Tips for Writing Fantasy | Michael R. Barbour

Posted by Mak Peter on February 3rd, 2021

Fantasy author R. B Michaels’ latest novel, Knights of The Wind 978-1-95-163054-6, follows the adventures of a powerful mage and gifted knight as they venture into a world filled with mystical creatures in order to save their kingdom from impending chaos that threatens the peace and tranquility of their land. Tied together by fate, they must overcome dangerous situations and fight evil to attain victory. Michaels’ writing is vivid and powerful, catering to all the senses of the reader. Descriptive imagery in the book will make you feel like you have been dropped between the adventures.

When it comes to writing fantasy, there are no rules or guidebooks to follow. A writer’s imagination can run wild, chasing down the sun or running through Westeros, for fans of high fantasy. There is much space for creativity and imagination, thinking inside the box is not even an option! According to Writer’s Republic, here are some out-of-the-box tips for writing fantasy:

•         Know Your Target Market
  
  

Before you start writing your fantasy novel, you should really know your target market first. If there’s one thing you should know about the fantasy genre, it is that there are multiple types of fantasy.

There’s High fantasy, Magical realism, Low Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fairy Tales, etc. And if you want to make your writing as focused and effective as possible, you will need to know your target market.

That way, once you do start the writing process you won’t have to ponder what demographic you should pattern your writing style for.

•         Write a unique set of characters
  
  

When it comes to writing a fantasy novel, your cast of characters is key. This is because your readers will see the story unfold through your character’s eyes.

They may also see themselves in your set of characters. So make sure that your cast of characters is truly unique.

Stay away from used up tropes and clichés. Take the time to come up with a truly great set of characters.

Who knows? Maybe your characters could be the cornerstone of the next great fantasy series.

•         Base certain events in your book after real-life historic events
  
  

It is always a good idea to base the events and concepts of a book on historic events. For example, you are writing about a dynastic war within a crumbling civilization.

Then you can base this entire scenario after the dynastic wars of ancient China. You could also base the crumbling civilization after the decline of ancient Rome.

By giving your stories a historic aspect, you will be able to make you're writing a lot more nuanced and layered.