If you aspire to write a fantasy series that readers love, these five aspects of your story are non-negotiable.

by Zachary Hagen

There are a host of things I could write about when describing the process of writing a book or any other large project, but writing in the fantasy genre is a unique experience that has particular lessons to teach. In writing The Eternal Chronicles, I learned valuable lessons through my writing, research, and editing that have shaped my success and growth as a writer.

I’m exceedingly proud of the work I’ve done, so I offer these five lessons that helped me write my own books:

1. Worlds require creation

Each world created for a fantasy novel requires careful crafting and thorough thought. If worldbuilding is subpar, the story will make less sense, since a firm foundation and presence of place is required for the reader to understand what’s going on. To young or aspiring writers, look to Tolkien, Paolini, and filmmakers behind works such as Avatar: The Last Airbender. The mastery of world is present in these works. Worldbuilding is fun and tedious and is the foundational work of a good fantasy series.

2. Characters need to be real

In order for characters to be compelling, you have to know them well. My cast for The Eternal Chronicles is real to me. I know them intimately and thoroughly, so writing their stories was easier than if I hadn’t taken the time to fully flesh out who these people were and how they would act in the various circumstances they found themselves in.

Let villains be evil again. Readers deserve to see that sometimes, evil just exists for its own pleasure.

3. Villains should be evil

Too often, modern writers want to write morally gray villains that have capacity for sympathy, but these villains don’t drive the fear that a world-ending psychopath needs to. Especially for a fantasy series where the dregs of human imagination can be brought forth, let villains be evil again. Sometimes there is no excuse, and readers deserve to see that evil just exists for its own pleasure sometimes.

4. Have a message

Fantasy is uniquely able to tell stories that no one else can tell. You can explore themes and values and ideals that can’t be explored in genres that are too familiar to the reader. The fantastic and the strange create a backdrop against which the writer can speak to deeper truths and ideals that transcend time and the momentary opinion of the masses. There are real truths, and we as artists, painting the tapestry of culture with words and stories, should portray truths that extend beyond. Write to entertain and to edify. Write for a dual purpose: to be read and to speak to the human soul.

5. Let magic grow

The most unique part of the fantasy genre is the magic system in each new world. Magic has to have space to breathe, to grow, to be alive. Don’t treat it as an afterthought in your fantasy writing. It is the substantive essence that elevates fantasy to new heights mere fiction cannot reach. As you build your magic system, let it fit the place, the characters, and the purpose for your writing. Allow it to grow with you and your characters as you write.

There are many more things that could be said about writing fantasy, but these five things are a great place to start for any aspiring fantasy novelist. Best of luck, and may your pen’s plume give wing to grand ideas and adventures that will inspire generations to come.

Zachary Hagen is a Minnesota-based fantasy author and editor. He lives there with his wife, Claudia, and their dog, Flynn. When he isn’t busy writing his next book or working with an editing client, you can often find him walking around his neighborhood or hiking.

From a young age, Zachary was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime-story books (if you know, you know) to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events, Zachary’s tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading. The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and others.