Write a BETTER Epic Fantasy Novel... Debunking Top Myths, and Breaking the Rules

Are you ever overwhelmed by just how much information is out there about how to structure your fantasy world, your magic system, your characters, and your plot? There's a lot of information out there, and it can all be a little daunting. In this episode, Abbie and I are speaking from our own experience of fantasy writing to help you simplify, organize, blaze your own trail... and write the fantasy novel of your dreams! Let's go, writers!
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[@KAEmmons]

Are you working on a fantasy novel? What's your FAVORITE thing about writing FANTASY? GO!✨

[@ahhmanda1992]

Developing a magic system! I love creating the ins and outs of magical lore!

[@ruthholter9678]

I've been working on my fantasy story for 3 years, although I've just lately started working on it hardcore and I might be able to finish it in a month or too. I love imagining the creatures and legends that create that extra level of drama and interest. So much fun for me

[@martianram]

Inventing History and the development of civilizations 🤧🤧🤧 also the spirituality

[@BKPrice]

Making an impossible world believable. It's taking childhood wonder and making it feel real. That's what really thrills me.

[@constancegoldwing5867]

DRAGONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@gouki4u]

Firstly, this is all great advice. Secondly, I want to share something I do as a fantasy writer to avoid infodumping. I write a secondary book that functions like a campaign setting sourcebook from Dungeons and Dragons. All of the details of magic, monsters, history, and politics go there, and I only pull from it when those things become relevant to the characters in my story. It helps me keep all of my worldbuilding ideas organized and helps me avoid the temptation to drop them on my reader all at once. It even makes adding complexity easier during revisions. I enjoy making complex settings as a writer, but as a reader I enjoy when that complexity is revealed over the course of the story.

[@leslielyn70]

Great advice! Also it can probably published as a companion addition to the book! I believe Tokein had something similar

[@pasiaomega3868]

Ohhh awesome advice! Sounds like it makes referencing back for continuity a lot less painful for those backer but important details. Thanks for sharing!

[@Mimithestan]

Thank you for this 🙏

[@abookishwitch5118]

Same! I have a series bible that all my fun but not totally relevant to the plot ideas go in. I also think epic fantasy readers love world facts so I think tossing a few in here and there on the side add some flavor. Tolkien did this, so does Martin, so does any epic fantasy writer. So I don't fully agree with just putting in the most relevant to the plot info. That can make the world feel smaller and at least for this genre- that's not what most readers want or expect imho.

[@gouki4u]

@@abookishwitch5118 You're correct. Fantasy readers expect world details. I don't mean to say a writer should withhold all but the most relevant ones. For me it's more a matter of having way too many, and trying to sprinkle them in like chocolate chips instead of hitting my readers with a brick of fudge.

[@kit888]

07:20 Conventional advice Create the world, maps, magic system 07:55 Abbie 's advice - start with the characters and their internal conflict Example - Chronicles of Narnia. Start with characters then show the world through their eyes, deep POV Don't infodump the world like a Wikipedia page Only show what is impacting the characters How is it impacting them emotionally? Reveal the world through dialogue and action, spread it out 15:40 Originality is subjective and overrated 16:40 Don't write to meet someone else's expectations Write the book you want to read, all the story pieces you enjoy Don't write in a genre just because it is popular An over saturated market might still have a lot of readers Bring your own unique twist to it 22:00 You can add complexity to the world building later As your characters experience the world You can go back to earlier chapters and add details, layers Keep in mind that the reader is new to the world and easily overwhelmed 25:52 Too much terminology can confuse readers No need to have a different name for everyday items Too many names for places, groups , cultures, can also be confusing Decide what you want to stand out by giving it a special name World building advice is in another video 29:25 Summary Start with the characters Make them, their internal conflict, the centerpiece Expand from there Simplify your world building Make it something you want to read Mix up all the bits you enjoy into a story smoothie Don't obsess over whether it is complex enough Instead, make sure you love it, have fun writing it Trust that you do have original ideas, that your writing is unique There will be an audience for the book no matter how narrowly you tailor it for yourself Have fun, experiment and explore with your writing 31:40 Abbie's immersive writing video for Fantasy writers Writing sprint with clock, music, soundscapes, locations Plus videos for other genres

[@KAEmmons]

Thank you so much for contributing, friend!! 🙏💛

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Thank you

[@kajalbanerjee5287]

Thank you very much for time saving

[@johnnymillar9056]

Thank god.

