Fantasy Writing: What should you not do (or 10+ things to avoid!)
Fantasy and Fantasy Writing has been around for as long as humans have. It’s a genre that deals with the impossible and what it would be like if the world was different from what we know now.
There are many sub-genres of fantasy writing, but one thing they all share is the presence of magic in some form or another. Whether that comes in the form of spells, monsters, or other fantastical elements – there will always be something to make people believe and wonder about possibilities outside reality.
However, there are some things you need to avoid when you are writing your fantasy (what you should not do in fantasy writing). We will go through them in this list and the reason why they would not help you with your writing today.
1. Stereotyping
Make sure your fantasy setting is as diverse as possible. This way, you can create more interesting and unique characters for your story. Diversity isn’t just about race; it includes sexual orientation, religion, social status, political views and economic background too.
2. Weak Plotting
Your fantasy story needs to have an engaging plot that ties back into your themes and ideas of the story. This is why it’s so important for fantasy writers to think deeply about what they are trying to say with their story, which is why you should always get a second opinion on your work before submitting it to a publisher.
3. Not Engaging Readers
Make sure your story is interesting and engaging by adding more conflict throughout the book. This will help readers stay invested in your story and it will make it easier for them to relate to each character too.
4. Ignoring the Rules of Your World
All good fantasy stories follow their own internal logic; things work within the world of your story in a particular way because you decided it should work that way. You can’t just make things up as you go along or else it defeats the purpose of having rules in the first place. This is why it’s important to plan out your fantasy story before drafting this content.
This is also why you should make sure your fantasy story has its own set of rules. This way, you can explain things to readers better and it will help them understand the concept of your world too.
5. Making it Impossible to Visualize
A lot of books fail to become instant bestsellers because they don’t contain enough description. It’s important for fantasy writers to describe things in detail so that readers can form a solid mental image of the setting and characters within your story. This also makes it easier for them to visualize how each scene plays out in their mind.
– Harry Potter has a lot to do with magic and defeating an evil wizard, but it’s also about friendship and the power of good overcoming evil. As for A Series of Unfortunate Events, its plot revolves heavily around surviving financial troubles and fighting against people who want to take advantage of the Baudelaire children. The low fantasy elements in these stories provide a whimsical and intriguing element to the plot.
– The Chronicles of Narnia is about children who fight against evil and protect their kingdom; Harry Potter is about friends who do the same as well as fighting against injustice and oppression; A Series of Unfortunate Events is also about fighting back against those who wish to cause harm and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is about saving your friends from danger.
– The protagonist in A Series of Unfortunate Events is the Baudelaire children who fight tooth and nail against anyone who attempts to take away their freedom; Harry Potter is all about fighting back against the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort; The Chronicles of Narnia is about the Pevensie siblings who fight against the White Witch.
– Harry Potter has a very diverse cast of characters from different backgrounds and social standings; A Series of Unfortunate Events also has diverse characters but they’re not as fleshed out as those found within Harry Potter.
6. Not Using the Right Tone
There are more than one ways to say something; you can make your fantasy story serious or more lighthearted depending on what tone you decide to go with. This is why it’s important for writers to think about their genre and audience before writing anything. If you’re already sure then you should craft your fantasy story accordingly.
7. Using Too Much Dialogue
Dialogue is important because it allows you to establish the personality of a character and it can also reveal a bit more about what’s going on within the story. However, if you use dialogue excessively then your readers will start to lose interest in what they’re reading. That’s why you should keep an equal balance between dialogue and narrative within your fantasy story.
8. Making Your Characters One-Dimensional
All good stories revolve around well-developed characters that readers can relate to or sympathize with as the case may be. It’s important for writers to give their characters a multi-layered personality so it’ll be easier for them to understand what these characters are all about.
9. Including Too Much Description or Exposition
There are certain things that need to be explained; otherwise, readers will feel confused and they may even stop reading altogether if you ramble on too much without explaining anything at all. That’s why fantasy writers should only include the bare essentials when it comes to description and exposition within their book.
10. Not Using Real-World Analogies
One of the best ways to make your fantasy story feel real is for you to make comparisons with things that are familiar within the real world; otherwise, it’ll be difficult for readers to relate to what they’re reading. If you use analogies or comparisons that are relevant to them then they’ll be able to understand what you’re talking about.
11. Not Using Sufficient Development
Writing fantasy stories is hard because the event that takes place within them is usually far removed from what readers know or experience in real life; that’s why it’s important for fantasy writers to use sufficient development when crafting their stories so it’ll be easier for them to establish a connection with their readers.
12. Not Using the Right Point of View
One way for fantasy writers to handle the problems they may encounter when writing is by deciding whether or not they want to use first-person point of view, second-person point of view, third-person limited and/or third person omniscient. There are advantages and disadvantages for each point of view that a writer may use.
13. Not Using the Right Tense
Tense is also an important thing to consider because there are three different categories writers can choose from including past tense, present tense and future tense. Past tense has been widely used since it allows readers to understand what happened in the past; that’s why it can be used in practically all kinds of storytelling.
14. Not Keeping Track of Characters and Plotlines
Fantasy writers should keep track of what happens to their characters because it’ll help them understand where they’re at with regard to their story; otherwise, they might start contradicting themselves if they fail to keep track of what’s going on within their fantasy story.
15. Not Having Enough Conflict or Tension
Conflict and tension are important to storytelling because they allow readers to understand what’s at stake for the characters in the decisions they make; otherwise, everything will seem boring and uninteresting if you fail to provide enough conflict or tension in your story.
16. Not Providing a Satisfying Ending
Endings are important because that’s where writers finally get to provide their readers with a sense of closure if you fail to do so then they’ll be left unsatisfied and they may even stop reading altogether when confronted by an ending that is perceived as not having any kind of closure.
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