Writing a Fantasy Book

Fantasy novels are the most exciting stories to write. Writing fantasy gives the author so much freedom about every character and event of the story. Fantasy stories allow authors to play with their imagination to the fullest. Writing fantasy is like playing God. Every element is under your control. You dictate the setting, the scenario and the characters' traits and skills.

To excel in writing fantasy, you must create a story close to life. Yes, it is fictional and fantastical, but still -- readers might criticize you if your story is pure invention without basis of history, science and common sense. Readers are smart and intelligent. They may readily throw a book in the fire if they think your story is stupid. And believe me, they know one when they see it. As a fantasy book author, you should be prepared to do your assignment like a good student.

Tip 1: Know your main character, or main characters.

Know your characters thoroughly because the whole story will evolve around them; all sub-stories will have relation to them and their quest. Build your characters completely well. To achieve this, you can write a biography of your characters on separate sheets of paper that will guide you in writing the story. This will ensure you don't go astray from their personalities. You characters should act and make decisions in accordance to each of their personality traits and life history. A smart reader will notice things that are done out of character. So be careful with that.

Tip 2. Arrange your history clearly.

Properly construct your story's chain of events. Create a separate record of events so you don't mix up your events. Create a timeline to avoid overlapping of occurrences. Make sure each of your character's age progresses with the chronology of events. Draw a family tree of your related characters. In most fantasy novels, the bloodline is a very crucial element.

Tip 3. Know every detail in your fantasy world.

A fantasy world without details is empty. You are the God of this world; you have the power to create and destroy. You have the authority to create the rules. Even though your fantasy world is entirely made-up, you still need to make it believable and logical. Do your research.

Writing A Children's Fantasy Book

You are a very good bedtime storyteller and want to take it to another level by a writing a children's book. You think it's that easy? Well, think again.

If you think it's easy to write children's books because they are short with large fonts and many pictures, you thought wrong. To write for a child, you have to think like a child. Most adult authors have trouble relating to what children want to read and learn these days.

Writing children's books have many restrictions. Vocabulary is limited. You need to use simple language to create a fascinating story. Yes, pictures help but you still have to deliver a great story. Children, 6 to 12, have varying preferences in reading materials. As the author, you need to target one age group per book or story, otherwise you risk alienating your readers.

For example, beginners, ages 5 to 6, are interested in easy reading and more picture; ages 7 to 8, want scary but simple stories; and 9 to 12 want fantasy, like Harry Potter, Series of Unfortunate Events, and so on.

Before writing a children's book, consider the age of your target audience. Kids do not have long attention spans. They get bored easily. To help you decide what to write and how to write it, read different children's books. Spend some time in a bookstore reading and absorbing different styles of authors. Read everything from the good, to the not so good, to the bad. This way, you will learn what to do and what not to do. You can also ask the opinions of experts. You can have a writer's group or a college professor review your work. Even better, you can have grade school children read your work and ask them what they think. After all, they are your target audience and their opinions matter most.