[@thefatbat5556]

I think the whole bit about it's all been done before is important. I'm pretty well convinced that nobody alive has ever truly had an original thought. Not because we're all the same, of course, but because there's only so many ideas to be had. If my books are thrown in the bargain bin with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I will consider my writing career a glaring success.

[@starwing2814]

Fantasy gives a lot freedom of ideas to play with. I was able to surprise myself a lot. I've been able to come up with a magic system based on tattoos! I still haven't chosen what type of world I would like to write. I've been struggling with choosing the type of protagonist for the story, trying to understand the motivation, internal conflict, goals, and all that jazz. I feel like now I have more direction than before. Thank you for all you do!

[@worthfightingfor2299]

Man, this was really helpful for me to hear! I'm just now realizing how many rules there are imposed on the fantasy genre! But it's supposed to be the genre with the most freedom and scope for imagination - and that's what I love about it. Thank you for another wonderful episode, Kate and Abbie!

[@WhyseWytch]

A good friend posed this observation: The complexity of the story actually relies on the interwoven relationships between the characters. i.e. lots of characters = a complex series of events

[@elchiponr1]

Or just a couple of characters with complicated interactions

[@BKPrice]

I think people only complain about saturated markets when the stories in them become dull and unimaginative. Throw great characters in there and fantastic writing and market saturation becomes a non-issue. A good writer can stand out in any market.

[@CandicePoe]

Love y’all so much! I think the biggest takeaway from your videos is reframing your obstacles as something to build your perseverance. See your writing as a chance to share a core truth. I just had surgery, so I’m taking this downtime to work on my webcomic.

[@martinmsvingen7200]

I was struggling with writing a fantasy novel for years. But, when I started writing short stories and poems and build my world and magic on that, I finally feel like I found my way of writing 🙂

[@MrNoucfeanor]

Always find fantasy renames for things entertaining if unnecessary. Nothing like reading a paragraph explanation how a "Tomate" is the exact same thing as a tomato.

[@astevenswrites]

Not the first time I've heard much of this, but it's awesome to hear this all from you guys, as Abbie specifically has been a HUGE help in writing my current fantasy novel over the past year. Most of her advice has been general writing advice, but it's fun to hear more about fantasy specifically. And you guys are so right. I have truly come to believe that writing and creating a fantasy world must be done through the lens of your characters. You can worldbuild and create some really fantastical settings, but I think the best way to do that is to do it naturally as the characters come into contact with it. For my first novel, we're starting in a small corner of this vast world that I have imagined. As the story progresses, we see more and more. And future books in the series will further widen the lens as we see more and more of this world that I have imagined in my head. It's super fun, and besides being a good way to introduce readers to it, it also makes my job easier as I can go on a discovery journey myself as I write, not having to "figure it all out" right off the bat.

[@Yen.Writes]

I love this! I'm starting my second draft, and I'm really trying to create the book I always wanted to read. Not just because it's a fantasy (although I have no magic), but because I pull a lot from my own family history. Arranged marriage, cultural differences, lost childhood, loss of control over your own life.I love my characters so much, and the world they live in is just organized chaos that is crumbling under their feet. I love it!!!

