How To Write Your First Fantasy Book - 5 Tips When Writing Fantasy

How To Write Your First Fantasy Book
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What draws you to read fantasy fiction? Is it the imaginative, fantastical worlds? The glorious sword fights and epic battles?
The best fantasy books are fun: they capture the reader’s imagination and whirl them into an adventure. But underneath the fun premise, fantasy stories also have a strong, beating heart: they are tales of courage and sacrifice, friendship and love.
Fantasy fiction authors, in some ways, have it extra hard. Not only do they have to create compelling characters - they have to introduce the reader to mythical worlds and supernatural beings. The climax of their story is never just an important conversation or discovering who the killer is. Fantasy authors craft thrilling battle scenes, dark curses being broken, and entire worlds saved from destruction… just in the nick of time, of course.
If you’re crafting your own fantasy fiction book, here are some scene writing tips to help guide you through some of the special challenges you may face.
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[@IndrasChildDeepAsleep]

Why be embarrassed if you're a beginner? Everyone's gotta start somewhere. We need to change writing culture a little if that's the case :)

[@cupcakxiia]

Personally not embarrassed to write but more embarrassed to show other people what I've written I'm a younger person and I can story tell just fine. However, when it comes to vocabulary and a lack of education on how certain sentences work I find that those are my weak points. Does one need those areas to be strong when it comes to fantasy if you're still learning?

[@sethhobbs5522]

"A Sword of the Three Rivers". New book online. Epic Fantasy

[@authorkellylclark]

Embarrassment isn’t necessarily a culture thing- sometimes it’s just an internal battle the writer has; period. I know this is the case for some of my friends. And we participated in the same writers groups, conferences, and writing challenges. I don’t struggle with being embarrassed by what I write, they do. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@MelodyMurambi]

Thank you

[@Fig_Faerie]

"The audience only needs to know enough detail to understand the specific conflict going on that moment" is so crucial. OMG. I finished my zero draft only to get stuck, for months, at the start of the rough draft.

[@AutoCritEditing]

Thanks! Glad you find that tip helpful!

[@lazygardens]

"The AUTHOR needs to know all the detail, but should not inflict it on their audience." As well as "infodump", there is "excess choreography", where each move of a character is described in plodding, excruciating detail.

[@atheistapostate7019]

I’m starting my first fantasy novel and on the rough draft… man not an easy process, fun but not easy. Robert Jordan is my favorite author and going into this I swore I would be no whereas long winded as he is…. Yikes to even get enough words out to get a decent lengthen chapter out is a lot harder than I expected lol

[@jannertfol]

One of the main mistakes newbie fantasy writers make is NOT BEING READERS. (I've been a beta reader for years.) When pressed, they admit they mostly watch movies, TV shows or play computer games. But then they want to write a book? I think you need to know how your medium works, as well as having great ideas, etc. As well as obvious things like knowing how to string words together, using accurate grammar, spelling, punctuation and other writing gimmicks, they also need to know how a written story builds. It doesn't necessarily have to start with a BANG ...huge action scenes, etc. Yes, you do need to grab your reader's attention immediately, but that is best done using a personal, up close point of view. It can actually be a fairly mundane 'scene' to open with, but it needs to carry a sense of anticipation ...that there is a story on its way. No, you DON'T need to 'jump right in to the action.' (Which will then die back, leaving your reader with a sense of anticlimax, and the need to make sense of what they just read.) You can just need to start slowly, with a perspective that people can relate to ...and move on. Don't believe me? Think ...one of the most successful fantasy tales ever WRITTEN-The Lord of the Rings trilogy-begins with preparation for a birthday party. By the time the preparation for that party is underway, we are totally hooked and ready for the more serious 'big stuff' to come-aren't we?

[@claraketterer1332]

I will be writing a fantasy novel with my sister (we are brainstorming and I write the story because she doesn't think that's her strong suit) - we both know that noone is going to read it (probably) and it's just a fun project. As such, it is super fun watching videos and getting started specifically because there is no pressure and if it's no fun (which I doubt will ever happen) we can just leave it aside. And if it turns out amazing, we MIGHT eventually try to commercialize it - but it's first and foremost a private project :) Thank you for your advice, I will certainly keep it in mind!

