How to Start Writing a Fantasy Novel – Step By Step

There’s a unique call to adventure that echoes in the heart of every fantasy writer. It’s the yearning to build worlds, weave magic, forge heroes, and pit them against impossible odds. Fantasy, as a genre, offers boundless imagination, allowing you to craft realms from the ground up, explore the deepest facets of human (and non-human) nature, and immerse readers in experiences utterly unlike their own.

But that boundless potential can also feel like a terrifying, infinite void. Where do you even begin when you have to invent not just a story, but an entire reality? The task of writing a fantasy novel can seem monumental, a sprawling epic before you’ve even penned the first word. Yet, with a strategic approach and a willingness to embrace the journey, that intimidating void transforms into a canvas brimming with possibility.

This guide isn’t just a checklist; it’s a roadmap to navigate the initial, crucial steps of crafting your own fantastical saga, balancing wild creativity with grounded structure.

The Foundational Spark: What Makes Your Fantasy Unique?

Every compelling fantasy novel begins with a spark. It’s not enough to simply say, “I want to write a fantasy novel with elves and dragons.” That’s a setting, not a story. The real magic begins when you ask: What is the central idea that sets my story apart?

1. Beyond the Tropes: Identifying Your Core Concept

Think beyond generic fantasy elements. What’s the twist? What’s the question?

• Is your magic system inherently flawed, requiring a sacrifice for every spell?
• What if the dragons are not beasts, but ancient, wise beings who judge humanity?
• What if the “chosen one” is utterly unwilling and incompetent?
• What if your elves are terrifying, bloodthirsty conquerors, or your dwarves are ethereal dream weavers?

This core concept should be a single, intriguing sentence that captures the essence of your story. It’s your elevator pitch, your guiding star.

2. Nailing Your Subgenre: High, Urban, Grimdark, and Beyond

Fantasy is a vast umbrella. Knowing your subgenre early on helps you understand reader expectations and narrative conventions:

• High/Epic Fantasy: Grand scope, good vs. evil, vast world-building, often multiple POVs (e.g., Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time).
• Urban Fantasy: Magic intersecting with a contemporary, real-world setting (e.g., Dresden Files, Rivers of London).
• Dark Fantasy/Grimdark: Bleak tone, morally ambiguous characters, often violent, realistic consequences (e.g., A Song of Ice and Fire, The First Law).
• Sword & Sorcery: Focus on individual heroes, adventure, and pulpier action (e.g., Conan the Barbarian).
• Contemporary Fantasy: Magic in our world, but less gritty than urban fantasy, often more whimsical or hidden.
• Historical Fantasy: Real historical periods infused with magical elements or mythical beings (e.g., Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell).

Identifying your subgenre helps you tailor your world-building, character arcs, and overall tone.

3. The “Why”: The Human Heart of the Fantastic

Beyond the magic and monsters, what is your story really about? What message, emotion, or philosophical question are you exploring through the fantastical lens? Is it about:

• The nature of power?
• Redemption and forgiveness?
• The cost of immortality?
• The resilience of the human spirit in the face of impossible odds?
• The struggle against oppression?

Identifying this human core will ensure your fantastical world resonates deeply with readers, even if they’ve never encountered a dragon.

World-Building: The Heartbeat of Your Realm (Without Getting Lost)

World-building is often the most exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, part of writing fantasy. You’re creating an entire reality from scratch. The key is to avoid getting lost in the details before you’ve even started writing the story.

1. It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Build as You Go

Don’t feel pressured to have every single detail of your world meticulously planned before writing chapter one. This can lead to procrastination or an endless cycle of pre-writing.

• Start with what’s necessary: Build enough to get your story moving. What does your protagonist need to know about their immediate environment, culture, and any magic system?
• Embrace discovery: Allow your world to evolve as you write. New ideas will emerge as your characters interact with their environment and face challenges.

