Writing Tips

Reading a fantasy novel feels amazing if you are a fiction/fantasy lover. Writing fantasy is not an easy task and if you want to be a fantasy writer, check the following fantasy/fiction writing tips. Although there are no specific rules in fantasy novel. It’s your novel, you are entitled to write your own way. But there are some things fantasy writers who as beginners often neglect the following steps in their story. Let’s discuss those small but important fantasy writing tips.

#1 Defining a fictitious technology

Naming a fictitious technology in your fiction/fantasy story must resonate with the readers. It’s your technology, you have created but naming will give an added boost to your book and audience should relate that easily. Don’t give confusing names, cluttered names that audience will denounce right away. Names must sound with the technical device and technology associated. See how J.K Rowling, Suzanne Collins created fictional names in theirs novels.

The basic motive for a fantasy novel is to entertain the readers. Thus if you are writing fiction, your primary job is to entertain the audience by your writing skills. Science fiction though can be classified as hard SF and soft SF , still the story will sell based on the character, plot line, drama, action. You don’t need to use too much scientific jargons or technical terms to make your book stand out from the peers unless it is about hard SF. Audience needs science but they are no scientists. If they are scientists, they would have been busy doing research in scientific labs and universities rather than spending time on reading fantasy books. Why one write a fiction novel? Simply entertain.

The audience will not be too keen to know about the technical operations of the technology you are describing. A simple description is enough to hook your audience but digging in details to the technical terms or the technology may bore your audience and they might stop reading your book. You can only describe in details the technical terms depending on your plotline.

Remember I am not talking about non fiction, bio, memoir. You ask people, friends around you. Do they love fantasy movies or books? Most of them may agree but that doesn’t mean they will like the techno terms associated for e.g. the mechanics, dynamics of an object in details in your story. In novel, it’s always about the characters that stand out and audience want to connect with the characters of your story emotionally be it a fiction or non fiction novel. So try to use less techno functional terms unless your book is full of hard SF as said earlier. No body is interested in an inanimate object in your story. All the success of the story will depend on your representation of your characters, mythical creatures, animals, ghosts , demons, angels, dragons, mermaids, zombies etc.

#2 Laws of world building to be followed

When you are creating the world building for the fantasy world, along with the techno terms , you got to set the laws that govern the environment you created for your novel. Is it similar to the world you are living or specific to the world you have created for your novel. Define rules and laws for your fantasy world and audience should well understand about the rules governing them. It is preferable to create rules in a pragmatic approach but it all depends on your plotline. If your story demands weird rules or conditions, you go ahead and create those.

#3Active voice

Although you have frequently seen or heard that you must use active voice in your writing, I would say try using active voice for your fiction writing. But passive voice can’t also be denied. You can use passive voice if a scene can be described in better way than using active voice.

#4 Don’t follow any cliched way or a generic plot structure

It is important to know the cliched way of writing a story. It’s your story. Try to be authentic. Any successful author must have read many books before penning down their first novel. Thus as a new writer, we tend to follow a cliched way to start a novel thinking that it would work fine with you. But that’s wrong. Never follow a cliched way to start or to finish. There are no rules here.

Whatever your fiction story demands, write accordingly. You have freedom to start with a dialogue or defining an exposition at the start or whatever suited for your story. Readers love to decode and read what they have not read before. So you must begin your story with some ideas that you have never read or heard before. Similarly don’t follow general characters viz- protagonist , antagonist stuff only. Give your readers multiple characters to keep them hooked into your story. Also I suggest finish your novel with cliff hanger ending.

#5 Think from editors and publishers perspective

You are not here to display your passion for writing. Rather you are here to get recognition and appreciation for your work. You want your book to be best seller. Why would you waste your time in creating a masterpiece without letting the world know you created it. Thus if you have to be a successful author, think for editors and publishers’ hat. You have to write what genres and what plotlines are mostly liked by audience. You have to craft your novel in such way. Thus you need to do holistic research before brainstorming the plotline.

Just as an example, people love dragons in fantasy genre. Don’t forget to incorporate dragon and if not incorporate dragon like creature and define it in your novel. People bear emotions with special creatures and thus you need to make proper study and research before writing a novel.

#6 Belief

This rule is simple. If you have no belief and confidence in your plotline, you can never create the masterpiece you have always desired. You all can and start writing the fiction novel you have always dreamt of.

Conclusion

These tips are for fiction books. If you have any more tips, feel free to share them in comments. Happy writing to fellow aspiring writers.