[@hudsontille8630]

That’s actually really interesting will you be posting videos about it or anything about it in your KZbin page? Because it sounds pretty cool and could get it out there

[@KateTheMama]

Curious how your progress is going! 😊

[@tedbreuer8061]

Mines about to different tribes but each one's king's children fall for eachother but they're parents Don let them be together because they're at war.

[@AhsokaGryffindor]

How’s it going? Me and my cousin are starting the same thing

[@ignskeletons]

If you're afraid of failure, embrace it. Do the thing, then fail. Then try it again, then fail again. Keep doing this as long as you learn from your mistakes along the way. Eventually you'll become a better version of yourself having experienced failure and overcoming it multiple times. This is the only way to get better at something difficult.

[@samanthaholcomb6827]

This guy is all about the audience but I write for myself. I am writing the story I have always wanted to read. As long as I like it I don't really care what anyone else has to say.

[@gamerwithcats]

Very great advice thanks for taking time to make this video for us new writers it's appreciated

[@user-ig6eq6zm5g]

I had a time with my writing because I was afraid to embarrass myself. But after this video I will continue to create my dream. Thanks u :)

[@arianamander4425]

I have started a fantasy book with dragons and in 1st person it’s so much harder than I though but I am loving it

[@queensavcy]

Like and subscribe reminder AND the sales pitch left until the very end of the vid? I respect it. Gonna go give your goods a look. Great vid, thanks!

[@drexelflores9211]

This really helped me. thanks 😊

[@tonyswope8671]

love love love this video! So many craft videos forget to include relevant examples to the advice that's being given, and fewer give examples that are bite sized and easy to parse. Bravo I say!

[@bdcd4050]

It's been four years since i have a story in my head but every time i have the courage to begin writing i can't the first lines doesn't satisfy me and i can't make a good ending and the choice of the view point is always trigering me , i talked about it with some people and they said it's not big of a deal i should have an ocupation of my age ( i am 13 years old ) i don't know what to do

[@WolfWriterL.P]

im 12 (almost 13) and i know what you mean. if you even see this comment, just know that im trying to also write a book bc i LOVE writing, and i learned that you should not put age as a big factor. Yes, ur 13, prob 14 by now, but its still possible to write a book. Trust me, i know ppl this age with writing/storytelling abitities that astound me. Practice, watch more vids, and you WILL get it.

[@That_funny_little_guy]

Same hear I am 13 and been struggling to start my book

[@LightshifterGame]

You're very charming. Very good quality content that deserves more engagement, thanks for the tips!

[@l4m3frogggaming26]

Very helpful! Thank you!

[@Words-of-encouragement.-.]

I am currently writing my first novel and it's quite the undertaking. I decided to go the route of fantasy because I have always loved it! I haven't quite figured out the entirety of the plot, but I do have an Idea of the direction I will take it. I am currently working on the magic system because it will be integral to the plot, but man is it harder than I thought lol. On top of that I am still figuring out how the world works (which is why I still need to know how the magic will function), designing characters, etc. I currently only have about 1100 words written that will make it into pieces of the book, but I have roughly another 2000 written breaking down some of the rules I have established, character backstory, etc. At least I can finally stop talking about how I am going to write a book one day. Now I can just say I am writing one lol. Wish me luck!

[@AutoCritEditing]

Keep going! It's worth the effort.

[@ericludwig9014]

From what I understand, the plot and the world go hand in hand. develop them simultaneously.

[@gracet9]

I'm in the same situation, hopefully I'll figure it out soon 😅

[@thebreifcaseman269]

Nice one, what idear did you start with ?

[@PhoenixCrown]

Thanks for the video! I think I'm lucky to have developed a habit of doing. When I slowed down with my work a few years ago, I just started writing. Wrote my first draft of 128K words in under a year... It had many problems that reading fantasy my whole life didn't prepare me to recognize or fix. Then I started learning the craft, and I've used this book as an incredible education. Over the past few years--with less writing time--I've almost turned into something I honestly think people would pay to read. We'll see. Good writing y'all!

[@brunokocinas1635]

Good luck! You inspired me a bit

[@chiapet713]

it’s me 😔 I’m the one who’s convinced they’ll love hearing about the baking system of the third kingdom of-

[@hudsontille8630]

You aren’t the only one! I love the little random bits

[@presleykeilani389]

This video is amazing!!!!!!

