Five fantasy writing exercises to master character and plot

 

“If you want to write a fantasy story with Norse gods, sentient robots, and telepathic dinosaurs, you can do just that. Want to throw in a vampire and a lesbian unicorn while you're at it? Go ahead. Nothing's off limits. But the endless possibility of the genre is a trap. It's easy to get distracted by the glittering props available to you and forget what you're supposed to be doing: telling a good story. Don't get me wrong, magic is cool. But a nervous mother singing to her child at night while something moves quietly through the dark outside her house? That's a story. Handled properly, it's more dramatic than any apocalypse or goblin army could ever be.”

Patrick Rothfuss

 

What is fantasy?

In the fantasy genre, the impossible becomes possible, be it through magic or supernatural means. You could argue that what distinguishes it from science fiction is the explanation of the impossible. In sci-fi, the impossible is explained using technology, and for all we know, might one day come to be.

While some might think of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings when they hear the word "fantasy", it covers a wide spectrum of sub-genres. Urban fantasy and magical realism are closest to the world as we know it, while high fantasy immerses the reader in imaginary worlds with fantastical creatures.

Just as there are many types of fantasy, there are many ways to write a story. Some fantasy authors map out the whole book before starting the story, others dive in and figure it out as they go.

If you're new to writing fantasy, do whatever feels best for you, however a word of warning, do not spend too long world building before developing the characters and plot. A world is a big place and your characters won't visit all of it. Instead, balance your time between world building, character development, story structure, and the actual writing.

 

Five writing exercises

The five writing exercises below are from Prompt Me to Write by Martin Woods, a work in progress with 1,000 writing prompts and 100 exercises. Each takes around 15 minutes to complete, meaning in an hour you will have developed a world, characters, and the basics of a plot, plus write the prologue of your fantasy book.

While this guide is aimed primarily at aspiring novelists, if you write short stories, you will still find the writing techniques and exercises pertinent.

 

World building with Element X

“To build your world, start by creating the physical environment where your culture and story will take place, from the planetary level to a specific location. Then add the “Element X” that will affect everything.”

N. K. Jemisin

Many sci-fi and fantasy books and movies have an Element X that changes everything – Consider The Matrix, Groundhog Day or Inception. Each has a premise that is the foundation of the whole world building and plot. An Element X may be some aspect of the setting, the protagonist, or the magic system. Start by coming up with an idea for an “Element X” then write an everyday scene showing how different life is due to it. If you’re struggling to think of your own Element X, feel free to use these prompts:

• You have the power to imagine an object and will it into being.
• There’s no overall ruler. Instead, each city has its own absolute dictator.
• Orcs have been made into slaves by humans after the great war.
• Any prophecy you write becomes true.

Do you feel that the Element X you've chosen has enough potential to create a fascinating and unique fantasy world? Do you have a sense for who lives in this world?

If you're stuck for ideas, check out these 42 science fiction story ideas and fantasy writing prompts.

 

Creating fantasy characters

Character stories are driven by character’s self-doubt, angst, internal conflicts. A problem with themselves. They begin with “Who am I?” and end with, “This is who I am.”

Mike Barker, Writing Excuses, Episode 16.38

Whether your protagonist is someone readers want to be, to date, or to destroy, all great works of literature have strong characters. After all, in order to reach your plot, a reader must first fall in love with the characters.

A common fantasy story arc is the hero's journey. This takes an ordinary person, throws them into a quest, and has them become extraordinary by the end of the book. It’s popular as it’s easy for the reader to empathise with the character from the beginning and it fulfils a universal goal of making a difference with our lives. There are a lot of other options, though, and your protagonist may be the villain, remain ordinary in a changing world, or even become the villain.

Start with your hero and write down answers to these three questions:

• What makes them unique?
• How are they flawed?
• What motivates them?

These answers don't just tell you who the character is, they are also interwoven with the plot. 

Once you know a bit about your hero, create two adventuring companions. Think of these as a party in Dungeons & Dragons. For all three:

 

Choose names that differentiates them

Exotic names:

• Forrest Gump
• Aslan (Turkish for lion)
• Zorro (Spanish for fox)
• Luke Skywalker
• Aladdin

Ordinary names to show an ordinary person is doing the extraordinary:

• Frodo Baggins
• Harry Potter

 

Choose diverse characters

Diverse characters are essential to ensure readers know who everyone is and can follow the plot. They will also help your story appeal to more people, be it those with physical or mental health conditions, those of different races, members of the LGBT+ community, or simply the great variety of people on Earth today.

Minor characters can have one or two defining features. Your major characters, however, must have hidden depths. Ask yourself how their culture and family history influences how they act, speak and dress. If they’ve integrated into a different community, this will also shape who they are. If you're writing high fantasy, or any story not set on Earth, consider tying culture to geography. How would living high in the mountains, on a series of islands, or in a floating castle tie in with the personalities of the rulers and the people? This way you avoid real life stereotypes and create a world readers can easily grasp.

