How to Write Fantasy

I’ll be honest, I’m not a fantasy reader. Apart from the classics, I don’t really have any fantasy books I’m into right now, and I think that might have to do with the fact that I feel like a lot of modern ‘fantasy’ books always have a more dominant subgenre that people seem to gush about. 

Yeah, I know. It’s a bit snobby, but that’s my vibe around. I feel the same about science fiction too, by the way. In my opinion, a lot of sci-fis these days are just meh. It’s hard to find a good one. And I guess these feelings around these two genres come from the fact that I grew up reading them.

Like, these were my bedtime stories, the things that got me into reading and writing. So, yeah, might sound snobbish and completely immature, but I’m very protective of those. 

Which is kind of what made this guide a bit difficult to write. I wanted to be as fair as I could, as objective as possible, so I leaned into a lot of video essays by Hello Future Me. 

You should 100% check out the Hello Future Me YouTube channel. Timothy Hickson, the writer behind the channel, has basically shaped my views on writing for over a decade at this point. I wrote my first completed book based on some of his tips on writing. Of course, that’s never going to see the light of day. I was—I don’t remember, maybe—tweleve or thirteen. And yes, it was a fantasy series. Don’t think I’ll revisit it any time soon. But the point is, Tim knows what he’s talking about.

So, with this in mind, let’s start this guide on how to write fantasy. 

Understanding the Genre, Subgenres, and the Scope

Now, I’d like to start by saying that writing fantasy is hard. So, I understand why some of my criticisms earlier might seem unfair to a writer. And I get it, which is why I’m being extra cautious with this blog.

So, I thought before we walk through the entire process, let’s take a deeper look at understanding the genre and subgenres. In my experience, understanding even the most basic definitions can really clarify stuff and even fix some of those gaps you have in your thought process.

What Exactly is Fantasy Fiction?

According to Britannica, fantasy is:

imaginative fiction that relies on strangeness of setting (such as other worlds or times) and of characters (such as supernatural or unnatural beings).

In other words, fantasy fiction is literature that centers around the impossible. This impossible element can manifest as anything from talking animals, mythical beasts, time travel, and parallel universes, to a world brimming with compelling magic. The genre always includes some fantastical element—something magical or foreign that does not exist in reality.

Fantasy is often confused with science fiction because both involve elements that do not exist in the modern world. However, the easiest distinction is that science fiction typically revolves around science, technology, and the environment (including aliens or dystopian narratives), whereas fantasy focuses on good old-fashioned magic that has no grounding in science.

Traditionally, fantasy is known for epic stories involving quests and conquests, following the style of myths, legends, and archetypal journeys.

Navigating the Subgenres within the Genre

Fantasy is a vast genre, so expansive that it is split into numerous subgenres. Understanding where your story fits can help you create cohesion among your plot, character arcs, and theme.

1. High/Epic Fantasy: This type of fiction is set entirely in a secondary world, containing very few elements you would find in the modern world. Instead of cars, characters might use dragons to travel, or instead of houses, they may live in caves or tree structures. The cast might include elves, dwarves, and other fantastical creatures. A classic example of this is The Lord of the Rings series.
2. Low Fantasy: This involves fantastical elements inserted into our own world. The Percy Jackson series is a classic example, where gods and magical creatures exist alongside us in our reality.
3. Paranormal/Supernatural Fantasy: This subgenre features supernatural elements like vampires, zombies, witches, werewolves, and ghosts. These elements often live in the modern world or are combined with genres like romance or horror. Interview with the Vampire and the TV series, Supernatural are classic examples of this.
4. Gothic Fantasy: This genre connects fear and haunting to something supernatural. These books are generally set in creepy, secluded locations like old mansions or deserted manor houses. Honestly,I’d say Frankenstein and Dracula (though you can say that comes under Paranormal Fantasy too) are two great examples of this.
5. Portal Fantasy: This is a subgenre where characters are transported from our world to another world, such as in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or The Chronicles of Narnia.
6. Other Subgenres: The genre also encompasses areas such as Sword and Sorcery, Historical Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, and Romantasy.

