Writing a fantasy novel:
Step 1
The first thing you need to write a fantasy novel (besides writing implements) is an idea.Too obvious you say, well it is obvious, but still correct and harder than it sounds. For you must find an idea that is: 1- workable; 2- not stupid; 3- interesting.
1- Workable:
This means your idea must fit into some logical structure; in other words your plot will have to have rules.
If you are going to write about magic, then you will have to put limitations and structure on your magic.
If you plan to break the laws of physics, you must be willing to explain why and how.
This also applies to supernatural plotlines; you have to define the whys and hows of such creatures as vampires, werewolves, etc.
2-Not Stupid:
Fairly self-explanatory. If you have an idea such as a magical bird that grants wishes, but all your characters wish for are crackers to feed the bird, it isn't a good idea. If they wish for world peace, only to have it threaten to end the human race, then that is a good idea.
3-Interesting:
The idea must have merit to readers and also to you as a writer. If you lose interest in writing your book, it will gather dust on a shelf, and if you want to sell books, people must want to read your novel.
Your book's subject must be something that inspires your writing passion. If you believe in the idea, then it can be unfolded into an interesting novel.
That is the end of Step 1.
In Step 2, I will show you how to take those ideas and start putting them on paper.
Writing a fantasy novel: Outlines
Step 2
Alright, you have been inspired, thought of the most brilliant idea. Now what.Well it is time to go to work, and create an outline for your story. An outline, you say, what is an outline? (Or you could be saying, of course you have to make an outline, silly) Either way I shall tell everyone about an outline.
An outline is basically a blueprint for the plot of your book. Before you start writing, it is an excellent idea to put down on paper the plot points, main characters, geography, etc. (I'll be detailing how to create characters and worldbuilding in later steps.)
You may even find it useful to do a chapter by chapter outline, describing the basic happenings in each chapter. I find that useful if I'm creating a world from scratch.
Now for an example:
I'll use the idea from step one; the magical bird that grants wishes.
The Outline:
Main Characters:
Don Weagle; Sara Smythe; Tim Finn
These three people are roommates, sharing a small apartment.
Geographic Location:
London, England
A brief plot outline:
Don, Sara and Tim are all friends, with minimum wage jobs, who share an apartment to save money.
Sara inherits a strange parrot from an aunt, and decides to keep the bird. Soon the luck of the three friends begins to improve, and they find even their casual wishes are coming true. Don notices the luck changed with the arrival of the bird, and wonders if he is the cause. They put this theory to the test, and discover their pet is magical. They try to find out the whys of this amazing creature, and unintentionally attract the attention of sinister people. They now have to protect their pet, themselves and the world from the dark magic.
That is a (very) basic outline. From this you can develop a chapter by chapter outline, character outlines, geographic outlines, and even an outline for your research.
That's step 2. Step 3 will be character development and how to do research.
Writing a fantasy novel: Characters
Step 3
Part 1- How to write a main character.
First adjust your mind set; you are creating a fictional character, but you must go about it as if you are writing the life of a real person.
This will allow you to develop a well-rounded character.
The initial task is to decide on who your protagonist(main character) will be; is it female or male, how old, what will the character's occupation, etc.
-Deciding on the gender: This can depend on a lot of factors. Do you feel more comfortable writing male characters or female characters?
It is of course most easiest to write what you know, so making the main character the same gender as yourself can work, but sometimes this may be wrong for your book.
There are plots that need a male protagonist, or benefit more from a male protagonist, and some plots that need a female protagonists. So you will have to consider this in creating your character.
An example: The plot: A school of wizards gets a new pupil, but they only accept male students.
Now if you are writing a standard plot line, you of course need a male character; it could be a coming-of-age-as-a-wizard story. However, a plot twist could be utilized by using a female protagonist.
She would have to disguise herself as a boy, there would be the constant threat of discovery, and even the big reveal of her being female. Both versions could be good books, but their plots hinge on the gender of the main character.
All right, you have decided on your characters gender. Now what? Now you have to detail your character's personality and life.
Some details will be dependent on your plot.
For instance:
1-How old is he, and does age matter to the story. If the plot is about the last days of an old wizard, then your character cannot be 28 years old.
2-What does your character do for a living? Again this may be determined by your plot. Whether he is a wizard, a vampire hunter, etc is solely up to the plotline.
But if your story is a modern fantasy, an alternative history, or just one where a character is drawn into events, the occupation may not be relevant to your plot, and therefore flexible.
Now you have a basic character, time for the details.
You should sketch out a character outline or background. How much detail included in this outline will depend on you, and how you prefer to write.
