#fantasy writing tips

[ancientroyalblood]

World-Building in Fantasy Writing: Crafting Unique Realms

In the realm of fantasy writing, the creation of worlds is an art unto itself, a meticulous process where each word, each detail, bears the weight of building something extraordinary. The task is daunting, for within these words, worlds must spring to life, realms that breathe and stir with unique cultures, landscapes, and histories. In this exploration of world-building in fantasy writing, we…

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[arijensineink]

Free Chapter Outlining Template For Fantasy Writers — arieljensine.ink

When writing long fantasy books, getting organized is essential. I used to barrel through drafts and chapters without any kind of outlining.

Here is the chapter outlining template I mentioned in the livestream today, I think @jwirthdreams @thatcat626 @angelsofprey and @heir-of-hope were present/curious while I was talking about it.

This probably wouldn't work for everyone, but it got me in a great flow outlining my current mini-project, and I've been writing up a storm.

[daily-fantasy-ideas]

Why not give your characters some noticeable but very minor odd physical habits

For example, a character could have habit of closing their right eye in response to engaging in certain physical activities and exertions such as stretching, yawning, dramatically posing or getting hit. You don't even have to give a reason for them doing it, just have it be something they do for some reason.

Or it could also be a social activities thing. Like maybe while talking with people or existing in a social space, a character could be fiddle with their own hands contorting them into weird shapes.

And hey it's a fantasy setting right? So why not have a magic character cast very small low powered spells in their hands while tapping their feet when their not doing or having to focus on anything else.

[thewolfmanslayer]

Fantasy writer tip: If you're having trouble explaining how a specific magic/spell/potion/enchanted place or whatever works or can't think of a detailed explanation of the mechanics of this or that you are allowed to use "Oh, we're not entirely sure ourselves how it works the way it does. It's being researched and we have some interesting theories but so far all we know is it does <this> when used like <this>"

Which is entirely believable! There are so many things we don't know about and how they function specifically, but we do know that if we do this specific process then it does a specific thing, there are so many things still being researched and developed further so it is definitely valid!

[moonlite-drabbles]

DEAR FANTASY WRITERS RESEARCHING THE PAST AND ATTEMPTING TO WRITE BASED OFF IT

If you are looking for daily life, what their homes looked like, the basics of what they ate and lived off of, and other facts that would sell home your knowledge, but are unable to find sources that don’t either go so in depth about something you don’t understand, or are vague, here is the website for you.

Ducksters.com

It’s made explicitly for a younger audience, who are probably researching for school, but it has the basics and isn’t confusing. Quite litterally it’s written to just driver the information in a way that a fifth grader could look at it for a minute, then answer some question sheet.

I just looked up Middle Ages: Daily Life on it and received: where the majority lived (in the country), what they do (most worked as farmers), basic government thing (oftentimes there was a local lord who lived in a manor or a castle), what they grew (barley, wheat, oats) all in the first paragraph.

It’s simple, to the point, and is designed to deliver the basic information one needs.

[womanbehindwords]

Hey guys! My best friend and I are making a non-profit organization for writing services! For that, we need some volunteers, please reply or reblog if you are interested in volunteering.

[sanctimonies]

i hate to bother but i’m not sure where to look, but is there any resource that you know of that’s about fantasy clothes. not looking for anything specific maybe something general to help me

you’re no bother! i actually found a few really helpful sites with tons of advice and tips for creating and describing fantasy clothing. 

roll for fantasy. this offers a general guide and diagrams. it seems like a good place to start.

mythcreants. this is a crazy helpful resource that covers factors from function, augmentation, allegiance, and everything between.

a blog called flights of fantasy. this is a short article on how (and when it’s important) to describe clothing when writing fantasy.

and lastly, a pinterest board with over 1.6k images of fantasy clothing inspiration if you need ideas.

i love questions like these, so feel free to send messages asking for resources, tips, advice, or research if you’re ever stuck! —z

[sweeterwines]

When looking for inspiration; people tell me to read. But once I've done lots of reading, I just feel as if my work is being influenced by other authors too much. And I don't want to get done for plagiarism! How do you suggest I overcome this?

This is really quite a difficult answer- and I’ve avoided answering it for a long while because I didn’t know the answer myself, and I want any advice I give to come from the truth of my experiences. So anon, I apologise for how long this has taken, but just know that it’s coming from a good place.

Firstly, you need to understand what plagiarism is. It’s when you TAKE someone else’s work, and claim it is your own. Then, understand what inspiration is- when you admire the creativity of another creator, and let that INFLUENCE your work.

It’s natural- especially as an amateur writer (I struggle with this too)- to mimic our favourite authors, in their tone, their layout, sometimes even their characters. But as far as I’m concerned, that’s okay. Humans learn through observation. We observe something good and we do it ourselves. We will eventually find own voice and out own style, but for now, allow yourself to write freely, and let yourself notice any subtle mimicry in the revising. And as for plot similarities, what may help is to try to twist elements of your plot you find similar to another author’s in a different direction, e.g, instead of writing about a boy wizard who is the Chosen One and must defeat a dark wizard- try writing from the perspective of one of the hero’s peers, who is doing their part in the good fight.

Hope this helped!