Your story can be one or more of these subgenres—and that’s totally fine, as long as your idea works and you’re able to execute it.

Finding Your Story Idea and Managing the Scope

The first step in writing your novel is picking the right idea. Picking the wrong one can turn your project into a nightmare. The clues for a compelling narrative idea often lie within your favorite stories—the ones you love talking about or can’t stop dreaming about. Identify what you love about these stories and what you wish they did differently, perhaps merging those influences together.

The single biggest hack for effortless writing is to choose a story idea you are completely obsessed with. If you have multiple ideas, try the “shower test”—the idea that keeps bubbling up when your mind is quiet is probably the one you are most obsessed with and should pursue.

• Do not worry about originality: All creative work builds on what came before; the freshness of your story comes from your unique combination of style and influences. The idea itself is certainly not the most important thing; your execution is all that matters. You can take a simple idea and craft an amazing story through excellent writing.
• Consider the Scope for Your First Novel: When starting out, it’s better to rig the game in your favour. Try to focus on writing a book with one point of view character and aiming for a standalone novel. Every extra point of view massively increases the complexity of what you are trying to accomplish. If possible, aim for around 80,000 words, to make it easier to push through blockages and completion.

How to Write A Fantasy Story: A Step-by-Step Guide

So, now that you have an understanding of the genre itself, let’s get to the fun part: how to actually write fantasy fiction. 

Step #1: Create Your Immersive World

A strong setting is crucial for any good book, and in fantasy, it is arguably the most important element. Fantasy readers expect to enjoy seeing something new—familiar elements rearranged in unexpected ways. The world you create must feel alive to keep readers hooked. Here are five crucial elements you need to follow to create a believable and immersive world.

1. Master Multi-Dimensional Worldbuilding

One key element that makes a fantasy world truly immersive is to use multi-dimensional worldbuilding. This doesn’t mean alternate realities; it means presenting multiple perspectives on the same location.

Imagine a scenario where a story takes place entirely with a king up in a castle, always looking down at the town below. That is one dimension of worldbuilding, offering only one character’s perspective. If the king goes out of the castle and down into the streets, his experience changes dramatically. Up high, the town might appear idyllic and picturesque; down in the streets, he may be struck by the crowded nature, the dirtiness, and the raw smell of sewage and running chickens. This transformation makes the setting two-dimensional.

Ideally, you continue to present many more ways of looking at the same location. These perspectives can come from the same character as they progress through the story and gain new understanding, or they can come from multiple point-of-view characters, each offering a distinctive flavor or angle on viewing the world. For example, the king might speak with a commoner who loves the crowded, busy, and frenetic nature of the city, enjoying the closeness of having ten family members living in one house. This interaction gives the king—and the reader—a new, multi-dimensional perspective on the same location.

Want to learn more about worldbuilding? Check out my blog: On Worldbuilding: A Comprehensive Guide.

2. Incorporate The Interactive Element

Another key element for deep immersion is letting readers imagine themselves as a participant. Worldbuilding should invite the reader to participate, almost interactively, asking: “Here are the different ways you can operate in this world, what would you do?”

The world of The Hunger Games invites participation, leading readers to discuss tactics like if they would go straight for weapons or try to hide in the forest. The Stormlight Archive uses this method by sorting readers into different orders of Knights Radiant based on personality.

While you don’t need to use category-based systems, you should create some aspect of your world that invites readers to imagine: “How would I behave in that circumstance?” or “How would I use those powers?” If you find just one aspect like this, it makes your world feel far more interactive, increasing the chance readers will think or talk about your story when they aren’t reading.

3. Add The Immersion Anchors

The third element is to drop an immersion anchor. This is when you provide a highly specific detail about how one particular area of your world works. This makes readers believe that you have thought about all of your worldbuilding to the same depth.

