Fantasy stories are an easy way to engage your audience and they are actually filled with magic, adventure, and unforgettable characters. I personally admire stories and love to read books. Stories make my dull and boring life more interesting by introducing fantasy elements. 

I am always excited about stories with a clear purpose and sequence of events. As a writer, I enjoy fantasy stories for their exciting plots, themes, and overall impact. Today in this blog, I will go over my top tips for writing engaging stories, what to avoid, and how to make it interesting.

In this blog, you will learn:

• Learn from experienced fantasy writers.
• Brainstorm plot, characters, and dialogue.
• Create a vivid, magical world.
• Develop compelling characters with depth.
• Craft an engaging plot with twists and turns.

What is the exact fantasy genre?

Fantasy genre stories are a type of literature that does not exist in the real world. In this story, nothing is impossible, including:

• Animals speaking
• Time travel
• Parallel universe
• Mythical beasts
• World full of magic and mysteries

Although fantasy and science fiction stories are nearly identical, both genres do not exist in the real world. Fantasy stories take you to a magical world filled with mythical creatures and exciting adventures. The way you are going to write your fictional story is that you are going to define features of your story which grabs the attention of your audiences.

Top 9 steps for writing a fantasy story + Examples

Fantasy stories are one of the most challenging genres of story writing. I face many challenges while writing stories, because many of the writers generate exceptional themes and engaging ideas. Writing a story is a difficult task because it requires a wide variety of interesting elements.

To overcome those challenges I started using a story generator. This AI tool assists me with its amazing algorithms. That advanced algorithm generates my story and allows me to set the creativity and length of my story from short to extensive and let me set the creativity level from low to high.

I work on the following nine steps and make my writing more engaging and interesting with the help of AI tool.

1. Read experienced story tellers 

Before I began writing my story, my first and foremost priority was to read experienced and well-known magical narrators. I start by observing their writing style, point of view or perspective of story writing, the structure and main themes of their stories, and finally the characters they create in their magical tales.

By reading stories from experienced storytellers, I believe my reading style has improved, and I have included a variety of themes in my stories. Actually, I believe that the best writers are avid readers. So, if you want to write an enchanted tale, read famous fantasy stories.

Finally, do not read just one writer; instead, read several writers and their fantastic works to help you write your narrative. Here is a quick suggestion for you. Take a look at the list of old and new magical writers. These are not the best or worst options, but any of them is a good place to start a story. 

• Terry Brooks
• Mercedes Lackey
• Tad Williams
• David Eddings
• Raymond E. Feist
• Brent Weeks
• C.S. Lewis
• J.R.R. Tolkien
• George R.R. Martin

2. Create rough sketch and do brainstorming 

Brainstorming helps you come up with a variety of ideas and helps improve your story writing. First, create a rough sketch of the plot, character, image, ideas, and engaging dialogue. Grab a piece of paper and jot down ideas for your story:

• Plot: What's the big problem? Maybe an evil sorcerer is stealing dreams.
• Characters: Who are the people in your story? Like a young baker who discovers she can enter dreams.
• Cool scenes: What exciting things happen? Picture the baker diving into a nightmare to rescue a child.
• Catchy lines: What might your characters say? "In dreams, we are all wizards."

Now, look at your ideas. Let your imagination play. Ask questions after sketching a rough map:

• Is the baker girl with long, shiny hair your heroine?
• What happens when she first enters a dream?
• Why is she scared? Maybe dream monsters chase her.
• What can she do in dreams? Maybe she can change the dream world.

Example: J.K. Rowling said she first imagined Harry Potter on a train. She wrote down ideas: a boy wizard, a magic school, evil wizards. Those rough ideas grew into the Harry Potter world, which makes it a masterpiece.

3. Create magical world and make it believable 

The setting of the story attracts the attention of a large audience. The magical world is mostly attracted to children and adults. The main point is that fantasy stories are about things that do not exist. 

Example: In "The Golden Compass," Philip Pullman created a world where people's souls live outside their bodies as talking animals. It's magical, but he uses real ideas like loyalty and growing up to make it feel true.

First, think about your world:

• What's the magic like? Maybe people use color-magic: red for fire, blue for water.
• How do people live? Maybe they live in giant tree-houses because the ground is lava.
• What are the rules? Perhaps using too much magic makes your story unrealistic.

A magical world doesn’t need any dragons, castles or fairies; it just needs the presence of magic and supernatural elements. When writing about your imaginary world, make sure to include all story elements and things you know about it; if you do, your story will be more believable.

4. Write exceptional characters 

Now you need the characters that live in your newly created world. Characters will help push your story forward and make the reader care about what’s going on in the world you worked so hard to develop.