[@aaron6622]

When crafting a magic system, you should also craft people's reactions. If magic is widely available and doesn't come with any extreme costs, people will use it a lot. If it takes practice to use, expect people to try and use it to do simple things like boiling water so as to get good at using it for bigger things. If it comes with dramatic costs, like draining life, "human resources," or things like that, expect people to generally distrust wizards and view them as evil. And if the political powers of the world can't control all the wizards and keep all the world's magic for themselves, expect many governments to try and ban magic in the same way some countries try to ban things like guns, educations, free speech, etc.

[@aix83]

People who use "free speech" in the same sentence with "guns" tend to mean hate speech and the means to defend it as a right. The next argument is "it's not illegal".

[@alayamcgill7166]

Abbie's fantasy session is definitely my favourite as well and came at just the right time! 😅

[@jacobgamber5407]

"Think of your favorite fantasy book, snap your fingers and write it. It’s really that simple." Love this line😂😂

[@racyrowdyrocket]

commercials end after the first 7 minutes

[@milomazli]

Fantastiiiic 😍😍😍 I am so here for it! ♥️♥️♥️ Thank you two wonderful souls!

[@jonathankey6444]

The topic doesn’t start for SEVEN MINUTES

[@dracula-spits]

Thanks for the heads up 😭

[@spacewhales2118]

Trust my creative genius and vision above all else, got it 😉

[@Invert_Scrub]

Video actually starts at 7:00

[@Facesforce]

Thanks for this man. I was getting irritated at the infomercial vibe I was getting.

[@khamuliane]

I think, the struggle with the re-naming everyday objects - for me at least - is, that I want that world to feel alien. An alien world would obviously have for everything a different name than we do, but than we would write in fictional languages, so the least we can do is re-naming stuff to make it feel different. 🤔

[@Jman2543]

I really value everything you both had to say. Thankyou so much 🎉

[@isaiasherrero7889]

Yes as a Fantasy author, this is useful advice!

[@sweetpotato5385]

Actual video starts at 6:57

[@Iceman15_]

I'm currently working on a fantasy novel, drawing inspiration from one of my beloved genres. However, I find myself grappling with the challenge of distinguishing my work from the literature I adore. I'm apprehensive that if I adhere too closely to the conventions of the genre, my story may become just another offering in the same vein. I've chosen to adopt an organic, on-the-fly approach to my writing. I forgo the traditional process of multiple drafts, opting to write and publish each chapter as I go. This way, I aim to provide readers with a shared journey, experiencing the story alongside me as it unfolds.

[@milomazli]

I just became a patreon! You girls are so awesome!!! So glad I got to be part of your group! Cant wait the monthly sessions!! 💖💖💖

[@KAEmmons]

YAY! Welcome sweet friend! We are both looking forward to seeing you on the monthly get together!

[@mariavictoriaperez]

Thank you for this episode!!!! This is just what I needed to vanish my doubts about my current project

[@martianram]

I loooveee ur fantasy content so much thank u both

[@kennethdiasnogueira6105]

I don’t think the first point is actually a good one. Maybe for newer people who want to get into it for sure. But the thing is if you want to make a world that feels lived in there needs to be other things happening outside of your characters. Essentially the world does not revolve around your character funny enough. There’s conflicts breaking out and other forces at play in the world that affect your character rather than the character effecting the world. Now eventually your character may do so especially if they become some powerful mage or get tangled in a historical pivotal battle of your world. But the world needs to be something that is always moving forward regardless of characters and their place in it.

[@PhoenixCrown]

LOL love the comment about feeling like you're reading a wikipedia page. TOO MUCH info overload. I thought you two did a great job of explaining why this is a problem and how to fix it (see the story through the eyes of the protagonist). I wanted to add one piece of encouragement for writers (especially those that love to world build): If you spend a ton of time fleshing out your world, politics, economics, culture, etc. and you feel like only 1% of your work ends up in the book, I PROMISE you much more comes through in the story. It's hard to fake a thoughtfully created world, because little inconsistencies will crop up. Take the time to understand your world as much as is necessary to tell the story you want to tell, then only put in the pieces relevant to the story.

