Reading fantasy fiction books will take you to a different realm; a realm which only our imaginative mind can explain. Through creativity and openness, fantasy fiction readers can sometimes feel like they’re one of the characters in the story.

But what is fantasy fiction?

Think Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, or The Lord of the Rings. These are the best-selling fantasy books turned into movies of all time.

In a nutshell, fantasy fiction involves a story which can and will never happen in real life. It usually comprises of magic, spells, mythical creatures, witchcraft, or talking animals. Anything the real world can’t do, fantasy fiction can.

While science fiction borders on the same themes such as fantasy fiction, it integrates technology in its plot. Therefore, the two shouldn’t be interchangeably used.

Whether you’re a newbie or seasoned writer, writing a fantasy fiction book will take all the imagination to create a magnificent outcome. Along with that, let me share with you five tips and benefits for writing and reading fantasy fiction.

Benefits of Reading Fantasy Fiction

•    Imagination can make you a more understanding person. Reading fantasy fiction will open up new possibilities in an impossibly complex dimension. This activates some neurotransmitters in the brain to see things in another angle.

•    Reading fantasy fiction is a stress-reliever. Compared to other book genres, fantasy fiction sometimes can make you forget about circumstances in the real world. Thus, leaving behind all your worries for the moment.

•    Fantasy fiction can make you an open-minded person. Different elements in a fantasy fiction book can open up your mind, especially to stigmatized situations or people in the real world.

•    You will get broader and deeper vocabularies in your arsenal.

•    Reading fantasy fiction will help you sleep better and make you look forward to the book as well.

5 Tips for Writing Fantasy Fiction

1. Compose your structure before writing.

Do you write your business proposals without creating a business framework or models beforehand? I would assume that you never do, given you’re a coordinated employee. As with any other things, creating your plot or story structure before starting to write will give you an excellent guide as you go.

As you know, writing fantasy fiction is tough. Not a lot of writers find great success in their work in this genre because it usually involves complicated storylines. When you have everything plotted out, you can then build every scene according to the structure and change as you write, if necessary.

Furthermore, don’t forget to focus on world building as well. World building is specially crafted for fantasy fiction books because readers will be taken to another dimension. World building is a way of creating an alternate or imaginary world that’s too impossible to exist in the real world. This world can also be called a “conworld” (constructed world). Determine which world you want to base your entire story from, and you can go from there.

2. Determine your audience.

Identifying your target market is an integral part of marketing in a business. The primary purpose of writing a book is to provide enjoyment to your readers and of course, make money. That said, figure out if your story depicts a middle grade, adult, or young adult content.

For instance, if you’re writing a very complex story with weaponry and space travels, using characters that match the plot will help readers relate and understand too. If you’re writing teen fiction books for boys, you might want to rethink about having an all-female protagonist.

In short, knowing your target audience will allow you to create a better, relatable, and suitable theme for your readers. And that’s what makes a good fantasy fiction book stand out.

3. Associate themes in real-world situations.

We all know fantasy fiction is nothing but the real world. However, as a writer, finding inspiration could mean getting strength from your current predicament or the world’s quandary.

Serious world issues that include politics, racism, culture, technology, environment, violence, or sexism can ignite more of the readers’ senses. However, you have to think of creative ways to explore these matters and integrate them into a fantasy world.

Another way to get inspiration from writing fantasy fiction is to think about your current plight and build a story or scenes around it. Be inventive and open your mind to impossible ideas, and it will emanate in your book.

4. Paint a clear picture through details.

When writing fantasy fiction books, it can be quite challenging to let the readers understand a particular scene or a mythical object. So instead of using vague descriptions, always make sure that you’re pointing out every minute detail. Being meticulous when writing will go a long way.

Since fantasy fiction plots revolve around another dimension, readers aren’t familiar with it. Thus, it’s hard for them to imagine how this magical world looks without you igniting their senses. Describe each scene and character like how you would describe it to a blind person. Describe every tone of emotions like how you would describe it to a deaf person.

Overall, it’s essential to let the readers live vicariously through this fantasy world. If you can achieve this through words, then you can certainly write anything!

5. Introduce your characters one by one.

Fantasy fiction books can involve a lot of characters. And for the average readers who are not the sharpest tools in the shed, it could be a bit overwhelming if you institute all the characters on the first few pages.

Give the reader some time to familiarize the plot first and then introduce the characters one by one. It’s hard enough to memorize the names of mythical creatures and other dimensions, so cut your readers some slack and let them enjoy each character in your book gradually.

Final Thoughts

While it can be challenging to write fantasy fiction books, keeping your passion burning will always be the key to a favorable completion. Moreover, always steer clear of distractions when writing. Quieter and scenic places will give you more motivation, finishing your book with a bang.