Writing tips and tricks for those who are writing or wanting to write Fantasy!
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Middle Earth - A full worldbuilding questionnaire to help you leave not one stone unturned in developing your fantastical world
Hogwarts...
A few months ago, before my life was ravaged by college work (that I am ignoring to actually write this but, shhhhhhh) I had asked what certain people would be interested in me covering in this book. Well, someone had asked me to discuss the quintessential characters that a fantasy novel would be incomplete without.
This is actually a complex issue when you take a good look at it because it honestly depends on the type of story you're interested in telling.
If you want to follow Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, you need to include 1. a hero (go figure), 2. a mentor, 3. allies, and 4. a foe.
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The hero is the main character of the story (again, go figure), it's who we follow through this journey.
The Mentor (think Dumbledore or Gandalf) is who teaches the hero how to be a hero. This could be by teaching them how to fight or how to learn magic (or both)
Allies are exactly what they are, allies. People whom your hero meets on their journey who lend a helping hand. This could be some prominent like a best friend (think the Golden Trio from Harry Potter) or someone as small as an innkeeper who gives our hero refuge for a few nights. You're going to have multiple allies, no doubt.
The Foe is also pretty self-explanatory. However, a foe can take many shapes. It could be your classic baddie in black or something more abstract like a social construct or idea (ie misogyny).
A great thing that I love about fantasy is that anything is possible. Do you want a story without witches and wizards? Go right ahead! Do you want an authoritative line of royalty? Be my guest!
In terms of characters that would make a book incomplete, the simple answer is you need a protagonist, someone people either love or love to hate. You need a character to follow throughout the book and through their triumphs and failures.
Here's a YouTube video that delves into the different common character archetypes in fantasy stories that might be helpful.
Thanks so much for reading and I will see you in the next part!