Consider The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien doesn’t just put characters into Middle-earth. He builds a fully functioning world with its own logic, geography, languages, and rules. Take Lothlórien for example, the forest realm of the Elves. It’s not just “a magical forest,” Tolkien gives you:

• Mallorn trees: Towering silver-barked trees with golden leaves that don’t fall until spring. These trees change the light, creating a golden glow that reinforces Lothlórien’s timeless, dreamlike feel.
• Flets: Elves sleep on platforms built high in the trees. Why? For defense, surveillance, and communion with nature. Makes total sense for a forest-dwelling people with long lives and great eyesight.
• Time distortion: Time flows differently here, and even characters notice it. That detail adds an otherworldly weight to the place. It feels sacred because time doesn’t touch it the same way.

None of these are “just because.” Every detail builds on the Elves’ values: beauty, harmony with nature, and detachment from the mortal world.

Now ask yourself:

• What’s a region, faction, or species in your world that deserves this kind of deep logic?
• Can you describe a tool, habit, tradition, or environment that would logically emerge from how they live?
• What’s one detail you could zoom in on that makes the whole world feel more lived-in?

When readers say “wow, that’s cool,” it’s because the worldbuilding makes sense. That’s your goal.

4. Use Intentional Open Loops

The fourth element for immersion is to create intentional open loops. There’s often this temptation for fantasy writers to answer every single question a reader might have, explaining every moment of history, every detail of magic, or every ancestor. While there’s nothing wrong with comprehensive planning, you do not have to share everything with your reader.

Gaps in worldbuilding can actually be an amazing feature. When you leave an interesting gap, it gives readers permission to wonder what is there, creating curiosity and an “open loop” in their minds. This ensures they’ll be thinking about your story long after finishing the final page.

Tolkien wrote that part of the attraction of The Lord of the Rings is “due to the glimpses of a large history in the background, an attraction like that of viewing far off an unvisited island or seeing the towers of a distant city gleaming in a sunlit mist.” I’d say this rings true for the A Song of Ice and Fire series as well. I’ve been a huge fan of these books since I was eight (LOTR) and fourteen (ASOIAF), and part of the reason I love these books are because of the potential of the worlds in them. Like, to this day, I am annoyed that we haven’t seen more of Asshai. But at this point, I’m just waiting for Winds of Winter, so there’s that too.

Going back to the topic though, this element of “I don’t know what’s happening in these parts of the world and I want to know more” is what keeps readers interested. So, you need to  strike the right balance. Resolve a bunch of stuff, but resist the temptation to fill in every gap in your world.

5. Know Your Rules (and Stick to Them)

This one’s more of something a lot of writers actually struggle with—especially if you’re a new writer. Just because the possibilities of your story are endless, doesn’t mean that you’re free to do whatever.

The best fantasy settings firmly ground themselves within their own realities. Your story should be constrained by its internal logic. Your fantasy’s geography, culture, and magic system (if used) must feel just as concrete to readers as a well-researched historical setting.

You must lay down the law about your world and its physics, otherwise readers won’t take it seriously. This is actually why I don’t like a lot of sci-fi and fantasy books these days. A lot of writers just do away with their own rules to help the protagonist. I think that’s a really bad approach and can make victories feel hollow.

So, write down a reference list of rules, such as when the suns come up, whether certain characters can fly, or how spells work, and do not break them—unless it is intentional and well-thought-out. Spoiler alert: It’s probably not.

A carefully planned magic system is especially important. You need to be consistent, ensuring readers have a clear idea of how the magic operates. Magic systems often create symbolism so consider what the final use of magic in your story’s climax says about your story’s theme. For example, the climax of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series relies completely on the existence of the world’s particular type of metal-based magic, making the effect seamless and integral.

Want to learn more about creating magic systems that work? Check out my guide: How to Develop a Magic System in Fiction.

