rereading my own writing is just a constant fluctuation between “damn, girl, you wrote this? (affectionate)” and “damn, girl, you wrote this? (derogatory)”
I am also “damn, girl, you wrote this? (forgetful)”
Fantasy is probably one of the most popular book genres, especially Young Adult Fantasies. This is because of the new worlds that are created, and the magic that lies within each world. With each fantasy we read, we are transported to a new fictional realm with new possibilities. This genre is so interesting, but it does require a lot of fine detailing.
If you’ve wanted to write a fantasy, but don’t know how, this post will hopefully help.
1. Fantasy Sub-genres
The first step is to typically figure out what subgenre of Fantasy you’re writing. There are many sub-genres but the most common are:
▪︎Sci-Fi Fantasy—futuristic, some magical elements placed within it
▪︎Urban Fantasy—present times, supernatural/magical elements incorporated within it
▪︎Young Adult Fantasy—relates to audience age range, typical fantasy but aimed towards teens
▪︎Adult Fantasy—audience age range, also a typical fantasy but aimed more towards adults
▪︎Modern Fantasy—somewhat like urban fantasy, only it’s set in more modern times, and just has magical elements
▪︎Historical Fantasy—takes place during a time in history with magical elements incorporated within it
▪︎High Fantasy—a realm made up entirely by yourself, no modern elements, just pure magic with no traces of the mortal realm
Figuring out a subgenre is SO important because it affects some events, and elements within your novel.
For example, I’m writing a YA Fantasy. But I also have a Sci-Fi Fantasy project that I just started. My YA Fantasy involves my own realm that’s outside of the mortal/human realm. Some things from the mortal world are incorporated into it, therefore it’s not a High Fantasy.
My Sci-Fi Fantasy project is futuristic revolution, and more so like The Giver, Maze Runner, etc. It’s a small city concealed from the mortal realm. The area is more like a Utopia with magical elements added in.
There’s so many sub-genres with Fantasy, and sometimes people may decide on the sub-genre AFTER they write their story. Its purely based on how you feel. Personally, I like to figure all that stuff out, BEFORE I begin plotting/writing. It just helps with my world building process.
2. Fantasy Elements
If you take an English or a writing class, more than likely story elements has been a topic of discussion. When it comes to Fantasy, I think we all know the general elements that make a fantasy novel. But, if you don’t, here are some general elements within a fantasy novel.
Magic—this one is a given
Worlds other than ours—in a fantasy story, there is a high possibility the setting isn’t the human/our world. It’s a completely made up world with its own government, laws, etc.
Literally anything that we classify as Unrealistic (just like my standards ahaha)
Species—Literally any form of life that isn’t human nor animal that exists in our world. Think of like Faes, Gremlins, Goblins, etc
A thing to remember: Mortals can be added into your story obviously, but they aren’t classified as mystical beings. We’re…special thats for sure, but we are real.
3. Characters
THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE FUN PART OMG. CREATING FANTASY CHARACTERS!
Okay so, pretty much you’d create your character like normal. Only, there’s some extra things you might include. Some of those things could be:
What species are they? Fae for example
What type of magic do they use? Do they even have a magical ability?
Age?Are they immortal? Are they above the average life span? For example, your character could be over 200 years old
Any weaponry skills?
Minor, but pretty necessary things for a character. If someone’s been living for over 200 years, surely they have to be at least a little grumpy about it. I know I would.
Seeing as this is a fantasy, there may be magic within your story. It’s good to determine whether or not your character has the ability to do magic. Or if they have no skills within magic. Could this cause a problem for them? Think of Deku from My Hero Academia. He was Quirkless pretty much and that really brought the poor guy down :(
4. Worldbuilding
This is probably the last section I mention in this post.
As I have said above, fantasy worlds are places the reader can be transported to. It’s the home of your book characters. And most importantly, it was created by you. Unless, you know, your setting takes place in our world.
There is SO much to consider when it comes to creating a new world from scratch. But in this post I’ll only list the major things (or things I believe that are major).
Magic: Is there magic in your world? If so, how does it work? Is it a natural thing for society? What are the limits? What are advantages and disadvantages to it? How does magic work in your realm?
The World Itself: Is your setting in a mountain? Is it on a grassy plain? Is it in a village? What’s the area look like? Are there many trees? This is the more geographical aspect of things. Whats the climate like? Are weather patterns consistent or inconsistent?
How People Interact: How do they greet and say goodbye to each other? What are forms of affection? What is acceptable and not acceptable?
Language: Do they speak a different language? What phrases to they use? What’s considered “slang”? What’s proper and improper?
Educatuon: What age group is normally taught? Is education a mandatory thing? Do they go to school, or do they get taught at home? What are they taught?
Food: Is there food from our world? What are these new food items called? What is considered food for “rich people” and what is considered food for “Poor people”?
Government: Is it a monarchy? A democracy? Or do they have a dictator? Is it an oligarchy? How are leaders chosen? How are they thrown out? How many terms to they serve before a new leader is chosen? Do the people have a say in who is chosen?
Those are some things to consider when worldbuilding! Also watch me pull up with my government type knowledge XD
Anyways, I hope this post was at least somewhat insightful. Always remember to do your own research to figure out what is best for YOUR story!
ALT
