What do you want to read?

Pleasing an audience is something that writers will almost always have as a goal, even if only in the back of their minds. However, making yourself happy when you write is just as important - if you don't even like the story you're writing, how can you expect other people to?

It may seem obvious that a writer should like their own story, but it isn't always. There have been times when I've found myself working on a story only to realize one day, "you know what? I don't like this plot anymore." This goes along the lines of losing interest in a certain project as well.

When writing your story, think to yourself: would I enjoy reading this? If the answer is no, there's a good chance that writing it has become tedious as well. At that point, revamping your plot, characters, or even your setting might be something to consider. That doesn't mean you should throw the old draft out (actually, that's something you should NEVER do). You never know what little details you might want to include in later drafts regardless of how the plot has changed as a whole.

Think about what the world of fantasy is missing. What's something you've never, ever seen or read before? How can you build off of that and turn it into a story all your own? If you are happy writing it, there will definitely be people who are happy reading it.

The Places of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'

This map marks the locations that inspired the various places seen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first installment of J.K. Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter series.

The Title

The title is most likely the very first thing your reader will notice about your story. Therefore, it's important for the title to be interesting, but not overly-complicated. Here are a few tips to consider when choosing a title for your story.

You don't have to come up with a title right away. Even if you do, keep in mind that you might want to change it eventually. With the stories I've written, I often don't come up with a title until I've already written a good chunk of the story - sometimes not even until I've finished a draft or two!

Keep it simple! If your title is too complicated or difficult to remember, it might be a little harder to catch a reader's attention with the title alone. There are exceptions, however, and it depends on the way you're planning to present your story. But as a general rule, keeping it short and simple, like The Lightning Thief or Wonderstruck is ideal.

This website has a lot of great information about choosing a title.

Fantasy settings!

A short slideshow about just a few of the different ways setting is done in a fantasy story.

Podcast - Writer talk!

I had the chance to interview a good friend about her writing, and we were able to have a very nice discussion about our experiences. Listen to it here!

So you want to write a series...

(image by steamboatbooktrails.org)

Plenty of popular stories these days can be found in the form of a series - especially a trilogy! Stories like The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter are very popular amongst fantasy/sci-fi lovers. However, writing a series can be more difficult than you think. 

Personally, I don't like to plan around the possibility of a sequel - unless I know exactly how I want the story to continue after the first book (and come to think of it, I can't remember a time I've ever actually done that). I'm the kind of person who prefers to write stand-alone stories, but for those of you interested in writing a series, I do have a little advice!

As I mentioned above, it's never a good idea to plan around having a sequel unless you know how your story is going to continue on. For example, if you find yourself having trouble wrapping up a certain storyline, don't just immediately say, "oh, I'll fix it in the sequel!" Sequels are often good at serving that sort of purpose, but try not to leave your main storyline unfinished. Make sure the first installment of the series was worth something other than just an introduction to your characters, plot. etc. 

Don't feel inclined to write a sequel just for the sake of having a sequel. If your story is all nicely wrapped up by the end, and anything further would just be forced writing, leave it be! Don't write a sequel unless you want to, or believe it's necessary.

Are your characters believable?

When writing fantasy, it's very easy to get caught up in the nearly limitless world of your imagination, and end up translating that into your characters. However, in most cases, this is something you'll want to avoid. Writing characters with supernatural abilities or bizarre personalities is a big part of fantasy, but depending on the type of character you're going for, you'll still want your audience to be able to relate to them in some way or another.

Your protagonist does not have to be a traditionally "likable" character, nor do their views and opinions have to align with yours. The important thing to remember is to give this character a believable motive - revenge? Glory? Safety? Even if your character is not human (or fully human, at least), you will want them to have qualities that make their actions believable - or else, they may come across as overpowered or invincible in a situation where they are not.

"Mary Sues" and "Gary Stus" are names given to the types of characters that are practically perfect at everything they do, never make mistakes, and everybody loves them. Flawless characters don't usually carry a story well, and often are not the most interesting to read, because you can know automatically that they are probably going to win by the end. Depending on where the inspiration for your character is coming from, try to put yourself in their situation - not necessarily when it comes to decision-making, but with reacting. How would someone with x personality respond to x situation? Imagining your setting as if you were there yourself can help you understand the characters you've put there, regardless of the similarities or differences you may have with them.