Step #2: Build Unforgettable Characters and Deep Themes

No matter how great your world is, a good fantasy novel needs a complex cast of believable characters that readers can empathize with. Characters should have a deep humanity as they move through the exciting new world; avoid boring characters.

Outline Dynamic Characters and Clear Goals

Great characters are deeply connected with the triangle of story: plot, setting, and theme. They should be so deeply interwoven with all facets that it would be impossible to remove them from the story.

The best characters are complex, original, possess realistic motives and weaknesses, and undergo internal change over time due to events and supporting characters. Most great stories, boiled down, are about a person wanting something, struggling to get it, and being forced to change as a result.

Protagonists in fantasy are traditionally heroic, while antagonists are often “big bads” with tremendous tyrannical or apocalyptic power. When choosing your antagonist, ensure their motive makes sense and supports the scope of the stakes; a failed antagonist motive can fatally disrupt the story’s logic. If the antagonist is not present, antagonistic proxies should show up in a way that supports the main conflict.

Want to learn more about writing great antagonists? Check out my guide: On Writing Villains: How to Write Complex, Compelling Antagonists.

Remember: The Ghost, the Lie, the Want, and the Need

To structure compelling character arcs, five core elements should be considered:

1. The Ghost: A past, often traumatic, event that majorly impacted the character’s perception of the world.
2. The Lie: A mistruth about the world, their own values, or themselves that the character formed as a result of the ghost.
3. The Want: An external goal the character pursues, believing that achieving it will bring them peace or fulfillment.
4. The Need: What the character actually requires, which is different from their want.
5. The Truth: An antidote to the lie that helps the character progress from their want to their need.

Understand Character Arc Types

By using these elements, you can create one of three types of character arcs:

1. Positive Arc

In a positive arc, the character begins by fully believing the lie, making them ignorant of the truth, and pursuing their want. As the story progresses, they start testing the truth and realizing the lie is harming them. In the climax, they face a pivotal decision, choosing the truth over the lie, achieving their need, and becoming a better person.

For example, Percy begins as a misfit kid who believes the lie that he is a “powerless kid who can’t do anything well.” His want is simply “to be normal” and fit in. As he discovers he is the son of a god and embarks on a quest, he realizes the truth: by embracing his courage, he can be a true hero.

2. Negative Arc

The character begins by fully believing the truth and already has their needs sorted. However, a lie is introduced into their life, often seductively tempting them. The character ignores their need and begins chasing their want, which results in the lie overtaking the truth. In the climax, the character embraces the lie and rejects the truth, ending up in a worse place than they began.

In Best Served Cold, Shivers starts with the truth that he can build a peaceful life if he stops using violence. His need is to let go of anger and ego. But as he goes through the story and is disrespected, he begins to want to regain his power and reputation. The lie is too strong, and in the climax, he fully embraces his violent identity, declaring himself “A killer.”

3. Flat Arc

In a flat arc, the character remains similar from the start to the end, fully believing the truth and having their needs sorted. The focus shifts to how they interact with the world, which believes the opposite (the lie). The world reinforces the lie, challenging the character’s conviction. Because they remain steadfast, the climax offers two options: either the truth triumphs and the character persuades the world, or the lie is too strong, and the character is defeated.

Ned’s arc in Game of Thrones is honor/conviction leading to death. His truth is: “We must do what is right no matter what the cost.” The world’s lie is: “Sometimes our Oaths should actually be bent for the greater good.” Because Ned stays unwaveringly committed to his truth, he is outplayed by others willing to bend their oaths, leading to his defeat and execution.

Use Your Theme as a Moral Argument

Theme is the internal aspect of your story—what the story actually means—and why it will stay with your readers. A useful definition of theme is a moral argument about how to live, explored in different ways through your plot, characters, and world. This is not about preaching but exploring a complex question that may not have an easy answer.

