Want to learn how to write a fantasy series? Fantasy is one of the most fun genres to write. You have so much creative control over the world, the magic elements, and the fantastical story arcs. But it can also be daunting.
Fantasy books are usually quite long, to begin with, and a whole fantasy series? Where do you even start?
That’s what we are here to help with. At Self-Publishing School, we’ve helped thousands of people achieve their dream of becoming an author, and we’re here to help you too.
In this blog, we will discuss the steps you need to know to successfully write your next hit fantasy series.
Writing a fantasy series
What makes a good fantasy series?
Not all fantasy series are created equal, so what makes one stand out from the next? Let’s look at these four key components:
Originality
Clichéd and derivative fantasy fiction quickly become tiresome as readers seek out something unique. A truly exceptional fantasy series stands out with fresh ideas. Just look at how Harry Potter became a global sensation—before long, boy wizard stories were everywhere.
World-building
Fantasy is all about escape, and readers crave immersive worlds that transport them to different times and places. A richly imagined setting lets readers visualize and experience the author’s creation. Poor world-building can easily turn readers away.
A unique magic system
The allure of fantasy often lies in the possibility of magic. Readers want to believe in extraordinary powers, so a well-thought-out magic system is crucial. If the magic system is poorly conceived, readers will quickly lose interest. Fantasy enthusiasts have a deep-seated desire to believe in the impossible!
Compelling characters
Look at the diverse and engaging characters in Game of Thrones for a prime example. Fantasy readers want to connect deeply with the characters. While this is true across genres, the fantasy genre is particularly well-suited for intricate storylines and deeply complex characters. Readers, especially those of fantasy, can easily spot well-developed characters and will abandon flat or uninteresting ones long before finishing the book.
How do you structure a fantasy series?
When you set out to write your fantasy series, you should have an idea of how many books you want to write. If you don’t know, you may run into roadblocks as you try to develop your storyline. Try mind maps and outlining to understand what story arcs you need to tell the full story of your fantasy universe.
Once you have a set number of books, try to stick to it. You should also decide how long you want each book to be. Now this isn’t a set rule. J.K. Rowling knew the Harry Potter series would be seven books, but the size of each book varies wildly depending on what happened during each academic year at Hogwarts.
If you do have an idea of word count, it can help you decide when and how to wrap up each book. You will know whether you need to add in another subplot or if it’s time to start tying up loose ends.
You will also know if you should introduce new characters, or wait until the next installment of your fantasy series.
This is all about pacing, which is where some authors of fantasy series get stuck. Just look at George R. R. Martin, who started A Song of Ice and Fire as a trilogy and now may never even finish the series!
You can’t accurately gauge the pacing of your fantasy series if you don’t know how long it will be, so pick a structure and stick with it.
How long should a fantasy series be?
There is no set rule on how long your fantasy series should be. You could write a trilogy, or a ten-story epic, but as I said above, plot out how many stories you are going to write and stick with it.
On average, a fantasy book is about 90,000-125,000 words, although epic fantasy can go into the 180,000-200,000 word range. You can decide if you would like all your books to be about the same length, or choose specific arcs for each story and write the needed word count to fulfill them.
How to write a fantasy series for beginners
Learning how to write a fantasy series takes a little extra thought and planning, but with the right steps, you can create a fantasy novel that’s the next big hit!
1. Choose a subgenre
The genre of fantasy contains a lot of subgenres, including epic fantasy, dark fantasy, romantasy, urban fantasy, and more. You want to choose what type of fantasy series you are going to write before you set out because this will greatly affect your writing style.
Each subgenre has its own fantasy tropes, rules, common storylines, and specific audience, so you want to fully understand the subgenre you plan to write in. This will help you to write a successful fantasy series that your readers are satisfied with.
2. Find your audience
Speaking of your readers, once you’ve decided on what subgenre you’re writing in, you need to have a clear understanding of your audience.
You need to know who you are writing for.
Read lots of books within your subgenre to get an idea of what your readers are looking for. Familiarize yourself with recurring themes and motifs that your readers enjoy – but make sure to put your own spin on them!
If you engage in online communities related to your subgenre, you can listen to what people are saying about their likes and dislikes and gain important insight into your future readership.
3. Work on world-building
If you are writing a fantasy series, it’s important to fully develop your fantasy world. Fantasy world-building can make or break your series.
Think about the climate, the magic system, issues of morality, political and religious ideologies, clan conflicts, laws of physics, and more!