Avoiding Plotholes

Have you ever been reading a story, and have found yourself confused or misled by the plot? This is called a plothole, and it's a fairly common occurrence when first starting out especially. This is when something is unexplained or forgotten about in the story, altering its outcome.

Writers face the issue of plotholes all the time. When I'm coming up with my plot, I try to think of all the key elements I'll need: characters, setting, story, motivations, etc. Then, I try to answer all the questions a potential reader could ask, so as to have the answers covered within the story.

When writing a more complex piece of fantasy (i.e. one with its own rules of magic, etc.), it's important to know the limits of your setting and characters. What would seem out-of-character in this situation? How does this piece of the story make sense? Foreshadowing is another common literary tool, but if not done right could cause plotholes or unnecessary confusion.

Character Death

 (image from cartoonbrew.com)

Especially in fantasy, character death is quite a common occurrence. Whether it's to further the plot, set up the story, motivate your characters, or whatever else you can come up with, here are a few guidelines I've gathered over the years that have helped me.

Don't kill off characters purely for shock value! I used to do this a lot when I first started writing, and it seems to be a fairly common problem amongst beginners especially. When writing a character death, it's important to consider the impact the loss will have on the story and the other characters. Will it make them want revenge? Will it cause them to lose hope? Will it make the team more vulnerable, or the villains more confident? This is all up to you, but make sure that they don't die in vain! (unless that's the goal, of course)

"Underdeveloped characters? Kill them off!" Don't do this! If you have a character who you know from the beginning is going to be someone you're killing off, be sure that they're well-developed up until that point. If you want your audience to care that this character is gone, you have to give them a reason to. Don't kill off a character just because you're bored of writing them - if you're bored with them, re-write their personality! Re-write their backstory! Change something to make you want to keep writing them - or, at least, to make their death matter to you. If their death matters to you, there's a higher change it will matter to the readers, too.

When it comes to writing the death scene itself, the atmosphere of your story plays the biggest role. There's no "right" or "wrong" way to do it, as long as it makes sense within the realm of the story. Is their death surprising, or was it foreshadowed from the start? What is it exactly that kills them, and what element of the story dies along with them? Once you've figured these things out, your character can surely rest in peace.

Beginning, middle, end - in that order?

(image by writersassembly.wordpress.com)

When writing a story, I've always found it easiest to write the events in chronological order. Perhaps this seems obvious, but for some, it might not be. Movies are often filmed out of order, so maybe the sequence of events taking place in your story could be planned that way, too. I used to do this for a long time before realizing that it wasn't an effective method for me, and I frequently found myself confused when trying to figure out what I'd already done and what I hadn't.

More recently, I've discovered something that makes the first draft significantly easier: write out the story in a simplified way, especially when it comes to dialogue. This method reminds me almost of a screenplay, which uses keywords to describe the emotions instead of going into too much detail. Save the majority of the details for the future drafts, and focus on getting the entire story onto the page first!

Additionally, it's very, very helpful to know how your story is going to end, even early on in your writing process. Having a goal to work towards keeps you motivated, and narrows in on where you want your characters and plot to ultimately end up. However, it's also perfectly okay for you to change your mind about the ending part way through your draft. In the first draft of my current story, the ending I'd originally decided on is fairly different from what it is now. Even though the specific idea got changed, I always had something I was working towards. Having even the vaguest idea of where you want to end up will work wonders for your entire experience throughout writing.

Know Your Villain

(image from theinquisitiveloon.com)

As important as it is to have a well-written protagonists, your villain (or antagonist) must be developed as well. In order for there to be a believable threat to your characters, you must understand your villain - what are they after? What is driving them? How are they going about their plans?

It's important to note that your antagonist does not have to be a single person, or even identified as a "villain". In the story I'm currently working on, my antagonist is actually an organization who used to believe they were doing the right thing, but switched "sides" when things started to go wrong. This gave them a background for my protagonists to understand, and has in turn helped me when writing about them.