Categories of Theme:

1. Easy to Agree With, Hard to Live Out: A theme that everyone knows but is difficult for a character to practice.
2. I Can See All Sides: A theme that can be argued from different perspectives, often related to moral ambiguity.
3. Devil’s Advocate: A theme that argues something counter to what most people would accept.

Often, your main character and your antagonist will grapple with the same theme but from opposing sides. A well-designed antagonist usually holds the opposite interpretation of the theme from the protagonist, creating a struggle that is both physical and moral.

Want to learn more about writing characters? Check out my blog: How to Write More Likeable (or Unlikeable) Book Characters.

Step #3: Structure Your Magical Narrative

The structure, or plot, of your story and your character’s arc should be considered in unison; the best stories are those where character and plot seamlessly merge.

Plot the Hero’s Journey and Beyond

In fantasy, structural beats are often aligned with the classic Hero’s Journey or other archetypal journeys (such as the Maiden, Queen, King, Crone, and Mage). While these aren’t exclusive to fantasy, they are often played out most literally in this genre (e.g., a Dragon antagonist might be a literal dragon).

If you are concerned about structure, keep in mind that classic story structure provides the general shape of an arc applicable to any genre. The goal of structuring is to avoid having characters moving about and fighting, but with nothing happening because nothing changes. You must ensure the plot is actually moving and changing in each scene and chapter.

Use The Nine-Point Story Structure Breakdown

The Nine-Point Story Structure is an approach that seamlessly merges a character’s external quest with their internal transformation.

1. The Hook (0–10%): Introduce the main character, showing their flaws, desires, and key traits in a characteristic moment that immediately explains why they are interesting.
2. The Inciting Incident (10–20%): The character’s ordinary world is disrupted by a key event that sets the story in motion.
3. Entering the New Realm (20–30%): The protagonist is taken from their Ordinary World and thrust into the Extraordinary World.
4. Antagonist Threatens (30–40%): Pressure is applied to the main character, elevating the level of threat they face. This forces the character to grow and progress along their arc.
5. Midpoint Revelation (40–60%): A moment of insight where the character understands an important truth about themselves (their “truth”) but cannot yet fully relinquish their “lie.” This is the pivot around which the entire story revolves and is often a quieter, contemplative moment. It is a great opportunity to develop side characters.
6. Amplified Pressure Moment (60–70%): The protagonist’s new understanding of the truth is challenged as the antagonist ramps up the intensity of the lie. The character may be forced to backslide toward the lie.
7. Darkest Low (70–80%): The character faces the most suffering they have experienced so far—the “Dark Night of the Soul.”
8. Climax (80–90%): The final confrontation where either the truth or the lie is vanquished.
9. Closing Image (90–100%): The protagonist lives with their new truth and need. This often mirrors the opening image to show the character’s transformation.

Structure should be used as a guide, not an impediment. Think of it as scaffolding: something that helps you design and put things together in a cohesive way.

Get the Pacing and Timing Right

Because fantasy stories are notoriously long, the precise timing of structural turning points doesn’t have to be as rigid as in shorter stories. However, the extreme length between turning points can become tedious for readers.

A good fantasy story needs to keep you hooked by following a proper pacing flow:

1. Set the scene (hero’s life, stakes).
2. Show the inciting incident (the challenge).
3. Step into another world (journey, new experience).
4. Introduce new characters (companion, nemesis, sage).
5. Face challenges and obstacles (training, battles, monsters).
6. Interspersed with calmer moments (dialogue, introspection, false hope).
7. Lose it all (hero fails, someone dies, courage falters).
8. Find courage (drawing from lessons learned, help from unexpected places).
9. Achieve their goal (beat the baddie, save the world).
10. Return home a changed person (mirroring the opening scene to show transformation).

Avoid dwelling too long on scenes like battle sequences or rushing crucial steps, as this will cause the story to lose its flow.

Step #4: Write the First Draft of Your Fantasy Book

Once you have developed your story idea and outline, it is time to write the first draft.