[@grifflancer2999]

Video starts at: 7:58

[@cassianoalvesdealmeida4262]

So cool! Please do more content on fantasy writing, your advices are helping so much! Best regards from Brazil

[@pasiaomega3868]

Question for Abbie on her epic playlists: where or how do you go about finding your music? I’m putting together one for my story which is dystopian and follows an Apache (Nde) girl and finding the playlist disjointed.

[@mmemonarch]

Trailer music or movie scores. My all time favorite artists for this are Two Steps from Hell, Audio machine, Hans Zimmer, Danny elfman

[@jonatantar4953]

Thanks for you🤗 Good advice as usual🍀

[@JessRenee91481]

I would be ecstatic if I sell 50 books. Anything more is a win, and I will continue to write the story I want to read.

[@juliamatthews100]

Was wondering if you ever thought about doing a template on this topic?

[@michaelkirkham8950]

So proud of you both

[@gabrielmiller4176]

TOLKIEN HATED ALLEGORY :} HE ranted against CS LEWIS approach in english pub circa 1934

[@adriancaliper]

Direct allegory to be exact ….he did say some allegory could be attributed to darkness of sauron and the ring

[@gabrielmiller4176]

Yes , a Story must have some allegory in it. I just enjoy how monist his mindset was that he could rant about etc. etc

[@crapshoot]

The part about only showing the part of the world the characters care about reminds me of how people say about real life history that we should care about our origins, but I just don't give a crap unless some particular reason relevant to me in particular comes along :P So I think my laziness made me a better expositor :D

[@Droviderion]

Great suggestions!

[@chemicallyrandom6150]

A Darker Shade of Magic, inspires my world travel. Comic books inspires my MC world. The magic system can be seen as basic, but I think that's okay. I do not want to create a complex magic system. Don't fix what isn't broken.

[@tomaria100]

Great!

[@Ghostrob2023]

Good evening, Kate and Abbie! I think you both should also thank the viewers on KZbin who watch your shows and videos as well, because some of them including myself are not on Patreon.

[@Sanakudou]

While I’m sure your viewership is undoubtedly appreciated, the perk of being on Patreon is getting that special shout-out because they choose to pay money every month for what the rest of us watch for free, simply because they feel the creators deserve the financial help in sustaining a KZbin channel. KZbinrs don’t make all that much money unless they’re getting 100k+ views on every video, hence why people who join their Patreon make a big difference in their financial circumstances. For many KZbinrs they wouldn’t be able to do KZbin full time without the money they get on Patreon.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

Give everyone or everybody access if they deserve it.

[@isaacriggs4656]

Somebody forgot the word "glossary."

[@cokeMONSTERps3]

7:00

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

Abbie decides how much access each person gets.

[@Connectedforreal]

Hi, just wondering which one of you is older

[@FrankCosbyNo-Relation]

I like how you just took JK Simmons' name

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

They can observe me, without any restrictions.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

People can observe me, with restrictions.

[@srijaedits621]

Yay!first

[@natalienicklin5683]

First half of the vid self advertising then saying they don't advertise 😂

[@leroyfalconer]

?

[@johnrossi8862]

I fear the day yall get too big for these videos.

[@msblogger349]

#Askabbie! Can u please make a video for people who have Google docs about how to write a chapter-by-chapter outline using Google Docs even though u don't use it for your books? Also, how do I write a character with PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) in Deep POV and how does the Temptation Moment story beat in your 3-act story structure work for a romance I'm writing insta-love and want to use this story beat instead of the disaster + dark moment. Please! Thanks for your advice it has changed both my life and my character's lives in unique ways! P.S. Can u also do Live Training on your KZbin channel and your Patreon because I don't want to pay for it?

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

Bill Gates is to get access to what’s restricted to him, regarding me. Give him and Sam and everybody else like them, all the access they want.