Think of the first fantasy novel or movie that made you fall in love with the entire concept of fantasy fiction. Or did it leave you wondering about the what-ifs or how dreamy that one character was for you? How did the setting make you feel? Did it make you feel as if you were part of the book? Or did it make you feel magical? When a fantasy novel moves you beyond your expectations, it is successful in many ways.

If you think of a fantasy book, you know that it has to be out of this world, completely unreal, and slightly relatable at the same time. The relatable part comes from the characters’ emotions and decisions regarding certain actions. A fantasy novel is like connecting the dots or putting magical pieces of puzzles together. If the ending of a fantasy novel keeps you confused and unsatisfied, it means that it didn’t succeed in what it was meant to. However, suppose the end of the fantasy novel keeps you wondering about the what-ifs, and all the pieces fit together or make you feel mystical. In that case, the fantasy novel’s story, setting, and overall plot succeed.

If you are new to this genre and want to learn how to write a fantasy novel successfully for beginners for your first project, you have come to the right place. Let’s get started.

What is a Fantasy Novel?

To know what a fantasy novel is, simply think of a world that does not exist in real life. It can be about anything and everything. You can add and delete whatever kind of supernatural entity through the power of your imagination. Fantasy novels often include mythical creatures, magic involvement in all forms, and other elements that are not part of our normal lives.

A fantasy novel can include anything from your wildest imagination. You can create a fantasy novel featuring mythical creatures and incorporate subgenres like romantic or thriller fantasy. When writing a fantasy novel, you have the freedom to invent an entirely new adventurous world yet to be discovered. Additionally, you can make up your own worlds with completely different meanings. The only rule to keep in mind is to ensure that your story is balanced and all the elements are connected. Your fantasy novel cannot jump between unrelated worlds. Even if your fantasy novel is grounded in reality, it still needs to make sense throughout the story. This requires creating a consistent structure for your novel wherein all the pieces fit together despite the story being based on imagination.

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Creating a Whole New World

The setting in any fantasy novel is the first important element. The world you create for your fantasy novel matters and shapes the traits and series of events that your characters will face. This is why creating a world that keeps your puzzle together is the first step in writing a fantasy novel. Many new authors and writers make the mistake of creating characters first and then deciding their personalities, and so on. While that may seem like the first step to writing any novel, this is not the case for a fantasy novel.

The setting can influence your characters’ decisions and the novel’s overall mood. We suggest creating a map to visualize where your characters are and where the story begins, even if it’s imperfect. You can use a real map and modify it to create new places. For example, “The Hobbit” benefited from using a map that shows exactly where the characters are throughout the novel. This enhances reader engagement and will help you better understand your fantasy novel and its characters.

Plot it Down

Before you jump into the zone of writing, plot your fantasy novel down. Create the blueprints or the backbone of the entire novel. This will be the pot that will keep your fantasy novel together and make all the pieces fit right. Keeping a sharp track of everything involved within your novel is very important. Otherwise, you could go around in circles or get lost in the world you created!

Once you have created your world and maintained a strong setting, you should brainstorm ideas for the highs and lows, plot twists, climax, and ending. This should be a basic outline of your fantasy novel.

If you are struggling with fantasy novel ideas, we recommend checking out our blog, “What Genre is My Book? Unraveling the Famous Question,” for new ideas. We are pretty sure you will find something to inspire you for your fantasy novel.

While it can be difficult to create a draft for your fantasy novel, it will be worthwhile in the end. Without a draft or a plot, you might get lost because writing a fantasy novel requires complete focus. You will practically have to live in that novel since you are the creator of it. When you have your plot laid out in front of you, you can nitpick any unnecessary drama or events that do not seem to fit right in your novel.

The struggle can be real when it comes to writing your story plot. This is when you should consider hiring a professional eBook service, like BookCreating, to help you with your first project. With a team specialized in every kind of genre and beyond creativity, you will never get lost in your fantasy novel’s plot.

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Flesh it Out

This is the part when you start working on your creation in physical form. Think of your plot as an incomplete painting. This is the time when you add the extra details, fill in the gaps, make any necessary changes or additions, and rearrange the scenes until the whole picture aligns well with how you want it to turn out. When the picture turns out perfect, that is when you are ready to display it for the world to see.