You may feel more comfortable developing your character's personality as you write the first draft of your story (oh yes, there will be be more than one draft of your book), and you will write just a basic background for your character. Or you may find it helpful to flesh out the character with all sorts of detail, some or most of which will never be included in your book.
I try to aim for somewhere in between.
What details to include in your outline:
I like to include some sort of family tree: parents, siblings, cousins, whatever. Is he an orphan, an only child, have three brothers, etc?
Physical traits: hair colour, eye colour, height, weight, etc.
Characters, at some point in the book, will be described in a physical manner; just avoid any straight, detailed physical descriptions that read like a list. It is better to try for a more casual mention of physical traits, especially if it is mixed into the plot.
I like to be very detailed in outlining physical characteristics; I don't use every detail, but it helps me get a mental handle on writing the character.
Personality traits. Is the character shy, outgoing, laugh too much, egotistical, arrogant, sensitive, intelligent, have low self-esteem, etc. Find the traits that define your character; from these you will build every action and reaction of your character.
Major life events. Don't detail every little thing in a character's life, but do include major events that will effect the characters personality; such as deaths, choices, traumas, etc.
Take these things and create a history for your protagonist.
Part 2- How to write an antagonist (the villain of your book):
All the rules for creating a protagonist apply to the antagonist as well, but your villain has some peculiar quirks that must be addressed.
First, he cannot be too evil. Yes he may be a megalomaniac sorcerer, bent on dominating the known world through dark magic, but he can still love kitty cats. Seriously though, you do have to give your villain some redeeming human characteristics, so your readers can identify with him on some level. The best villains are the ones we love to hate, that have been twisted by circumstance, tragedy or their own ambition. By making your villain a three-dimensional character instead of a caricature, you ensure that his actions in the book are taken seriously by your readers.
Second, don't be afraid of the villain's evil side. Your villain exists solely to make life miserable for your protagonist, and to move the plot forward. So feel free to kill, maim, pillage and destroy in his/her name. Just remember to keep it realistic; make sure there are logical reasons behind every action of your villain.
Part 3- A word on how to make your characters believable:
Characters, especially fantasy characters inhabit worlds which do not exist, so it is up to you as the writer to convince your reader that the world and the people who live there are Real.
There is only one way to do this: use logic. Every world, every character you create Must Have a set of rules that that they adhere to and strictly follow. Now these rules can be dictated by real life or by a series you have created for your world.
Examples:
1- You have set your story in a modern day setting, and your characters are werewolf hunters who operate in secret. Your hunters have a code they exist by and live duel lives under a great deal of stress.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Never reveal their secrets, or face punishment and consequences
b. -Have problems in their personal lives (even if they are just small ones)
c. -Show some conflict in juggling their duel lives.
d. -Interact with modern society and a supernatural world. (So your characters will need two sets of behaviour).
2- You have created a world of dragons and wizards, who are at war.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Have limits on their magic and powers. Characters must have weaknesses.
b. -Remember war has to have consequences, and people die. Soldiers, innocent bystanders everyone is a potential casualty.
c. -Live by the laws of the world you have created. Just like in regular life they have to restrain themselves from wreaking havoc (unless the character is a villain).
d. -Know, and at least in some part, support the reasons for this war. Your characters must have a valid reason for their actions (you can of course give them doubts).
Now a note about villains:
Your villains need a separate set of rules for their behaviour, but will operate within the basic world structure you have created. They may, of course, break criminal laws and moral imperatives as needed. Just remember those sorts of actions have consequences, for both villains and the good guys.
Helpful Links:
Fantasy Hero Cliche-o-Meter
The Not-So-Grand List of Overused Fantasy Clichés
The Fantasy Cliché Meter: the Bad Guys
First adjust your mind set; you are creating a fictional character, but you must go about it as if you are writing the life of a real person.
This will allow you to develop a well-rounded character.
The initial task is to decide on who your protagonist(main character) will be; is it female or male, how old, what will the character's occupation, etc.
-Deciding on the gender: This can depend on a lot of factors. Do you feel more comfortable writing male characters or female characters?
It is of course most easiest to write what you know, so making the main character the same gender as yourself can work, but sometimes this may be wrong for your book.
There are plots that need a male protagonist, or benefit more from a male protagonist, and some plots that need a female protagonists. So you will have to consider this in creating your character.
An example: The plot: A school of wizards gets a new pupil, but they only accept male students.
Now if you are writing a standard plot line, you of course need a male character; it could be a coming-of-age-as-a-wizard story. However, a plot twist could be utilized by using a female protagonist.
