I was a fantasy reader long before I became an editor.
For one who reads and edits a ton of books in this genre, I continuously see patterns that will make me stop reading at a moment’s notice.
I want to help you write better fantasy stories. I want this post to be a guide of how to write great fantasy stories by NOT doing the things that make terrible fantasy stories.
Don’t Start with a History Lesson
Your fantasy story is amazing. I know it because you wrote it.
So throw me into it and make me believe. The worst way for you to do that is to give me six paragraphs of intricate back story about what wars were fought by whom, when the fall of magic happened, what faction was behind what insurrection, and when was the last time that the elves were seen in the Darklands.
Why don’t I want to read all of this intricate world-building right away?
Simple answer, I don’t care yet!
These are all things that I will definitely care about after I’ve gotten to know your main characters and seen some amazing stuff happen.
Once you get me hooked into your story, then you can start laying all of this out for me as it becomes more relevant.
I know you may be thinking that I won’t have a proper appreciation for the plight of the main characters, unless I know the entire backstory of the land and all the politics that got us up to this point.
But let me assure you, if I had to know all of that before we actually started, then you don’t even really have a story to tell me.
At this point, all you have is a ton of world-building, and I’m so confused going into chapter one because I will never remember anything from this history lesson without context.
If you absolutely must prepare me to read in advance for what I’m about to read, make it just one sentence.
Maybe two. The fewer names I need to remember, the better.
Don’t Make Your Character’s Name Impossible to Pronounce
I’m so excited to go on this fantastic journey with your protagonist.
So please, for the love of the Gods, give him or her a name I can pronounce.
Feel free to give them all the weird middle names, last names, clan names, and titles that you want. You can even have someone say them all at once, just let me know that your main character is “Saylor.”
When I’m excited to tell my colleagues about what a great new book I’m reading or editing, and I go to remember the protagonist’s name, let me be able to say it without sounding like it’s my first time speaking in English.
Don’t Put Me to Sleep on the First Page
You have created a fabulous fantasy world and established all the laws of kingdoms, magic, dragons, and cities.
Don’t start me out with two soldiers looking over the remains of a battle that’s already over.
Don’t have another warrior entering an inn to inquire about a room, or even worse, a wizard being asked by his apprentice if the time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
Show me what you’ve got.
Slap me in the face with the most awesome chunk of your world right away. I will stay with you to the last page, and then chow down on the appendix with a napkin tucked into my shirt eating lobster tails.
If you start me off on two characters talking, info dumping, wondering about their places in the world, I’ll yawn, and probably not make it to the end of the first chapter.
If I’m not being thrown into a surprise attack by a swarm of “Hydra’s,” then at least start me off with a knife being put to someone’s throat in the first sentence.
I walked into this book with all the goodwill in the world, I’m ready to celebrate you as the best new voice in fantasy, so make your first chapter the best one of the book!
Don’t Rewind When We Get to the Second Chapter
Awesome, you slapped me in the face with an amazing first chapter! I’ve tasted a nice little piece of your rich world, I’ve seen amazing things, been to epic places, my adrenaline is pumping with anticipation.
The only thing that could kill all the excitement is to turn the page to chapter two and see those dreaded words.
5 years earlier. . .
I’m done.
When you rewind the story after an exciting first chapter it means only one thing, that your story is actually boring you just showed me the exciting part first so we could get off on a good foot together.
Now we’re actually going to go to where your story starts and we won’t get to anything exciting for several chapters.
Don’t Do the Same Old Hero’s Journey
I’m reading your book because I don’t get enough magical swords and dragons in my daily routine.
I’m hoping you can put me into that world, but what I don’t want, is to read the same exact version of the hero’s journey that every other famous story has been hijacked from.
What is the hero’s journey?
It’s an age-old story archetype outline by a guy named Campbell, and it’s like this:
- Protagonist grows up in a very mundane way
- Evil power threatens the common folk
- Protagonist overcomes their fear and goes in search of a way to fight back
- Protagonist meets a wise old person, sometimes ethnically different from the protagonist, who teaches them how to be great
- Protagonist goes on a journey, applying the lessons in order to become great
- Protagonist finds mystic weapon to fight evil
- Protagonist confronts evil and needs to conquer their own fears or inadequacies in order to prevail
- Protagonist defeats evil because the protagonist is, in fact, awesome, the land is safe, and the hero’s journey is officially complete
It’s a formula that I keep reading, and sometimes I even hear important people in this industry refer to it as, “the basis for every good fantasy story?”
Lucas did it well.
Tolkien did it extremely well.
But, if I have to sit through one more fantasy novel where Boy XYZ starts the story living on a farm, watches his village destroyed by the soldiers of the evil warlord, flounders his way to the wizard’s cave, learns about the Sword of Dominion, goes on a monster filled quest to get the sword, confronts the warlord in his tower, is fooled by illusions of his dead parents, and finally displays uncharacteristic courage because he’s the chosen one — I will drive off a cliff.
But wait a second.
What the hell is my fantasy story going to be about if I can’t have quests, sage teachers, and a one-on-one battle with the villain at the end?
Wait wait wait, just so we’re clear, throw in as many quests as you want, all-powerful magic battles with necromancers, wizards, dragons, everything.
Just don’t do it in the same cookie-cutter format as so many other fantasy writers have already done, and beaten to death.
So, what will my story be about if I can’t use the Lord of the Rings as a template?
It can be about anything else.
Anything else.
Think about an awesome movie that isn’t a fantasy film.
Let’s take The Fugitive.
This is an awesome story about a genius doctor who has everything. Then, his wife is suddenly murdered and he’s framed for it.
He knows that all the evidence is stacked against him, so he goes on the run and he has to become completely unseen, even though everyone is looking for him while he conducts his own personal investigation to find his wife’s killer.
How is that not an amazing story if the main character is suddenly a wizard, and the King’s assassins are now trying to hunt him down.
What about Black Hawk Down?
The true story of a small group of American Special Forces whose mission goes completely wrong, and they have to get out of a city filled with thousands of enemy combatants trying to kill them.
Tell me that wouldn’t be amazing if it were a small group of knights in the middle of an Orc city, or better yet, an elite group of Orcs trying to fight their way out of a human city?
I want you to understand that fantasy is a genre, it is not a formula.
Any story can be told with knights, wizards, elves, and princesses. The further away we get from the hero’s journey, the fresher the story will feel and the more visionary of an author you will become.
Need editing or publishing help with your fiction story or memoir? I offer free consultation and personalized quotes. Let’s connect. Send me an email: griffinsmith74@gmail.com