Once you are satisfied with your semi-finished draft, you will know what changes need to be made. This is especially important because you put so much effort into creating this challenging fantasy novel. After the editing, proofreading, and any other extra work, it’s natural for you to fall in love with your first fantasy novel creation.

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7 Tips for Writing a Fantasy Novel

As professional novel writers, here are our top 7 fantasy writing tips and how to make it epic.

1. Read, read, and read!

You might wonder why extra reading is part of the fantasy writing tips list. Well, you will be surprised how it will open your mind and spark creativity, helping you reimagine things the way you want them to be. Do not just re-read your favorite fantasy novels. Explore more and read the ones that are similar to your interests or not. It will benefit you as long as you gain creativity and learn a new story structure.

Read our blog, “Your Guide to Writing a Successful Story Structure,” for the best insights.

2. Start creating your world

Above, we have discussed the benefits of starting your fantasy novel writing by creating your world. Add places packed with historical events and cultures, and create your world’s own rules. Your readers will have a great time learning about the world you have created, how the characters fit into place, and how they find or save each other.

3. Write your short story

Before jumping into the big picture, draft your story section by section. Just as you would paint a masterpiece, you would paint section by section. This part can take time, but it will be worth it because slow and steady wins the race. You can speed up the entire process by hiring professional ghostwriters for your fantasy novel, with fewer errors and edits to work with. Your fantasy story can include whatever kind of magical elements you wish to create or recreate.

4. Find your writing place

While some people can work under pressure and chaos, others prefer to work in complete silence. Find what best suits your mood and whatever boosts your concentration levels higher. Writing a fantasy novel, or any kind of novel for that matter, is like filming a movie. You have to have silence, focus on the center pot, see how the actors work and fit together, set the mood, and so on.

5. Set rules

While it is a fantasy novel, it may seem like there is no need for rules, right? Wrong. Even though your novel is completely made up, you are the creator of that novel, and you must set rules to keep the setting in place. Whichever seems easier for you, you can create a sheet with rules that should not be overlooked for your fantasy novel.

6. Planning or freestyle

Do you see yourself as a planned writer or a freestyle writer? Planned means that you have a more systematic way of writing, point by point, that maintains focus too. Or you let your writing and imagination go wild, where you write however you want, making you edit things later. But you initially want to go with the flow. Sometimes, freestyle writing helps some authors discover more about their plot than a planned and careful approach. So, see which best fits your writing flow and go according to that.

7. Critical Editing

Even the best of the best authors get tired when it comes to editing and proofreading their own novels, which is why they opt for extra sets of eyes to help them. BookCreating also offers editing and proofreading services to further maximize your fantasy novel creation. The aim is to make your fantasy novel error-free and to make sense while the world gets to read your masterpiece. Sometimes, the author can miss out on those extra unnecessary details or elements from their novel, so you should opt for editing and proofreading services.

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Now You Know How to Write a Fantasy Novel

Now that you are aware of the best practices and tips when it comes to writing a fantasy novel, at the end of the day, you should make sure that you enjoy what you are writing. If you feel that you are forcing yourself to love or enjoy the fantasy novel you planned on creating, then it is wise to shift to something else. Fantasy writing is not everyone’s or every author’s cup of tea, so find the genre that you gravitate towards and start on that trophy.

BookCreating has a team of specialized ghostwriters, editors, and proofreaders who can work with you regardless of your novel genre or subgenre. With a team full of creative ideas and epic plots, your novel will surely turn out successful with our eBook writing services. Contact us today and get started on your first major project or your next big one.

FAQ’S

What makes a great fantasy novel?

When writing a fantasy novel, the first thing is to create a magical and mystical world that your readers will believe in. While it is all made up, it should make sense. You want a make-believe fantasy world where your readers will get lost in.

Does a fantasy novel need a setting?

Yes. Your fantasy novel needs a setting. The setting or the world you create for your fantasy novel is as important as creating the characters for your novel. This should be the first step when you consider writing a fantasy novel.

How long are most fantasy novels?

The average fantasy novel should range between 50,000 – 150,000 words. While this can depend on the complexities and volumes of your fantasy novel, the words can be more or less. If you are writing a young adult fantasy novel, you should keep your words around or below 90,000.

What makes a good fantasy plot?

A good fantasy novel plot begins with the setting and world the characters live in. Your main characters come next to the setting of your fantasy novel. To make your novel more engaging, introduce plot twists, climaxes, and other elements that will keep your readers wondering about the make-believe world you have created.