She would have to disguise herself as a boy, there would be the constant threat of discovery, and even the big reveal of her being female. Both versions could be good books, but their plots hinge on the gender of the main character.
All right, you have decided on your characters gender. Now what? Now you have to detail your character's personality and life.
Some details will be dependent on your plot.
For instance:
1-How old is he, and does age matter to the story. If the plot is about the last days of an old wizard, then your character cannot be 28 years old.
2-What does your character do for a living? Again this may be determined by your plot. Whether he is a wizard, a vampire hunter, etc is solely up to the plotline.
But if your story is a modern fantasy, an alternative history, or just one where a character is drawn into events, the occupation may not be relevant to your plot, and therefore flexible.
Now you have a basic character, time for the details.
You should sketch out a character outline or background. How much detail included in this outline will depend on you, and how you prefer to write.
You may feel more comfortable developing your character's personality as you write the first draft of your story (oh yes, there will be be more than one draft of your book), and you will write just a basic background for your character. Or you may find it helpful to flesh out the character with all sorts of detail, some or most of which will never be included in your book.
I try to aim for somewhere in between.
What details to include in your outline:
I like to include some sort of family tree: parents, siblings, cousins, whatever. Is he an orphan, an only child, have three brothers, etc?
Physical traits: hair colour, eye colour, height, weight, etc.
Characters, at some point in the book, will be described in a physical manner; just avoid any straight, detailed physical descriptions that read like a list. It is better to try for a more casual mention of physical traits, especially if it is mixed into the plot.
I like to be very detailed in outlining physical characteristics; I don't use every detail, but it helps me get a mental handle on writing the character.
Personality traits. Is the character shy, outgoing, laugh too much, egotistical, arrogant, sensitive, intelligent, have low self-esteem, etc. Find the traits that define your character; from these you will build every action and reaction of your character.
Major life events. Don't detail every little thing in a character's life, but do include major events that will effect the characters personality; such as deaths, choices, traumas, etc.
Take these things and create a history for your protagonist.
Part 2- How to write an antagonist (the villain of your book):
All the rules for creating a protagonist apply to the antagonist as well, but your villain has some peculiar quirks that must be addressed.
First, he cannot be too evil. Yes he may be a megalomaniac sorcerer, bent on dominating the known world through dark magic, but he can still love kitty cats. Seriously though, you do have to give your villain some redeeming human characteristics, so your readers can identify with him on some level. The best villains are the ones we love to hate, that have been twisted by circumstance, tragedy or their own ambition. By making your villain a three-dimensional character instead of a caricature, you ensure that his actions in the book are taken seriously by your readers.
Second, don't be afraid of the villain's evil side. Your villain exists solely to make life miserable for your protagonist, and to move the plot forward. So feel free to kill, maim, pillage and destroy in his/her name. Just remember to keep it realistic; make sure there are logical reasons behind every action of your villain.
Part 3- A word on how to make your characters believable:
Characters, especially fantasy characters inhabit worlds which do not exist, so it is up to you as the writer to convince your reader that the world and the people who live there are Real.
There is only one way to do this: use logic. Every world, every character you create Must Have a set of rules that that they adhere to and strictly follow. Now these rules can be dictated by real life or by a series you have created for your world.
Examples:
1- You have set your story in a modern day setting, and your characters are werewolf hunters who operate in secret. Your hunters have a code they exist by and live duel lives under a great deal of stress.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Never reveal their secrets, or face punishment and consequences
b. -Have problems in their personal lives (even if they are just small ones)
c. -Show some conflict in juggling their duel lives.
d. -Interact with modern society and a supernatural world. (So your characters will need two sets of behaviour).
2- You have created a world of dragons and wizards, who are at war.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Have limits on their magic and powers. Characters must have weaknesses.
b. -Remember war has to have consequences, and people die. Soldiers, innocent bystanders everyone is a potential casualty.
c. -Live by the laws of the world you have created. Just like in regular life they have to restrain themselves from wreaking havoc (unless the character is a villain).
d. -Know, and at least in some part, support the reasons for this war. Your characters must have a valid reason for their actions (you can of course give them doubts).
Now a note about villains:
Your villains need a separate set of rules for their behaviour, but will operate within the basic world structure you have created. They may, of course, break criminal laws and moral imperatives as needed. Just remember those sorts of actions have consequences, for both villains and the good guys.
Helpful Links:
Fantasy Hero Cliche-o-Meter
The Not-So-Grand List of Overused Fantasy Clichés
The Fantasy Cliché Meter: the Bad Guys
Writing a Fantasy Novel: Research
Step 3
How does one research a fantasy novel, you ask? How do you research things that don't exist? Ah, but fantasy does exist, for every good fantasy novel has at least some basis in mythology and/or history. So that is where you start.