[@kylejantjies7280]

Great advice actually

[@conorsirishnature998]

This video needs more views

[@cherrybombetzo326]

That's valuable

[@k0r034]

how do you organize all the stuff that's needed for you're story and all the ideas

[@darkusblader]

I'm writing my fantasy series write now. I have the characters already figured out and started working on the magic system. As for the stakes yeah there are villains but the environment itself is the real main stake.

[@skyleranimates1251]

Thanks a lot I fell pray to a few of the later mistakes in the video

[@AutoCritEditing]

They are common mistakes, but glad we were able to help you identify them.

[@phoenixarising9809]

Endings are definitely my weaker point. A month after I had submitted it for a competition I decided to give it a reread and the one I'd penned was quite lacklustre. The newer version was far more interesting cause it fit the overall narrative, while the latter was far too action-ey for me.

[@themaestro2572]

Cool dude, what is your story called? What is it about?

[@phoenixarising9809]

Ev’hain: An Absence of Light. More or less a prequel to the main saga that I will start work on in the coming months. The story revolves around the Father of the series' main protagonist and the initial war he fought against The Deceiver, a being who has eradicated (or in certain circumstances, enslaved) numerous civilisations through trickery and false promises of power. While the war is the main focus, there is a substantial part that gives an insight into the struggles that normal citizens face in their daily life, plagues and droughts to overnight raids that result in enslavement by a rival Dominion. (Still in the process of rewriting some parts of the story that felt out of place, the ending being the major pain 😅.)

[@themaestro2572]

@@phoenixarising9809 woah you've been really working on this, man. That's pretty awesome 👍

[@thebreifcaseman269]

If there is conflict in the ending of your story e.g. fighting e.c.t you should have a saddened feeling to the happy out come. Yes the villains have been defeated but there was a struggle and the tragedy is the suffering caused along the way. For E.g I thin ending a story with a funeral of a relative of a main character is a good way to close it. Like at the end of the film John wick chapter 4. A example is sun set a clear sky a sense of calmness but it's also quiet, to quiet in fact because something is now missing from the world. Then you can either end it there or have additional chapter showing the outcomes for the other characters. For e.g in the lotr Sam marries and frodo sets of the the elvish lands. So the main section should feel like resolution plus a reflection on what has just been and a sense of relief and the second section of the end should be stability. Like a sense that the world is stable. Like a energy map the tension starts of smaller and gets bigger it may drop between chapters depending on the plot but it's generally going up untill it reaches a climax and then resolves and now that tension is stable it's a flat line. It's important not to have every chapter gaining tension because it will feel like a film like the fast and furious. Every Time they make new one it has be bigger and better. If your plot is decent then you won't need to do that it will carry itself. As a e.g there are only 3 major battles in the lotr. One with the trees, the second with Rohan, the 3rd at Gondor. So relieving tension throughout the story is also really important.

[@endgamesbeats]

I WAS DOING TWO OUT OF THREE OF THESE RIGHT!! and I guess I'mma be okay with that because I'm the plot twist king so mind ya business!

[@adlan_kacak]

i shall take notes first, even though my ideas is still somewhere in the grey area

[@praesidium4278]

Hello sir, I am having trouble trying to write fantasy creatures into my fantasy story, do you have any tips I can use? And thanks for making this video. 🙏🏾

[@AutoCritEditing]

That is a great idea for a video! We will try to incorporate that idea into an upcoming project.

[@sethhobbs5522]

"A Sword of the Three Rivers". New book online. Epic Fantasy

[@bradconny3558]

I know all those five things... My problem on the other hand is very unique... I am a non native English speaker, from a miniscule tribe in my country. I do understand English properly. However, whenever I start to write my style of writing tends to be over simple, only simple words use to come to the page.... I've completed two manuscripts. Those who read them told one thing in common... My Vocabulary is too poor....how to solve this??..

[@AutoCritEditing]

Generally the best way to build vocabulary is through reading other works. You can also try consulting a thesaurus, although that can be challenging if you aren't familiar with words since often words have near similar meanings but not exact matches.

[@bradconny3558]

@@AutoCritEditing Thank you so much for the reply. I do read a lot of books, watch a lot of English language movies... Surprisingly I can understand almost everything. But when I write my own thing, powerful words don't come up.

[@emurano6634]

Use a thesaurus. I was born in Washington and have lived there my whole life, so English is my mother tongue, and I still struggle with not using 'said' and describing things to my liking.

