Tips to Writing a Fantasy Novel that’s different and unique
Posted: Monday, May 12, 2008
by Will Kalif
Kalif Publishing
Fantasy novels can be worlds filled with amazing and wonderful journeys and adventures but does the world really need another novel with all the typical things like fire breathing dragons, magical all-powerful swords, and the story of a farm boy turned hero? Don't fall into the trap of writing a typical fantasy novel. Here are some tips that will help you write a fantasy novel that is different, new, and maybe even better. The first thing I want to impart on you is about the very nature of "fantasy". It implies an act of creative imagination. That is great for you as a writer. You are writing a story and building a world. And it is your world. Absolutely anything applies! Write anything you want to write. Don't be boxed in by traditional rules of fantasy. You are in control of everything and nobody can tell you otherwise. Let loose and just see where you imagination takes you.
Here are some tips and ideas on what you can tinker with in your novel to make it more creative and different
Time – This is one of my favorite things to tinker with. Time doesn't have to plod along at the usual pace. And If you have been writing for a while you have become a bit sensitive to time, nd you probably already tinker with it. Does a two minute sword fight take two minutes to read? Nope. The basic rules of time need not apply to your writing. Want to write your whole novel in the one minute life span of some type of fantasy creature? I think it would be fun and challenging.
Perspective – Is your main character human? That's perfectly fine but wouldn't it be a challenge and a lot of fun to use some kind of other creature as your narrator? How would a strange fantasy creature think? An easy way of looking at this would be from the perspective of a dragon that lives for thousands of years. Wouldn't that dragon have a whole different outlook on the world – based on an accumulated wisdom.
Creation of systems and beings – This is where you can have a lot of fun yet still impart something special to your readers. Aren't there already enough ogres, elves, and dwarves tromping around the pages of fantasy novels? Couldn't you come up with something new? Draw some sketches and write down outlandish ideas. How about a whale sized creature that floats through the air eating microscopic bacteria? Or a race or elf-like creatures that fire electric eels from their bows? As far as systems go wouldn't it be different to have your adventurer stay in one place and have all the adventures come to him? Rather than tromping around the world maybe the world would come to his front door. How about a world where every single living creature falls asleep for the duration of the full moon? It would be fun to find out what happens when they all wake up.
Some cautions for your new imaginative writing
Just because you are writing something new and creative doesn't mean you shouldn't have any discipline. You are still writing for people. And people have expectations. That means there has to be a certain logic and sense in your world. You have to lay out rules in a way that the reader will understand and accept as natural.
So don't find yourself falling into the trap of just coming up with something to solve a situation or crisis. One of the worse things you can do is just all of a sudden grant your main character the ability to cast a spell that solves a problem. Don't bend your rules to make your story work. Layout your rules then work within them.
With a little bit of imagination you can come up with a world and a story that is totally different, yet totally rewarding for your readers. Let yourself loose, try different things, and see where they lead. You are the creator of a totally new world and just about anything goes. Just make sure you temper it with some discipline so it makes sense.
Will Kalif is the author of two fantasy novels with several more coming. Visit his site devoted to fantasy at: The Fantasy Guide website – Your guide to Fantasy on the World Wide Web
Or visit his blog devoted to all things Medieval and Fantasy at: Heroic Dreams – Never Give A Sword to A Man Who Can't Dance
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)hi will, ths was a very interesting, and well written article with so many good tips for the budding artist. ones i wouldn't have thought about had i not just read them. thank you for sharing, best wishes, sue thom
I've been trying for ages to write a fantasy novel myself. I recently teamed up with an illustrator friend of mine, and my enthusiasm has been rejuvenated. I just wanted to write to say that it was a relief to find someone of repute on the internet who was writing what I wanted to read. As I've been writing, I've been doing an equal amount of research on the internet for tips on novel writing, and on what to expect if I get to a publishable state. I've been writing largely as this article promotes. I just want to be different. My software proofreader hates me. My friends think I'm crazy. I've never had more fun writing. Its good to know that people can be successful being different. For what it's worth, I've been going for a sort of Alice in Wonderland meets Dr. Seuss style fantasy craziness. I was worried that not following all of the rules would be a detriment, but breaking them is so much fun. I just wanted to give this article two thumbs up for motivation to be crazy.
Wow what an article! This was a phenonminal help to my writing career. Well Mr. Will (I'm under the age of 13 so I'll use my manners and say Mr.) I hope you can help. I have a book I have been longing to write. After about a year I am still on the third chapter. Any ways, well I think my book is getting a bit boring. I don't know if its because it just isn't any good or if I have been re-writing it too many times. I already know the plot and everything. I just need things to happen to prevent the villian's plot from being. My book is writting in 1st person POV. It's about this really old man who every afternoon tells stories to children in the city that he lives in. And, what the children don't know is that the stories are true and the man lived the stories he tells. He tells about when he was a kid in the late 1930's and how this family was affected harshly by the Great Depression. So they lost their house and moved into the a new city and are residing at their relatives' estate for a while. There the man tell's the children that the young boy (him), finds a secret passageway to a mystical planet that rests thousands of miles outside of the our solar system. There he embarks on a journey filled with battles against other fantasy animals trying to stop the quest he has been given. The quest is to stop the evilest witch and her army of dozens of wicked fantasy creatures that she is going to unleash through the portal through or world and the world where she lives. Does that sound good, It sounds boring and terrible!! I know please respond!!Hi, Thanks for reading my article. I can help.This is what you do. Don't worry about anything at all !!!Focus right now on finishing the story, just writing it out. Don't worry about plot, grammar etc. Just finish the story. Once you have that done then you can start to think about editing, grammar, plot points etc.Just sit down daily and let the story flow. Don't worry about it. Let it flow.
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