History:
Now your book is either set in our world, or a world you are creating. If it is set in our world, then you do research based on the historical time period you have chosen. If it is set in the 18th century than behavior, manners, geography, technology, etc must be reflect this century.
If you are creating your own world, you have far more leeway in in what you can write about. The first thing you decide is what historical time period most resembles your book's plot line; is it like the Roman Empire, the ancient Celts, medieval England, Renaissance Italy? Whatever time period it resembles will be the basis of your research, and you may even mix and match histories if your world has more than one culture. (Although I would suggest you stay within close time periods when creating different cultures.)
An example: Your book has a Celtic flavour, so you give your main characters similar customs of the ancient Celts. From here you can give another part of your world Roman customs, or Norse.
Just remember when creating your own world, you use history as a basis, but you can alter or tweak that basis anyway you wish. I'll be expanding more on that subject when I write on worldbuilding.
Mythology:
Mythology is used when researching supernatural subjects (especially helpful to research creatures). Most supernatural subjects have a basis in myths and folklore and can be research as to origin. You can find the how and whys of werewolves, fairies, witches, vampires, etc.
Now a last word about research. There are three essentials when doing research: the internet, the library, and the bookstore.
History:
Now your book is either set in our world, or a world you are creating. If it is set in our world, then you do research based on the historical time period you have chosen. If it is set in the 18th century than behavior, manners, geography, technology, etc must be reflect this century.
If you are creating your own world, you have far more leeway in in what you can write about. The first thing you decide is what historical time period most resembles your book's plot line; is it like the Roman Empire, the ancient Celts, medieval England, Renaissance Italy? Whatever time period it resembles will be the basis of your research, and you may even mix and match histories if your world has more than one culture. (Although I would suggest you stay within close time periods when creating different cultures.)
An example: Your book has a Celtic flavour, so you give your main characters similar customs of the ancient Celts. From here you can give another part of your world Roman customs, or Norse.
Just remember when creating your own world, you use history as a basis, but you can alter or tweak that basis anyway you wish. I'll be expanding more on that subject when I write on worldbuilding.
Mythology:
Mythology is used when researching supernatural subjects (especially helpful to research creatures). Most supernatural subjects have a basis in myths and folklore and can be research as to origin. You can find the how and whys of werewolves, fairies, witches, vampires, etc.
Now a last word about research. There are three essentials when doing research: the internet, the library, and the bookstore.
Writing a fantasy novel: Grammar and Editing
Step 4
A note about Grammar and Editing:
If you are going to write a book make sure you know your grammar and spelling. Even if your book has a brilliant plot, heartbreaking characters and fabulous dialogue, it will never sell if it is full of grammar and/or spelling mistakes. So know the basic rules, and use the spellcheck.
A list of some common beginner mistakes:
- Over use of commas
- Not properly separating dialogue passages from paragraphs
- Over use of adjectives/adverbs
- Spelling goofs such as using "there" instead of "their"
- Misuse of apostrophes
- Using the wrong emphasis: putting words in Bold Text or CAPITALS, instead of Italics
Mistakes are easy enough to make in your writing, (I certainly have made a few), which leads me into the topic of: Editing.
First Rule: a writer needs a good editor.
That said, you also have to self edit before your manuscript is seen by a professional editor. Be ruthless. Cut, slash and rework until the flow and tone are sparkling.
Reading your work out loud is an excellent way to see if there are clunky, awkward passages.
Here's a list of links to some helpful editing tips:
Self-editing
Forbidden Words: Advice for Writers
If you are going to write a book make sure you know your grammar and spelling. Even if your book has a brilliant plot, heartbreaking characters and fabulous dialogue, it will never sell if it is full of grammar and/or spelling mistakes. So know the basic rules, and use the spellcheck.
A list of some common beginner mistakes:
- Over use of commas
- Not properly separating dialogue passages from paragraphs
- Over use of adjectives/adverbs
- Spelling goofs such as using "there" instead of "their"
- Misuse of apostrophes
- Using the wrong emphasis: putting words in Bold Text or CAPITALS, instead of Italics
Mistakes are easy enough to make in your writing, (I certainly have made a few), which leads me into the topic of: Editing.
First Rule: a writer needs a good editor.
That said, you also have to self edit before your manuscript is seen by a professional editor. Be ruthless. Cut, slash and rework until the flow and tone are sparkling.
Reading your work out loud is an excellent way to see if there are clunky, awkward passages.