J.K. Rowling's novel features an exceptional character named Harry Potter. He is brave and kind, but he also has a hot temper. His difficult past with the Dursleys makes us want to help him. His goal is to defeat Voldemort, but he struggles with fame and loss.

Here are the important key points when you are developing your exceptional character:

• Write a rich backstory for your character that explains their past experiences, traumas, and motivations.
• Give your characters flaws and weaknesses that humanize them and make them relatable. 
• Define clear goals and desires for your character.
• Explore the internal struggles and conflicts your character faces, such as moral dilemmas, self-doubt, or conflicting emotions.
• Give your character unique traits, or habits that make them memorable and different from other stories.

These key points make your character not just a figure on the page, but a living, breathing entity that connects with readers long after the story ends. This strategy increases the credibility of your story writing and makes your character much stronger.

5. Compelling plot to engage readers

Think of your plot as the adventure your readers will engage with immediately. It needs to be exciting from the start. Remember how "The Lord of the Rings" begins with Frodo getting the ring? That's your hook - something intriguing that makes readers want to know more.

Next, your characters need a clear goal. Maybe they must find a magical key to save their village from a curse. As they search, make the challenges harder. First, they can't find a map. Then, they face a tricky forest sprite. Finally, they must face an ancient dragon who is saving the key.

Have some parts of your story move fast, like when your heroes run from danger. Then have some parts move slowly, like when they rest and talk. It's like a song with loud and quiet parts. This makes your story fun to read. At the end, when your heroes hurry to save the day, your readers will cheer for them because they care about what happens.

6. Main theme should be captivating

Your theme is the big idea behind your story. In "A Wizard of Earthsea," it's about accepting all parts of yourself, even the not-so-good parts. Your theme should be something people care about.

Use your fantasy elements to show your theme. If it's about the power of friendship, maybe your characters' magic gets stronger when they work together. If it's about respecting nature, perhaps disrespecting the forest spirits causes disasters.

Weave your theme into everything - how characters act, what they say, and the problems they face. When readers finish your book and think, "That really made me think about courage," you've nailed your theme.

7. Write according to the taste of your targeted readers

Who are you writing for? Kids? Teens? Adults? This changes your story a lot. Focus on the target audience of the story you are writing, and clearly write from a point of view that adds interest to it.

For kids, like in "Harry Potter," focus on friendship, bravery, and good versus evil. Keep the language simpler and the moral choices clearer. For teens, you can add more complexity. In "Six of Crows," there's danger and tough choices, but it's still about young people finding their way.

Writing for adults? You can go deeper. "A Game of Thrones" has complex politics and critical situations. Adults often enjoy more detailed worlds and challenging themes.

When you write according to the target audience, it increases the credibility of your writing. 

8. Add twist and turns in your fantasy story 

Surprises make stories fun. You know how everyone was shocked when Ned Stark died in "Game of Thrones"? That's a twist, which increases the intensity of the tale. It changed how readers saw the story.

Your twists should make readers more engaged in your tale, but they shouldn't feel random. Leave little clues. Maybe everyone thinks the old wizard is good, but you hint that he's been lying. When it's revealed he's the villain, it's surprising but makes sense.

Twists can be anything: a betrayal, a prophecy meaning something different than expected, or a weak character turning out to be the real hero. Keep your readers guessing; this makes your story more intense and interesting.

9. Proofread like an editor 

Even great writers like Terry Pratchett had editors. Why? Because when you're deep in your fantasy world, you might miss things.

An editor is like a helper who reminds you of your own story rules. If you wrote “Elves never lie,” but then an elf tells a lie, the editor will catch that mistake.

 They catch mistakes not only in grammar but also in your logical story. In a world you've made up, consistency is key.

They also help balance your story. If it's too silly, they'll suggest serious parts. If it's too dark, they'll find spots for hope. And they know what's selling in fantasy, so they can guide you there.

Remember, writing fantasy means creating a whole new world. These steps take your story to the next level. Use them well, and you'll write a story readers will want to visit again and again. 

Try it!

As you work through these steps, you become more aware of the fantasy stories. You might get halfway through writing your story and think, "Wait, this isn't working!" So you go back to the beginning and think up new ideas. 

When your story feels messy, don't worry. Messy can be good - it means you're trying new things. But if the mess gets too big and confusing, come back to this guide. This reminds you what your story can look like when it's done.

Frequently asked questions 

What defines a fantasy story?

A fantasy story is defined by its inclusion of magical or supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world.

How do you create a compelling, magical world?

Creating a compelling magical world involves defining unique rules, settings, and elements that captivate readers' imaginations.

Why is editing essential for fantasy storytelling?

Editing is essential for fantasy storytelling to ensure consistency, logical coherence, and engaging pacing throughout the narrative.