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Two Methods:Writing HelpWriting Your Own Fantasy Story

Do you want to write a fantasy novel, but want to make it credible, original and distinct? Do you want to create your world and your characters and make them believable like some epic tales, including Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings? Well, start reading.

A writer is someone who has the inspiration, not someone who wants the inspiration to come by. Don't wait for inspiration to come to you. A writer is someone who writes. Start having ideas!


Writing Your Own Fantasy Story

  1. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 1.jpg
    Evaluate your writing style. Do you love to write? Then the problem you may find is blowing off your friends. If you love writing but can't keep a schedule, make up a bribe system. Remember: don't spend all of your time writing. You have a life, so go live it! However, if you wish to have writing as your main job in life, dedicate at least 8 hours to doing it, just like a real job. Have a separate area to go to, like you would go to a job.
  2. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 2.jpg
    After having one or two good ideas, sit and start to write topics on a paper. Normally, these ideas revolve around a major event, like a war or someone's death. Ask simple questions, like, "why?" "who did that?" "when?" "how?" and go to more detailed questions like, "How did it change the world?" "How did it affect the people around?" etc. In the end, this will make the major plot, where you will focus on the events of your story, followed by other secondary events, that will make the body of the book.
  3. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 3.jpg
    Start creating the main character(s). Good, now you have a couple of major events, which will make the body of your story. It's time to proceed to the creation of your main character(s). Seeing as this is a fantasy story, your character could even be a creature of some sort. But is it a female or a male? What's his/her role in the story? Define main personality traits, without going too much into detail. Write them down on a paper. Do you want to make a very realistic character? Yes, I know that's what you want. Let's save that for later.
  4. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 4.jpg
    Decide where your creations should live. Humans live on Earth, but where do your characters live? For now, decide that. Is it our Earth, in a parallel universe? Is it a world you wish to create by the root? Decide this and, as in the previous step, don't go much into detail. Write the ruler of your world, the races of the people that live there, etc.
  5. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 5.jpg
    Write it all down: Your main character, the major events, the kind of world it is, and your goals with this story. From now on, everything you'll do will have this major plot as a base.
  6. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 6.jpg
    Look at the plot. Now you'll need some alterations.
    • Look at the major event. Twist it, model it, and make it feel believable.
    • Start to gather other characters. These will help your protagonist on his/her quest or journey. Not every hero needs to be a lone wolf. Your character may be cold at heart, but that doesn't mean he/she hasn't a family or friends. Don't make your story revolve only around your character. Show the feelings of the people around your protagonist and how their decisions affect them. Don't make a story of one person; make a story about the journey of one person.
    • Join other secondary events to the major plot. These can be personal events, such as the birth of a child, a marriage, the death of someone dear, etc. In one way or another, these will eventually twist the plot and fill your story with feelings and a sense of humanity.
    • Make your character(s) grow. A long journey through the world, a near-death experience, or even falling in love makes everyone grow up a little. Certainly you don't want your character to be dumb, or stupid. After those secondary events, make changes (subtle or drastic) to your protagonist's personality.
    • Make obstacles in your character's life. Not everything will be easy for him/her. Make sure you're writing a fantasy novel, not a narration of a walk through the garden. Remember to name your character.
  7. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 7.jpg
    Grab a piece of paper and a pencil. It's time to build your fantasy world. If you're writing about a world that, in fact, is Earth, print a full map and with a pencil (or a black/red pen), and start to make the alterations to our awesome planet. If you're doing this, do a lot of research in history to see if you can adapt Earth's history to the plot of your book. If you're planning to build a world from root, start drawing simple lines. You can make seas, oceans, lakes, mountains, and other strange factors in your world. Draw the lines of kingdom's lands and empires. Put post-its and other notes on your map to locate some events. Remember: your map doesn't have to be well made. Be free to use any materials you like, and have fun!
  8. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 8.jpg
    Plan a chronology for your story. This can have events that appear in your book, or just stories of other events that will indirectly explain the ones in your plot. Don't think it's a waste of time to build a world which, for the most part, won't appear in the book. It's important for the reader to know that the writer knows what he's talking about and isn't putting random things in the pages of the book. Make your characters tell a legend or mention some event that you have carefully planned out. As the writer, you have to know something that the reader's don't. Just make sure you know what you're talking about.
  9. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 9.jpg
    Plan everything about your character. This is the time for you to go really deep into your main character's heart. Does he/she have any fear (death, darkness)? Where/when was he/she born? Under which circumstances? Does he/she like to bite their nails? To play a musical instrument, perhaps? Be free, this is your story.
  10. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 10.jpg
    After you finish the chronology of your world, start to write about your world. What kind of clothes do the people wear? Are they superstitious? Are they happy with their king/emperor? Is there any kind of academy where soldiers/magicians are trained? What are the rules of your kingdom? Is it forbidden to kill/use magic? Do they have specific rules in a family? Can women fight in war too, or is it only for men? Are there any fantasy creatures roaming the plains of your world? Do people believe in gods? And who are their gods? It's time to plan everything out. This will probably be the biggest step in your story. The base will be here. Everything you'll come up with needs to be here. Don't worry if you're taking too long writing everything out. A good story needs to have a solid base.
  11. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 11.jpg
    Make the chapters of your story. Define what kind of writer you will be. What will be the length of your chapters and book(s)? Will you write in third or first person? Will you describe your characters and surroundings to make the story more personal to the reader, will you not care and just want to make an epic legend? Write the interactions of characters. Make a copy of your world map and draw the lines of the journey of your characters. Make a quick reference to each location so you'll describe it more openly. Don't be afraid to create and to plan.
  12. Write a Credible Fantasy Story Step 12.jpg
    Let others read your work. Print out your finished product and hand out multiple copies to people who may enjoy reading your novel. It can be just a few close friends at first, but once you start getting good criticism and you start building confidence, you might want to consider trying to publish. Accept any criticisms, as they will make you a better writer in the future. Fix anything that your editor tells you. Believe that you can be published if you put your mind to it, but try not to hope too strongly for your book to be published, since you could end up very depressed if all doesn't go to plan. If your work is rejected by one editor, edit the story or send it to a different publisher.