2. The Iceberg Principle: Show the Tip, Know the Vastness

Your readers only need to see the tip of your world-building iceberg. The vast majority of your lore, history, and intricate details will remain below the surface. But you need to know it’s there. This depth gives your world a sense of reality and allows for organic plot twists.

3. Key Pillars of Fantasy World-Building

Focus on these fundamental elements, ensuring they are cohesive and logical within their own rules:

Magic System:

• Rules & Limitations: What can magic do? What can’t it do? What are its costs (physical, emotional, societal)? A well-defined magic system feels more real and creates higher stakes. Is it “hard” (defined rules, like a science) or “soft” (mysterious, ethereal)?
• Source: Where does magic come from? Gods? The land? Bloodlines? Technology?
• Impact on Society: How does magic shape government, economy, warfare, social status, and daily life?

Cultures & Societies:

• Beyond just races (elves, dwarves, etc.): Give each group distinct beliefs, values, customs, social structures, governments, religions, and conflicts.
• What are their historical grievances? Their unique arts or sciences?
• How do different cultures interact (or clash)?

Geography & Environment:

• Roughly map your world: continents, oceans, major cities, significant landmarks. Consider how climate, terrain, and resources influence cultures and travel.
• How does the environment shape the characters’ lives and the challenges they face?

History & Lore:

• Outline key historical events: ancient wars, fallen empires, significant discoveries, forgotten gods, and prophecies.
• How does this history influence the present story? What secrets are hidden in the past?
• Consider creating a simple timeline of major epochs.

Creatures & Races:

• If using classic fantasy races, add unique twists. Don’t just make them generic.
• Invent your own unique creatures: What are their biology, psychology, social roles, and interactions with other species? How do they fit into the ecosystem?

4. Integrating World-Building: Show, Don’t Info-Dump

The biggest pitfall in fantasy is the “info-dump.” Don’t stop your story to deliver pages of exposition. Instead, weave world-building naturally:

• Through dialogue: Characters discussing their beliefs or history.
• Through character experiences: The protagonist encounters a magical artifact or visits a new culture.
• Through action: The limitations of magic are tested in a battle.
• Through sensory details: Describing the unique architecture, the smell of a magical reagent, and the sound of a rare creature.

Crafting Your Hero (and Villains): The Human Element in a Fantastic World

Even with dragons and ancient prophecies, readers connect with characters. Your protagonist and their foil are the driving emotional force of your fantasy novel.

1. The Relatable Protagonist: Flaws and Humanity

Your hero doesn’t have to be perfect; in fact, flaws make them more compelling.

• Internal Struggles: What are their fears, insecurities, moral dilemmas, and personal growth arcs?
• Clear Goals & Stakes: What do they want desperately? What obstacles stand in their way? What happens if they fail? Even if the stakes are world-ending, make them personal to the protagonist (e.g., losing a loved one, failing their destiny).
• The Call to Adventure: What event pulls them from their “ordinary world” (even if their ordinary world is magical)? It should be something they cannot ignore.

2. The Compelling Antagonist: More Than Just Evil

A strong villain elevates your story. They shouldn’t just be evil for evil’s sake.

• Motivations: What do they want? What drives them? Do they have a twisted sense of justice or a tragic backstory?
• Believable Logic: From their perspective, their actions should make sense, even if they are abhorrent to others.
• Mirror the Hero: Often, the best villains are twisted versions of the hero, reflecting their strengths or weaknesses.

Plotting Your Epic Journey: Structure in Sprawling Narratives

Fantasy novels often boast sprawling plots, but a solid underlying structure is essential to keep them coherent and compelling. The traditional story arcs still apply.