Think about the sounds, smells, and tastes of your fantasy world so your reader can be fully immersed.
You also want to use (or dream up) some fantasy creatures to fully ground your fantasy series in the realm of magic.
Perhaps you want to make a fantasy world map to help readers better understand the world of your story.
You should also think up some cool fantasy world names for locations in your story.
4. Pick a point of view
Before you start writing your fantasy series, it’s important to choose your narrative point of view.
Fantasy novels typically use one of two perspectives: first-person, where the narrator shares their personal story, or third-person, where the author conveys the tale.
The first-person perspective can create a sense of intimacy but is limited by the narrator’s own knowledge and perceptions.
On the other hand, third-person perspective offers greater flexibility, allowing you to explore multiple characters’ viewpoints and provide a broader view of the story.
Deciding on your point of view before you begin writing is crucial, as it will influence everything from character development to your overall writing style.
5. Outline your plot
Now comes the hard part—determining your plot for each book and where one will end and the other one begins.
Maintaining momentum throughout a four or five-book fantasy series requires careful planning. A frequent criticism of fantasy series is that they can feel endless, sometimes stretching a story too thin across numerous volumes.
Ensure that each book in your series features its own subplots and secondary arcs that enrich and support the overarching storyline, leading to a satisfying conclusion for the entire series.
Incorporate complications and setbacks to delay the resolution of the series while building suspense.
Each book should also be somewhat self-contained. If you shift between different story arcs and viewpoints, make sure the main storyline and core character goals remain clear. The most compelling fantasy series are structured in such a way that readers can pick up any book and be instantly drawn into the captivating world created by the author.
The complexity of fantasy requires detailed outlining. Plan out your chapters, scenes, plot points, character arcs, and other elements with precision.
To do this it can help to start with a mind map that you slowly flesh out into a more detailed outline.
6. Create compelling characters
Once you have an idea of how your fantasy series will flow, it’s important to flesh out your fantasy characters and their motivations. And I don’t just mean your protagonist either—your side characters, villains, and magical companions should all be multi-dimensional.
When delving into your characters, make sure to give them some relatable flaws and think about the motivations behind your hero’s journey.
7. Create good writing habits
Writing a fantasy series is no small feat, and you will need to have some strict writing practices in place to get you through the process.
Establish a target daily word count. You can tailor this to your schedule, and try to make it realistic so you can actually hit your word count each day. You may also want to block out time in your calendar that is non-negotiable and write at the same time daily to build healthy writing habits.
You should do your best to minimize distractions, and this means staying off social media and alerting your loved ones to your writing schedule so they know not to bother you during writing hours.
You may also want to have an accountability partner or group to keep you on task while you write your fantasy series.
8. Edit and edit again
Once you have the manuscript for your first book complete, it’s time to edit it. It takes a lot of work to turn a first draft into a polished final product that will hit the bookshelves. And you want to spend time polishing – after all, if you have a whole fantasy series in mind then you want the first book to be a success!
Don’t let sloppy editing derail your fantasy series.
You want to go through multiple rounds of editing. Edit yourself first, and then hire professional book editors to do developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading.
You may also want to get some beta readers to help you understand what is and isn’t working in your book so you can make some final edits before publishing.
8. Decide how to publish
Deciding how you want to publish your fantasy series is something you should be thinking about early in the writing process. Do you want to try to pitch your story to a publishing house, or do you want to self-publish?
Only about 1% of submissions to publishing houses actually get published, so you might want to self-publish your series especially since self-publishing gives you full creative control and much higher book royalties than traditional publishing does.
10. Plan out your marketing strategy
Whether you are going the traditional or self-publishing route, you will have to be strategic about book marketing. And that marketing doesn’t stop after your book launch, either.
Especially with a fantasy series, you will need to keep marketing your books, particularly leading up to the launch of each successive book in your series.
One of the easiest ways to market your fantasy series is to build a big launch team. This team of people will receive free copies of your book in return for an honest review on launch day. Having reviews at launch can make or break the success of your book!
Start your fantasy series today
Embarking on the journey to become the author of a fantasy series can be daunting, but it’s doable—especially if you have the right guidance along the way.
At Self-Publishing School, we give you access to helpful courses, as well as one-on-one coaching and marketing teams to help you through the entire writing process from start to finish.
So what are you waiting for? Your fantasy series is ready to be discovered!