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  • Don't make your characters stereotypes. Draw believable personalities, credible personal stories and goals. The heart of a good fantasy story is in its characters.
  • Be slow. Don't bump events or the plot line. You'll reveal everything too soon for the reader, and with too many things happening, you'll create a tiring story. Space out the events. Don't forget you can create a sequel.
  • Be aware of changes in your plot. Sometimes, when we're planning a novel (fantasy or not), some ideas just come when you start writing. If those appear when you are writing the book, evaluate them. See if they fit the plot and don't mess up all your work. If they do, write them in a notebook and save them for later. This won't be your last book.
  • Don't worry if you don't think people will like your ideas. If you do, someone is surely bound to!
  • Be patient. Writing requires a lot of time, and a lot of patience. Tolkien took more than 15 years until the publication of The Lord of the Rings, and built Middle-Earth throughout his life. You don't need 30 years to write your story, but you won't finish it in a week. If you do, that's a bad sign.
  • Be sure to give your characters flaws. A perfect character is boring, regardless of obstacles that they overcome or their specific personalities.
  • Get creative. Don't be afraid to try something new.
  • Remember to proofread it; you don't want your story ruined by silly mistakes. If you do too many, the reader will start to look for them instead of enjoying the story!
  • Set goals. Plan for how many words or pages you want to write in a day. Having a goal will help you move your writing along. Don't worry if the finished effort seems to be bad; every gem needs to be polished.
  • Don't rush with your new creation; take your time. It's unlikely we can make a whole series within an hour. Plan out events or mysterious wonders that make your readers excited.
  • Always use your own ideas and imagination. Using someone's idea might be good at first, but you will not be satisfied.
  • Always have a notebook with you. Most of the time, epic ideas for your story aren't the most credible ideas. Focus on simple things around you. For example, the idea of Stardust, a fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman, came when the author saw a field when he crossed by a wall with a hole in it. Little things that no one else notices are a great step for writing an original story.
  • Let things fall into place - don't try to control the entire universe of your novel.
  • Take your time. Read other books of different genres to get inspiration! Write down your dreams and make stories out of them.
  • Don't reveal everything. The reader wants to have something to read about. Plan out a big secret from the beginning of the book that will only be revealed at the end (a missing artifact, a strange death). Make the expectations high to give the reader enthusiasm.
  • Be creative! Elves, dwarves, goblins and orcs aren't fashionable anymore? Tolkien was a writer, not a god. Do you like the races he created? Why don't you create your own?

Things You'll Need

  • Notebook
  • Pencil, pen and an eraser
  • Clean paper
  • Post-it/Computer with some type of writing program installed on it.
  • Focus on the things that happen around you.
  • Dictionaries
  • Other examples of fantasy writing (previously read/re-read by you)
  • A sense of flow for your story

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