Most of the time, your antagonist will need more motivation than just "wanting to take over the world". This is a motive that has been done in the past, almost to the point of it being cliche. That's not to say it can never be written again, but finding alternate motives for your villain makes them all that much more believable and even threatening.

This page is a good resource to reference when creating a villain.

Writer's Block

Writer's block is one of the biggest challenges writers face. When writing a novel, sometimes your brain and imagination just go blank. Whether it's for two days or two weeks, writer's block can be hard to overcome. However, over the years, I've come across a few techniques that have worked for me, and might even work for you, too.

If you're stuck on a certain part in your story, step back from it for a little while. Take a break, think it over. I personally would not advise you to skip over that certain part and go back to it later, as I've found that to get confusing and disorganized, but if that's a method that works for you, go for it!

Sometimes, the best way to beat writer's block is to write the first things that come to mind. Describe the view from your window, create a scenario for your characters that you wouldn't find within your story's universe, make lists, etc.

Regardless of how you choose to tackle writer's block, remember one thing: never give up! I've often gone weeks without working on my story directly, but planning it out and thinking of ways to continue on have kept me interested in it. As always, don't be afraid to think outside the box!

Point of View

When writing a story, one very important thing to figure out before you even begin is the point of view you want to use. There are several different options, but I'm going to be telling you about the most common ones.

First person is when you write from the perspective of your main character. This is when the story is told using "I", as if you were reading someone's journal. For example, "I quickly ran through the woods in hopes of avoiding the thunderstorm." I used to use this point of view quite often, but I found myself falling into the bad habit of lacking my main character's development. Because everything you knew in the story was being seen from their eyes, it was easy to get caught up in that and ignore their own story. That said, first person POV can still be great - stories like Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games have used this quite well.

Third person point of view is my personal favorite to use. This is when you follow your character(s) through the story, telling about all of them from an outside view. For example, "She followed the rest of her group, keeping up with them as best she could despite her injury." I find this to be the easiest to write, and even the easiest to read. You can still get inside the head of your main character without having to tell everything strictly from their perspective. I think using third person POV allows the writer (and even the reader) more freedom to explore the possibilities of the story.

Losing Interest

Many times over the years, I've found myself losing interest in the current story I'd been working on. The reason for this is almost always because I've thought of an idea I'm more interested in, and transitioned to writing that one - but is abandoning a story a good thing to do, or is it really not that big of a deal?

The answer is actually completely and totally up to you. There have been times when I've stopped writing one story for another, and never went back. While I may be disappointed because it never got finished, I usually feel proud of myself for coming up with an idea that I'm much more invested in, and that was important enough to me to put my other idea on hold.

However, there are times when I DO go back to work on older stories - which is totally fine, too! There are no rules saying that you can't work on more than one idea at the same time, but I personally have found that method difficult to keep up with.

If you lose interest in your story, change it up a little bit. Think of new plots, new endings, new characters - even if you don't end up using them, it'll help get your imagination flowing! If you think of an idea you'd rather write instead, give it a try and see how it goes. Writers' minds are often overflowing with possibilities, and it may benefit you in ways you may not even realize to let them all spill out onto the paper (or the keyboard!)

Don't feel bad about "abandoning" ideas if it comes down to that, because sometimes, it just happens - and usually, it's for good reason. I believe that every idea I come up with is better than the last, and that an idea I stick with is a story I'm really, truly passionate about - in fact, I like to think that my current story, which I've been writing since December, is my best yet. That doesn't mean I've forgotten about stories from before that, but if I were still writing the same thing I began while in middle school, I don't think I would've grown nearly as much as a writer.

The First Draft

The first draft is where the adventure officially begins. You've thought of a plot, created a cast of characters, and you're ready to begin! Perhaps you don't have every little detail figured out, but that's perfectly okay. That's a big part of what the first draft is for: finding out what works, what doesn't, and just seeing what happens along the way.