Plotters vs. Pantsers

Writers typically fall somewhere on the spectrum between Plotters (planners) and Discovery Writers (pantsers).

• Plotters outline their story, chapters, and character arcs before writing. They plan mythology, kingdoms, politics, and may use detailed maps to track character paths. Plotting helps a writer discover their story faster, often in a few weeks, compared to a discovery writer who might take a year. Planning saves you from making core structural mistakes early on.
• Pantsers (writing by the seat of their pants) know very little about the plot or subplots, focusing more on characters and the world. They let the story tell itself. Some writers find this approach can lead to a more authentic story. Many start as pantsers, getting all their dreams and imagination into a document or notebook, before embracing plotting for later books or series.

An outline should help you know what to write so you aren’t lost when you start work, help you structure everything cohesively, and, most importantly, make you excited and motivated to write. Outlining shortens the “write and edit feedback loop” from a year to a few days or hours, allowing you to quickly test variations of your story and assess potential dead ends before you commit to writing.

The First Draft Mindset: Shoveling Sand

For your first draft, your job is simply to shovel sand into the sandbox. Don’t worry about crafting perfect sandcastles; just get the material in there. You must get the words down on the page because anything can be fixed with your story except a blank page.

Your focus should be solely on today’s step. Avoid focusing too far ahead on publication or sales; this distracts you and harms progress. Instead, try to get 1% better with your writing each day by setting small challenges, such as trying to write better dialogue or more vivid setting descriptions. This constant focus on improvement keeps you engaged.

When starting out, writing is mostly about getting the “junk words” out of your system. Just let the writing flow; don’t stop to tinker or edit things as you go along. A happy writer will always produce more and better work than an unhappy one. Your number one priority is simply enjoying the process.

Building a Consistent Writing Practice

It is possible to dramatically improve your writing habits. You want to get your first draft done in a couple of months rather than years.

1. Find Your Energy Apex: Experiment with writing at different times of the day to find the sweet spot that produces the best results for you.
2. Treat Yourself as a Creative Athlete: Optimize your life outside of writing, particularly focusing on high-quality sleep.
3. Aim for Daily Writing: Working on your story every day, even if it’s just a few sentences, keeps the narrative lodged in your subconscious, leading to creative epiphanies outside of your writing session. If you skip a day, commit to the “no two skip days” mentality to prevent the habit from breaking down.
4. Use the Habit Loop (Cue, Craving, Response, Reward):
   • Cue (Make it Obvious): Print a map of your world or have artwork of your characters nearby to inspire you to start.
   • Craving (Make it Attractive): Focus on making the writing session fun by thinking about the exciting scenes you get to write today, whether it’s witty dialogue or demonstrating your cool magic system.
   • Response (Make it Easy): Use the 5-minute rule. Tell yourself you only have to sit down and write for 5 minutes; if you want to stop, you can. Action creates motivation, and starting is half the difficulty.
   • Reward (Make it Satisfying): Bring the reward forward by chunking up your wins. Track your daily word counts in a spreadsheet to gamify the process and see your consistent progress stack up.

Writing with Full Intensity

Write at full intensity to maximize productivity and quality. Intensity increases when you type faster, are more focused, have more story knowledge, and are enjoying the process.

Writing at full intensity for 20 minutes is often better than 60 minutes at 20% intensity (where you are distracted by your phone or emails). The scenes written quickly often require the least editing and flow the best because writing fast unlocks inhibitions.

To boost intensity:

• Use Placeholders: If you can’t think of the perfect name or detail immediately, use curly brackets {{like this}} and fix them later in the editing phase. This keeps you writing without stopping to tinker.
• Focus on the Bones First: Realize your first draft doesn’t have to do everything at once. You can focus on getting the dialogue or the core action down, and then return in later drafts to add descriptions, historical layers, or complex world lore.

And that’s it! With all of this, you can easily start writing your fantasy book. Good luck:)