 

Have your characters disagree

If you’re creating a villain and a hero, this is easy and obvious. However, a party of heroes also need to have conflicting wants to drive the plot. They may agree on the overall mission but have different:

• Ideas on how to achieve their goal.
• Ethical standards, which shows in what they're willing to do to reach that solution.
• Ways of communicating which creates resentment, misunderstanding, etc.
• A change of heart or a betrayal.
• Conflicts outside of the main purpose of achieving the mission. For instance, a love triangle, a financial squabble or a clash of loyalties.

Choose a goal that the three characters are trying to reach (this doesn't have to be a big quest, it could be a small aspect of it, like the best way to deal with a monster, which direction to travel in, or how to open a treasure chest).

Spend ten minutes writing a dialogue where your characters have the same goal but disagree on an important aspect of it.

 

Writing character arcs

“I start generally with the ending. If I know the ending, then I can spend the whole book fooling the reader.”

R. L. Stine, Masterclass

A character arc connects the inner journey of a character with major plot points. It can be applied to both your protagonist and to other major characters. There are numerous variants of character arcs, the three most common being:

• Positive – A character develops and grows during the novel. Perhaps they start unhappy or weak and end happy or powerful.
• Negative – A character goes downhill over time. Perhaps they become ill or give in to evil tendencies as the novel progresses.
• Flat – In a flat character arc, the character themself doesn't change much, however the world around them does. This could be overthrowing a corrupt government, for example.

For this exercise, choose either a positive or negative character arc. Spend eight minutes writing a scene from the start of a novel, then eight minutes writing a scene towards the end of a novel showing how the hero has developed between the start and end. Leave why the character has changed to the imagination.

Aim to capture the essence of a character. Show how they’re the same person but also show how they’ve developed.

 

Writing the Prologue

“As the Defence Cruiser launched its first missile, JAG knew she was doomed. A second, then a third projectile followed. Soon the space between them was full of rapidly approaching dots screaming at her sensors.”

Martin Woods, The Visualiser

The above passage is from the start of my prologue for The Visualiser. It continues with a rapid action sequence that introduces you to two alien races and defines the stakes and the genre. While this is a science fiction, the same technique can be applied to fantasy.

In modern writing, readers expect to be entertained from the get-go. Instead of a lengthy prologue detailing the history and world building, ask yourself if you can begin with action. Can your opening scene:

• Hook the reader from the beginning?
• Show what the genre is and foreshadow events to come?
• Reveal events that occur before the rest of the story begins?
• Introduce the reader to characters who don’t appear in the early chapters?

You may be asking “What about the world building I did?”

In The Visualiser, I chose to drip feed this information in the form of epistolary chapters – messages sent between planets, diary entries, journal articles, and the like. These are interspersed throughout the book and tell the backstory in an immediate and engaging way. The important phrase here is “drip feed”. Readers don't appreciate fantasy stories where they have information overload, instead gradually reveal your world to them in a way that evokes their curiosity.

Prologues aren’t popular with readers. You can tell this because some people skip them altogether. They’re also not obligatory to include, so ask yourself if you need one at all. If you do, begin by identifying what information the prologue needs to convey:

• Write down all the information the reader must know in order to enjoy the first few chapters.

Remember that word, enjoy. Readers enjoy a certain amount of mystery and don’t need to understand everything. Put an asterisk next to any items that would aid understanding, but not necessarily increase enjoyment. These are optional pieces of information to convey.

Now that you have your list of items, ask yourself:

• Is there a single historical event that would allow the reader to infer all or most of these points? A single battle conveys that two countries are at war, for example. 
• Whose perspectives would allow you to share all the relevant information?
• Whose perspective would be most exciting for a reader to read?

Write the Prologue or Chapter 1 as a story from one character’s perspective. Once you’ve finished, revisit your list of information and for any pieces you’ve not covered, either add them, or if this would feel forced, incorporate them in dialogue or exposition later on.

 

Plot your fantasy novel using the PITCHED story structure

To plot the major points in your fantasy novel, use the PITCHED story structure. This stands for:

• Promise
• Inciting Incident
• Threshold
• Crisis
• Hidden Truth
• Ending
• Denouement

The following has plot spoilers for The Hobbit and The Hunger Games.

Promise

You've probably heard, "Begin your book with a hook". This is where you capture the reader's interest with a strong character and reveal what they want and the problems they have at the start of the book. However, that advice only covers the opening scene. What do you do with the rest of Chapter 1?

In Chapter 1, you deliver the promise of what the rest of your novel is about. Think of your first chapter as a story in miniature, with its own beginning, middle and end. The theme, genre and mood should reflect the wider tale your story will tell. Many authors find themselves rewriting Chapter 1 from scrach after they've finished their novel, because only then do they have a full grasp of all the intricacies it involves.

For example, Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit just wants to have a peaceful life and is interrupted by a wizard and a load of dwarves who want to hire him as a burglar. This clearly sets the genre, begins Bilbo's personal transformation, and reflects his journey from the comfortable and the known into danger. It even foreshadows The Lord of the Rings, where Frodo embarks on a quest he doesn't feel ready for.