The differences between your first and second drafts will probably be pretty major, and the differences between the first draft and final draft absolutely will be. When writing the first draft (also known as the "rough draft"), I like to write out my story almost as if it were a screenplay - describing scenes the way I imagine them, but shortening things like adjectives for dialogue. It gets the main ideas on the page without having to go back and change things to fit the format of a novel. I often just call this the "planning draft".

I've recently discovered that writing scenes IN ORDER is very helpful. I used to write whichever scene I developed in my mind, regardless of it's chronological placement. This ended up being rather confusing, but it works for some people. Remember, your first draft WILL be rough - play around with different styles to find what you prefer, and go write that novel!

These are my notebooks from over the past few years. All of them are nearly full (if not entirely full) of draft after draft after draft! Sometimes you change your mind about a plot point, or want to start over to smooth things out a little more - which is exactly why your story will more than likely have multiple different versions before you reach the finished product.

Character Names

Naming your characters is, without a doubt, a huge part of the writing process. For me, the names are sometimes the first thing I come up with - I think of a name I like, and build a character around that. However, names can sometimes change as you continue to develop the character. For example, a character in the story I'm currently writing started out with the name "Molly". As I worked on the story some more, I realized that a slightly different name was what I always ended up associating her with - "Mel". Don't be afraid to play around and experiment with different names - see which ones suit your characters the best!

Some of the most useful references for writers looking for names are baby name websites. Nameberry and babynamewizard are my personal favorites. These websites give you an overview of each name in its database, including the meaning behind the name as well as the origin. Remember that your character's name does not have to reflect who they are - i.e., a graceful character named "Grace" (most real peoples' names are not chosen that way!).

Last names are a bit more difficult. There are similar websites dedicated to surnames, which I find myself browsing quite often when trying to choose one. Some surnames have been ones that I've thought of on my own. For example, "Bellsworth" is the last name of one of my current characters, which came to mind while playing a video game! Your characters don't have to have last names (there are plenty of fantasy stories that don't mention them), but it's always a useful aspect to keep in mind, should you choose to include them.

Common Fantasy Cliches

 (image from nerdist.com)

Fantasy, like most other genres, has a large range of cliches found throughout its stories. These are common themes and points in a story within the genre. With fantasy having quite a few of them, I'm going to be talking about just a few common fantasy cliches. However, this does NOT mean that these are boring, unacceptable plot points to use in your stories - cliches become cliches for a reason: they're popular! That said, too many cliches can sometimes weigh down the overall quality of the story. Use them wisely!

The Chosen One. This is an idea that comes up a lot. In stories like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and plenty of others, the protagonist is often the only one in the entire novel who can save everyone - or, at the very least, do what is necessary to allow others to do so. Personally, I think this plot is overused. In order to make your story a bit more interesting, try an idea that requires more than just "destiny" in order for your protagonist to be special.

Dreams. In fantasy novels, characters experiencing plot-altering situations while dreaming is a highly popular concept. Sometimes, an entire chapter is dedicated to a dream, but readers will not find it out until the end. This can be very misleading, and even quite confusing. Dreams can play an interesting role in fantasy, but if they're crystal-clear and require no deciphering of any kind, it becomes a bit unbelievable - even withing the realm of fantasy.

Prophecies. Similarly to The Chosen One, prophecies are overused. When writing prophecies, keep in mind what authors have done in the past to incorporate them into a plot. Think of your own unique spin on a prophecy! Perhaps it isn't the novel's main focus, or maybe it's something a minor character has to face instead.

Last but not least, villains. Villains are often a necessary aspect of fantasy stories. However, there are many instances of villains being unmotivated, underdeveloped, and only existing purely to be a roadblock to get in the protagonist's way. This is why I always believe it's very, very important to understand your antagonist's entire story arc before you begin - maybe even before your protagonist(s) are totally figured out. That said, your story does not have to have a "big bad villain", either. For example, in the novel I'm currently working on, my antagonist is a group of people who once truly believed they were doing the right thing, but have then gone on to realize that the way to gain respect might be by deceiving people without them knowing.

What comes first?

