How To Write A High Fantasy Novel – The fantasy genre continues for many reasons. It takes us to other worlds and stimulates the imagination. It is based on powerful archetypes and symbols. Read on for 7 tips for writing compelling high fantasy:
There are many fantasy subgenres (this list lists at least 64). “High fantasy” is one of the most popular. For tips on writing high fantasy fiction that captures readers and makes them want to leave your fictional world, read on:
Contents
How To Write A High Fantasy Novel
The term “high fantasy” was coined in 1971 by the American fantasy writer Lloyd Alexander in an essay published in 1971.
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Series) used the term to describe fantasy fiction set entirely in secondary or parallel worlds. This contrasts with books set in our own ‘real’ world, with only magical objects, beings, characters or events (Brian Stableford, 2009, p. 198).
“…partly because it was difficult to draw dividing lines between high fantasy and other subgenres, and partly because portal fantasy was difficult to fit into the scheme.”
Despite this, many fantasy fans still talk about high fantasy as a distinct genre. Its most common characteristics are having an alternate world, such as location, heroic or epic qualities, and (often) upcoming plot structures.
If you’re writing fantasy set in a completely fictional world (as opposed to, say, medieval fantasy based on this actual historical period), here are 7 tips:
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It is an oft-repeated truth that to be a good writer you must also be an active reader. Tolkien’s
Takes place entirely in the secondary world of Middle Earth and is widely regarded as one of the best examples of the subgenre. How do you gather ideas for your own high fantasy novel?
Dust off your fantasy favorites and notice how your best writers tackle the elements of fantasy writing that you struggle with. It could be to maintain continuity between books in a series or to make a fictional world believable. Reading consciously in this way will help improve your writing in the long run.
How do you feel when you read a book where you can’t imagine the environment of the characters? Often these books are empty or dry, or too busy with the inner world of the characters. You don’t need to write all the chapters in the scene structure. But think of your characters’ environment as a character in itself. Just as a character grows, changes or does the unexpected, so can the setting of a fantasy world.
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Compare Tolkien’s description of Mordor, the ominous land of Frodo’s enemy Sauron, with his description of the peaceful forest lands of the noble elves:
“The mists curl up from the dark and noisy pools. Their scent hung suffocating in the still air. In the distance, almost to the south, the mountain walls of Mordor seemed like black clouds hovering over a dangerous mist-shrouded sea.
“Shadows fell on the valley below, but there was still light on the mountains above. The weather was warm. The sound of running and running water was loud, and the evening was filled with the faint scent of trees and flowers, which in summer still lingered in the gardens of Elrond.
In your high fantasy novel, create contrasts in scenery and atmosphere depending on the location of your characters to enhance the reader’s sense of place.
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Fantasy fans can expect certain tropes (common traits) of the genre. Nevertheless, it will be even more surprising if your world is at least a little original. For example, mythical creatures such as dragons and centaurs have been well represented so far. It doesn’t mean you
Use familiar mythical creatures. After all, most characters, plots and other elements of fiction are constantly recycled. However, you can subvert readers’ expectations and create a strong sense of your world as a different place.
For example, dragons are often depicted as scavengers. An extensive list of overused fantasy plots and character types includes the cliché of a girl who is “captured by an evil dragon who thinks she’s funny and thus saves her from being fried to a crisp”.
As an example, this trope can be reversed. George R.R. Martin does just that in his fifth novel
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Series: Daenerys Targaryen’s character captures dragons, cages them to prevent them from causing further havoc.
Minor fantasy novels often focus on overt traits related to class, race, or social affiliation. Of course a warrior is brave. Of course a princess or an elf is elegant or chaste.
In real life, people often surprise us by having contradictory beliefs or behaving differently than what stereotypes would assume us to be. A warrior going into battle may actually scream from a snake or a rat. No one is consistent all the time. In great fantasy novels, characters surprise not only each other, but themselves.
Writing a realistic novel in a well-known city is a challenge in itself. Writing an epic high fantasy that spans imaginary continents and nations is a huge undertaking. It’s easy to let inconsistencies creep in.
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To avoid this, plan your world and its inner workings in advance. Create an outline, especially if you plan to write a fantasy series
Once you have a rough idea of the world you’ve created, you can break away from that plan wherever you want. Create a framework to ground your world in the same way you might follow the different backgrounds and characteristics of the people and places in your high fantasy novel.
When an epic quest happens, it can be tempting to use dialogue to dump information. Don’t put the entire story of your fictional world into one long conversation over breakfast with your hero at the local bartender’s exchange. Good high fantasy novels manage to balance descriptive writing, dialogue, and action. Most importantly, dialogue conveys not only factual information but also a sense of the speakers’ character.
, when Frodo’s friend Sam is caught eavesdropping on an important conversation, he says, ‘I wasn’t listening.’ His speech reflects the rustic and distinct qualities of the hobbits. Contrast this with the lyrical and fluent speech of the elves. When the white horse appears, the archer Legolas says, “Unless my eyes are deceived by some magic, it is one of Meara.” Elves use passive voice and more complex tense forms.
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As a general rule, try to create names that the reader should have no trouble pronouncing. In Ursula K. Le Guin
In the novels, the main character is not called Tir’ag’na!kan or Akhakhanian: he is simply called “Goat”. It’s still an unusual name, and the simplicity suits the added flair of the story.
High fantasy is epic in scope and usually has large characters. Think about how you can use names to convey aspects of your characters. This will help them become memorable. IN
For example, Sam’s simple, familiar name (shortened from “Samwise”) matches his laid-back and reliable nature. Contrast this with the mysterious and secret-sounding name of Saruman, the fallen, corrupt wizard.
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Writing high fantasy books is difficult because of the amount of creativity and invention required. As long as you plan ahead, spend time learning the details of how your world works, and avoid the pitfalls of common genre clichés, you can write a fantasy novel that will make readers want to leave your fictional world.
Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA in English Literature and BA in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. The fantasy genre includes a wide variety of subgenres, including “high fantasy”, also called epic fantasy. high fantasy book or series? Does it have to be magical? Dragons? Epic fight scenes?
In this article, we’ll explore the characteristics of a high fantasy story and provide some tips you can use when writing your own.
Although there are many elements common to the fantasy genre, high fantasy stories share three main characteristics: secondary world-building, epic quests or worldwide conflicts, and magical or fantasy creatures.
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High fantasy takes place in a completely fictional world (a “secondary” or alternate world). This sets it apart from low fantasy in our world (the “main world”). A fictional or secondary world is created from the author’s own imagination and has its own rules, systems, history and functions. For example, J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series is a high fantasy tale set in the fictional Middle Earth. In contrast, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympiad books are set in our world, where magical elements “intrude” into the real world.
The stakes in high fantasy are always high—it may involve a hero embarking on an epic mission or resolving a conflict with worldwide ramifications. The fate of their entire world is literally in the hands of your hero. Can they save it or will it be destroyed? Mary E. Pearson’s Kiss of Deception trilogy is an example of a heroine who must accept the role of princess and leader to stop a great evil that threatens to destroy kingdoms. George R.R. In Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series,
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