Here's a list of links to some helpful editing tips:
Self-editing
Forbidden Words: Advice for Writers
A Writer's Ramble:
Writing is Visual
Writers need to know how to write. They need to know basic grammar, sentence structure, spelling (or have a good dictionary/spell-check) and how to lay out dialogue. Now, I don't pretend to be an expert in grammar; I make plenty of mistakes and typos in my work. However, I do have a basic understanding of grammar and spelling. Moreover, I've learned how to use those skills to write a story.Therefore, I'm giving aspiring writers this piece of advice:
Writing is a visual medium.
When someone reads your work, they see it. If they see a sloppy, loosely edited, badly composed story, it will relay a message: This person does not know how to write. It won't matter if your story has fascinating characters or a stunning plotline if someone quits reading after the second paragraph; poor grammar and sentence structure can make a reader feel it's not worth the effort.
Here's an example of bad grammar and spelling:
It was night and I was standing in the rain the cold wet seeping into my skin and hair. I had closed my eyes and I could hear the thruming of the raindrops as they hit the ground but it was a heartbeat I was trying to hear. Ah there it was the faint thumping sound and I licked my lips. I had found my quarry and she had already been pursued for three city blocks but now the search was nearing an end. "She is close." I let the words carry over my sholder to the rest of my team and I signaled and we moved left and down the dark street. I had brought my five best men all well trained and with practiced ease we assembled formation and advanced on the hunted and I was on point tracking all my senses open.
A better version:
It was night and I was standing in the rain, the cold wet seeping into my skin and hair. I had closed my eyes, and I could hear the thrumming of the raindrops as they hit the ground. But it was a heartbeat I was trying to hear.
Ah, there it was, the faint thumping sound.
I licked my lips; I had found my quarry. She had already been pursued for three city blocks, but now the search was nearing an end.
"She is close."
I let the words carry over my shoulder to the rest of my team.
I signaled, and we moved left and down the dark street. I had brought my five best men, all well trained. With practiced ease, we assembled formation, and advanced on the hunted. I was on point, tracking, all my senses open.
There are spelling errors in the first version, no paragraph separation and not enough punctuation. In addition, the dialogue is not handled correctly in the first narrative. Which version would you want to read?
An example of badly displayed dialogue:
"Ah, a convert of Jacob." Lorenzo's voice sounded forlorn. "I am proud to belong to Jacob." Cecily's reply held a note of jubilation, but it brought only anxious murmurs from the Council; I could smell their fear. Lorenzo continued. "You know there is a standing edict regarding all followers of Jacob? You are aware of it?" Cecily nodded. "Then there is no need for this trial. This Council will never support the ravings of that power mad fool." "He is no fool! He is right! We must fight! We must be the dominant species!" "Silence!" Lorenzo's voice shook the walls.
A better version:
"Ah, a convert of Jacob." Lorenzo's voice sounded forlorn.
"I am proud to belong to Jacob."
Cecily's reply held a note of jubilation, but it brought only anxious murmurs from the Council; I could smell their fear.
Lorenzo continued. "You know there is a standing edict regarding all followers of Jacob? You are aware of it?"
Cecily nodded.
"Then there is no need for this trial. This Council will never support the ravings of that power mad fool."
"He is no fool! He is right! We must fight! We must be the dominant species!"
"Silence!" Lorenzo's voice shook the walls.
In the first paragraph, none of the dialogue is separated and it is difficult to distinguish the speakers. In the second version, you can see the flow of the dialogue.
An example of a run-on sentence:
I am of the Elite and serve the Vampire Order, we have been the guardians over vampire kind for nearly two centuries and the Elite keep the secrets, implement the edicts and we protect our kind, punish wayward individuals, enforce our law and that law is simple, you hunt the invisible, the homeless, the drug addicts, or you disguise the kill as a mugging gone wrong, a serial killer never caught.
A better version:
I am of the Elite, and serve the Vampire Order. We have been the guardians over vampire kind for nearly two centuries. The Elite keep the secrets and implement the edicts. We protect our kind, punish wayward individuals, and enforce our law. That law is simple; you hunt the invisible, the homeless and the drug addicts. You disguise the kill; a mugging gone wrong, a serial killer never caught.
A reader needs to pause, to feel the rhythm in a sentence. If the entire paragraph is one sentence, there is no break, no flow.
You can rift and free write or jumble down your thoughts to your heart's content if you are the only one who is going to read it. The minute you decide to share your work, a thought to presentation must be given. Your writing is a gift to your readers, don't wrap it in wrinkled and soiled paper.
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