A common problem writers face is beginning - not necessarily the exposition of the story, but the elements required to build one. What comes first - characters? Plot? Setting? The truth is, there isn't one single correct answer. In my experience, your very first bit of inspiration can be for just about any of those categories. Sometimes I think up the antagonist first, sometimes a certain friendship, a concept - even a single phrase can be the key thing I begin developing on. With an endless number of ways to begin planning a story, here are some methods I've used with my own writing.

As a general rule, your characters will almost always be more important than a basic concept for your plot - because without characters, your plot probably isn't going anywhere! Creating characters can be the hardest part, without a doubt. With minor characters especially, something I've found to be helpful is to pick one specific quality to exaggerate. You could have a character who's overly cheerful, or a character who's moody and tough and says nothing can hurt them. When you've selected this one characteristic to associate them with, it opens up a thousand new doors for you as a writer. What would break your cheerful character's heart? What's the one thing that makes your angry character smile? As you begin to understand them better, your characters will most likely grow and change immensely throughout the process of creating their tale. It's also important to keep in mind the overall feel of your story. If the dialogue or behavior of your character feels awkward or out of place, it could put a damper on the story as a whole. A little exaggeration is good, especially when it comes to fantasy, but the exact amount of it depends on the kind of story you're aiming to write.

When it comes to plot, this is where you'll need to use the most active part of your imagination. What's something that sounds impossible, and how can you make it real? What kind of story would you like to read? Does it involve magic? Elves? Wizards? None of the above? Drawing inspiration from your favorite works of fiction is a great place to begin, but remember the difference between being inspired to write something of your own and "borrowing an idea".

Sometimes the best way to begin writing is to just write. Write what pops into your mind. Write different perspectives. Re-write the ending to a movie. These are things that probably won't be eligible for publication, but if it helps your creativity flow, they don't have to be!

Here's a video about beginning to write:

What is fantasy?

This is a question I've been asked many times when it comes to writing. What is fantasy? What comes to mind when you hear the word 'fantasy'? Perhaps its wizards and witches, elves, magical far-off lands, mystical potions, or creatures that don't exist in our own world. While all of those things are common elements found in fantasy stories, the genre itself goes much further than that.

According to childliterature.net, fantasy is "events occur outside the ordinary laws that operate within the universe. Magic is central to the fantasy genre. Fantasy stories often involve journeys and quests."

Essentially, fantasy includes an alternate version of reality, or an entirely new world altogether. It can be as simple as changing certain parts of the real world, or building one from scratch. For example - your story could take place in New York City, where everything is exactly the same except the people there have psychic powers.

The setting isn't what makes a story 'fantasy', but it often plays a role in some way. As opposed to a unique take on reality itself, many fantasy writers create their own worlds - sometimes even brand-new species, languages, customs, and creatures.

In short, fantasy is hard to define. While elves, dragons, and magic spells are common themes found in fantasy stories, they don't always have to be! The reason fantasy is so popular is because of the freedom you have to pour your imagination into it. Don't be afraid to think outside the box!

(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Photo by dailymail.co.uk

Introduction

Greetings, fellow fantasy fans! Welcome to the Adventurer's Guide, a blog dedicated to tips and advice about fantasy writing. As a long time writer, I've picked up some guidelines over the years that I've found to be very helpful, and I'm excited to get the chance to share them with you here.

My name is Annalee, and I've been writing for nearly ten years now. I've written mermaids, mages, elves, angels, and even cities you can only access on the back of a giant bird! Whether you've been writing for twenty years or twenty minutes, writing can be one of the most difficult things in the entire world of art - especially when it comes to fantasy. In a world of your very own, you get to decide how everything works. There's no "right" or "wrong" way to do it, which is both a blessing and a curse.

It's important to mention that this is not a "how-to" blog - this is simply a collection of methods and ideas that have been useful to me, and many others as well. Writers inspiring other writers is one of the most important elements of the whole story-making process.

I'll be covering a number of topics that are commonly struggled with in fantasy writing, as well as some personal experiences of mine that have helped me improve as a writer.

Oh, and before we even begin, it's helpful for writers to have a good, quiet writing space to retreat to! Here's a picture of what mine looks like when I'm at home:

Thanks for reading - now, let's get writing!