What does your character want when we first meet them? What exciting event can you show that reflects the wider story arcs? Is the tone and theme revealed from the outset?

 

Inciting Incident

This is the event that sets everything in motion. Bilbo is enlisted by Gandalf to steal from a dragon. At the reaping, Katniss's sister Primrose is chosen to participate in the Hunger Games and Katniss volunteers in her stead.

What event happens in your fantasy book that sets your hero on their quest?

Your hero should have some choice in the matter, even if the pressure on them is huge and they initially resist making this choice. The Hunger Games is much more powerful for Katniss volunteering to save her sister, instead of being chosen herself.

 

Threshold

Your hero crosses a physical and emotional threshold. They enter a new world where the challenges are greater, often in the form of a fight to survive, though this could be a fight to find love, maintain a professional career, or anything else that might grab your reader.

Once they've left the comfort of their status quo, it should be impossible to return.

For example:

• In a romantasy, if they fall in love, that love interest could live in a distant land, or require them to enter a different society.
• In a mystery fantasy, someone who keeps them safe might die, forcing them to fend for themselves.
• In an epic fantasy, perhaps their home is destroyed (The Name of the Wind), it would be too dangerous for them to return by themselves (The Hobbit), or it is forbidden (The Hunger Games).

What threshold does your hero cross? What new antagonist do you introduce, even if that antagonist is currently distant and we only encounter their underlings? Is it impossible for your character to simply say, "Sod this, I'm going home"?

 

Crisis

Once over the threshold, your hero will have many adventures. Until this point in your story, they are still the same person (or hobbit, elf, alien, monster, or whatever) as they were at the start. They may still be pursuing the same want, even if everything has changed, and will certainly not be equipped to cope with the new world they find themselves in.

Their unchanged beliefs combined with the new challenges cause them to have a major physical and emotional crisis, usually around 50% of the way through a story. This should be foreshadowed in a major way, as your hero and friends try to avoid the crisis. When it happens, it may result in their near death, or the literal death of a character they're close to.

What ultimate low point could your character reach where everything goes wrong? How do they try and avoid it beforehand?

 

Hidden Truth

Either to escape the crisis, or as a result of it, your character will have a realisation. This can be a hidden truth either about themselves (Bilbo realises that he rather enjoys adventure), or about the world (Katniss finds a way for more than one person to win the Hunger Games). 

Using both types of hidden truth is an excellent way to combine character and plot. In a positive arc, your character will shift, gaining confidence and learning something about themselves. In a negative arc, your character will have had this truth all along and instead, at this point, they will reject the truth and embrace a lie about themselves and the world they're in.

In your fantasy novel, what hidden truth does your hero discover about themselves? What aspect of world building can you now reveal that's been hidden until this point?

 

Ending

Using the Hidden Truth and their new understanding of the world, your hero confronts the antagonist. In The Hobbit this is Smaug, the dragon. In The Hunger Games, this is the final challenge of the hunger games itself, rather than one particular entity.

In a positive arc, your character will have learned this truth and win. In a negative arc, the character has rejected the truth and lost. Both winning and losing can take many forms.

Winning might be:

• In a romantasy, winning might be the first kiss, or getting married, depending on how your story is structured.
• In a mystery fantasy, finding a murderer, rescuing someone who has vanished, or discovering a magical treasure.
• In an epic fantasy, overcoming the antagonist. In both The Hobbit and The Hunger Games, the main antagonist is actually overcome in the sequels, though Smaug is presented as the main antagonist during The Hobbit itself.

 

Denouement

In the traditional hero's journey story structure, the denouement is where your hero returns home as a new person. Though their home may not have changed, they have, and they see it differently and have a different relationship with the people who live there.

The denouement is also where you can wrap up any loose ends or side quests.

 

Plotting exercise

Write down each of the seven steps in the PITCHED method for your fantasy book:

• Promise
• Inciting Incident
• Threshold
• Crisis
• Hidden Truth
• Ending
• Denoument

You may change these later, but knowing the ending and major turning points during your novel, will help it flow better as you write.

 

What next?

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” 

Terry Pratchett

Now you've got the ball rolling, how do you develop your fantasy novel?

The trick in the early chapters is to build mystery and suspense. These are what make a fantasy story a page turner. 

• To build mystery 
  Raise questions for your reader that you leave dangling. Why do all the wild animals have glowing eyes? Who stole the emperor's orb of peace? Does Marcus love the protagonist, or is he actually a spy?
   
• To build suspense 
  Hook the reader from the word go and use rising action, cliffhangers, and unpredictable threats throughout the plot. This keeps the reader on the edge of their seats, desperate to know if your protagonist will succeed or fail, live or die.

If you enjoyed these exercises, check out the 43 story writing exercises for more ways to build amazing worlds, strong characters arcs, and craft fascinating fantasy stories.