. However, this idea has been done to death. If you can find a fresh way to use it, then it's a gem. Another good path is an awakening. The character has no idea they're able to use magic until their force of will is great enough in a certain situation to bring it to the surface. From there, you might, again, go the apprentice route, giving the character a guide to help them realize their full potential. This one's a little cheesy. There's always the idea of imbuing items with magical properties and requiring a character to posses that item in order to use the power. Also a little cheesy and goes against the idea that not just anyone can use magic, because it would allow just about anyone to use magic.
How does one begin writing a fantasy novel?
The same way you start writing anything:Butt in chair. Hands on keyboard. (Or pen, or whatever writing implement you use.)You can start with an outline or a beat sheet or you can dive right in.Me, I’m a plotter. I use a snowflake method to outline my whole plot before I write a single scene, but I also know people who just start with chapter 1 and write.The key is - you have to write. You have to make yourself sit down and put words on the page. There is no substitute for actually doing it.Talking about writing isn’t writing.Surfing the Internet isn’t writing.Research isn’t writing.Reading about writing isn’t writing.Only writing is writing, so if you want to write a novel - you have to WRITE!
Can somebody give some tips for a fantasy plot?
1- Avoid cliches. I’m tired of seeing old and wise wizards and dumb heroes that “being too good.” Your world should not consist of humans, elves and dwarves.2- Avoid putting role playing game elements that you see in video games such as “mana”.3- Avoid factions that are consistently in war with each other because of no reason. No one gets in to war just because they like it. Read about what is “casus belli”.4- Overall, read about history, politics, civilizations, society and ethics to have a fantasy that is could be possible in given circumstances.5- Don’t write from only one perspective. Let the readers decide about their favourite characters.
Ideas/Tips on writing a fantasy novel?
Hey guys :) So I've written many books before, and I love the way they turned out. But those books were based on reality... things that would actually happen. I've been reading fantasy type of books lately, and I really enjoy reading them. I think that it's something that I would enjoy writing about. But the problem: I don't know where to begin or what my story should be about. Yeah, I'll figure the plot/characters out all on my own, but I don't know where to begin with finding research. Reading fantasy books have helped me understand a lot, and I have done some research on different types of mystical things. But I want something from a readers point of view that they think would sound cool. For my book, I'm kind of looking for a darker type of fantasy. Something along the lines of Alyson Noel's books, like the Soul Seekers Series, or the Immortal Series. But I don't want to copy them, I want something fresh. I want an Urban Fantasy, meaning here in the present. Any tips/ideas where to start. Anything helps. Remember, you are the audience. I want what YOU guys would like from a novel like this. I don't want something copied and pasted from a different website, but I want something with your own words and feelings. Thank you xoxo :)
What's the best way to write a fantasy novel?
See fantasy is like creating a world out of nowhere and making it believable while doing that. So here are some suggestions you might find handy,Base your fiction world on some reality (Harry Potter had both the real and fictitious world) making it believable and logical.Balance the good and bad and beat the stereotypes. (And so the prince and the princess lived happily ever after leaves the reader wondering what was new in this)Keep the target audience in mind while writing. (While Rapunzel might sound real to toddlers it won't quiet go well with adults)Research thoroughly and be specific about the places and characters in your fantasy world, it should be detailed and not conflicting with the fantasy facts in your story.Picture your work and create images (in mind and/or on paper if it helps), it will help you keep track of "what happens where" and "who looks how".Read the works of the famous fantasy writers it will help you go about yours.Outline your work, no matter how formidable and dull it might sound, you will thank yourself later!Do something new and refreshing (paupers turning into prince and princesses are quiet a cliché now).Believe in what you write, if you can't convince yourself, you can't convince anybody, have faith in your idea, no matter how absurd it might sound to your friends, it is plausible if you can think of it, you just need to be more convincing.Well this is not specific to fantasy, but just DON'T GIVE UP on that idea you have conceived. It is worth all the discomfort you might have to go through.I hope my answer helps! Looking forward to read that Fantasy piece some day!Happy Writing! (y) :)
Writing Fantasy/Sci Fi Novels!?
Hi there, Yes, I have written a fantasy novel. It took me ten years to write, revise, and finally sell it. I had a great time. I started with an idea. I created the main characters. I wrote a short story based on my idea and characters. But the story kept growing and growing, and soon I realized that I had enough material for a novel. So I began to outline. I detailed every chapter, and the outline kept growing, until finally it was fifty pages long. Then one day, I put a good CD into my portable CD player, took my laptop out into the garden, and began to write. I wrote based on my outline, following the plot, changing things as I went along. I kept writing until the novel was finished. The first draft was a mess. I revised, rewrote, polished, revised again, rewrote some more. I ran the book through a writers' workshop. This was my first novel, and I learned a lot during each rewrite. At the same time, I began writing and selling short stories, which further helped me learn the craft. Finally the novel was done. I sent it out to publishers, one bought it, and there you go. Good writers, I believe, write because they're passionate about their stories, and because they love good books. Find that story you really want to tell, and you'll learn the rest along the way. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me! Thanks, and good luck with your novel. Daniel Arenson "Discover a world at the edge of imagination..." Firefly Island, a fantasy novel www.DanielArenson.com