1. The Hero’s Journey and Three-Act Structure

These are powerful frameworks that can guide your narrative:

• Act I: The Setup (The Ordinary World & Call to Adventure): Introduce your hero, their world, and the event that shatters their normalcy and forces them into the adventure.
• Act II: Confrontation & Rising Action: The bulk of your story. The hero faces escalating challenges, learns new skills, gains allies (and enemies), and encounters setbacks. Include a midpoint twist – a major revelation or change in direction that raises the stakes. This often leads to an all is lost moment, where the hero faces their lowest point and seems doomed.
• Act III: Resolution: The hero finds new resolve, undergoes a final test, and faces the climax – the ultimate confrontation with the antagonist or central conflict. This leads to the resolution, where the new world is established, loose ends are tied up, and the hero has transformed.

2. Managing Subplots

Fantasy often features multiple character arcs, political intrigue, romances, and personal dramas alongside the main quest.

• Interweaving: Ensure subplots serve the main plot or reveal character depth.
• Pacing: Don’t let subplots entirely derail the main narrative’s momentum.

Voice and Tone: Speaking the Language of Your World

Your novel’s voice and tone are what make it distinctly yours.

• Consistency: Establish a consistent voice for your narrator (first-person, third-person limited, omniscient) and distinct voices for your characters.
• Atmosphere: Does your language evoke the feeling of your world? Is it grand and archaic for epic fantasy, gritty and direct for grimdark, or whimsical and light for magical realism?
• Pacing: Fantasy often has slower starts due to world-building, but needs to pick up momentum as the plot progresses. Balance necessary exposition with action and character development.
• Show, Don’t Tell: Especially crucial in fantasy. Don’t just say “the magic was powerful”; show its devastating effects. Don’t say “the dragon was huge”; describe its shadow engulfing a village.

The First Draft: Laying the Foundation

This is where the rubber meets the road. Don’t let the daunting scale of a fantasy novel paralyze you.

• Don’t Aim for Perfection: The first draft is for telling yourself the story. It’s okay if it’s messy, incomplete, or deviates from your outline. Just get the words down.
• Embrace the Mess: Fantasy worlds are complex. You will discover things about your characters, plot, and world as you write. Be open to those discoveries.
• Set Realistic Goals: Consistency is more important than intensity. Aim for a specific word count daily or weekly, rather than trying to write for 10 hours straight.
• Stay Motivated: Remind yourself of your core concept, your passion for the story, and the joy of creating. Re-read early chapters that excite you.

The Iterative Process: Revising Your Reality

The true magic of writing a fantasy novel often happens during revision. This is where your raw ideas are refined into a compelling, polished story.

• Distance is Key: Once you complete your first draft, step away from it for a few weeks, or even a month. This break will allow you to return with fresh eyes, spotting issues you couldn’t see before.
• The Big Picture First: In your first pass, look at the overall story. Does the world make sense? Are the characters consistent? Does the plot flow logically? Are there any major plot holes or world-building inconsistencies?
• World-Building Edits: Integrate lore more smoothly, remove info-dumps, check for contradictions, ensure the magic system’s rules are consistent.
• Character Arcs: Do your characters grow and change? Are their motivations clear? Do their emotional journeys feel earned?
• Pacing: Is the story engaging from start to finish? Are there any sections that drag? Can you combine or cut scenes to tighten the narrative?
• Seek Beta Readers: Crucial for fantasy. Trusted readers (especially those familiar with fantasy) can identify confusing lore, unrealistic character actions, or areas where your world-building needs more clarity.
• Professional Editing: Highly recommended for fantasy novels. An editor can provide invaluable insights into plot structure, character depth, world-building consistency, and overall readability.

Your Epic Awaits

Starting a fantasy novel is an ambitious, exhilarating undertaking. It requires courage to build from nothing, patience to refine intricate details, and perseverance to see your vision through to completion. But the reward – the creation of a world, a story, and characters that live beyond the page – is truly incomparable.

Embrace the journey, trust your imagination, and don’t be afraid to revise your reality. Your epic adventure awaits its first word.

Ready to bring your epic fantasy world to life? Let Ghostwriting Solution help you craft your masterpiece.