[@sethhobbs5522]

"A Sword of the Three Rivers". New book online. Epic Fantasy

[@BbGun-lw5vi]

@@emurano6634 Just so you know, books should almost always use “said” instead of other descriptive words in dialogue. That’s because you don’t want to distract the reader and said is the only word that goes unnoticed, which is what you want. You can use other words but only very rarely.

[@sethhobbs5522]

"A Sword of the Three Rivers". New book online. Epic Fantasy

[@firebear369]

My main character is a paranoid dragon living in human form because she's afraid to discover her true power...and I do like fruitcake

[@lukeray8328]

How much does it cost, it’s asking for my cc info and I have no idea what I’m agreeing to?

[@fairyiyn1762]

I love writing but I get unmotivated because I can never think of a plot that gets me hooked on the story, or intrigued by the characters. if *anyone* has even the slightest plot idea, general advice or character ideas I'd appreciate it so so much! If I'm given an idea I will make sure to twist it and add things and I would never copy anything directly if you didn't want me to. thanks again!

[@dontknow2818]

How can we get in contact so we can discuss a little about it

[@TheSecretsOfSorsa]

I'm like an idea machine. I come up with so many cool concepts that I can't even write them all. I have lists of potential books I might write, but I'm mostly focused on SoS right now. Do you want to write something light-hearted and family-friendly, or something really dark and violent? Lots of magic? Little magic? Give me a basic idea of the kind of story you want to write and I'll give you some ideas.

[@azgaming9291]

1:50 i am offended. but seriously, good tips.

[@yassingaabary4660]

heres some pop corn while you read the comments and pause at thet part 0:17

[@jeffmcmurray9856]

Im trying to write. Ive been working on something for nearly 2 years and im only 60 something pages in haha. Writers block hits like a truck lmao

[@krylump9547]

Narnia is great

[@sleeplessdreamer210]

Is it normal to have gotten four drafts into your book, and still feel like it’s crap? But still kind of have hope for it?

[@AutoCritEditing]

This might be a good time to take a break from that specific work. It could be when you return you will feel much better about it.

[@brandic89]

A crystal gurl would actually believe in the power if cactus, lol. "What if anyone actually liked fruitcake" is hilarious! It triggered memories of my struggles...

[@Justin-hb5qm]

Actually no I would say most riders don't try because they have no idea where to start with concrete confidence

[@AutoCritEditing]

Knowing where to begin your story is a challenge for sure!

[@tanzify2749]

Can you gimme ideas like places to add to my story

[@AutoCritEditing]

We don't have a specific video stream about places but you might enjoy this video on how to use the setting to increase conflict: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2Xcf42ZidBomc0

[@radurodina9265]

What am I doing with my life. It is2 am and I have no aspirations to become a writer

[@edwardlecore141]

I am truly terrible at step 5.

[@yassingaabary4660]

0:16 be mine

[@thefirebug4068]

Does a fantasy book need to have magic in it ? Because I am writing a book about a fictional country during the medieval times and their main talent is that they have a very advanced technology and they are smarter than average humans. But there is no magic in it, just intelligence. But because of the fictional outfits, food, country, religion and also because of an old « prophecy » told by an ancestor (that’s not magical, it’s just something the ancestor created) about the protagonist, some of my friends and readers think that is a fantasy book. But to me, fantasy book needed magic in it…and I don’t have magic in it. But I don’t know what litterature gender my story is.

[@sanwan7105]

Mine is the same story

[@sanwan7105]

I am trying to bring magic out of nowhere to probably kill someone But I am confused because I made a normal mediaeval period village with normal people. So will magic suit the characters?

[@kehaar3641]

I really hope the way you pronounce deus machina is a joke

[@dylanwazthere]

Hey wait... I like fruitcake🙃

[@IshibeFr]

What if.... @dylan_here didn't like fruit cake

[@yourlocalyoutuber3728]

ZynAxe that @ ruined the comment no offense

[@yassingaabary4660]

treat me like whitetees

[@MarieGarrett.]

I like fruitcakes. When I make it.🤷🏾‍♀️

[@AutoCritEditing]

It is true. Homemade fruitcakes are much better than the type from the store.

[@llgray5840]

May be I am the only one that is tired of jokes about women in underwear - of course, this is probably made only for guys.