How To Start a Fantasy Novel
Sage Kay
Writer, reader, outfit repeater.
With shows like House of the Dragon and Sarah J. Maas novels achieving worldwide success, it’s clear that the fantasy genre is alive and well. Not only that, but people are constantly on the lookout for that next fantasy series to immerse themselves in. With a clear market for it, why not publish your own fantasy novel? To help, I’ll even tell you exactly how to start your fantasy novel and what you need to do to make sure your readers read all the way to the last page.
Why is the beginning of your fantasy novel important?
Like the start of any novel, the first chapter or even first few pages of your fantasy story will dictate whether the reader will buy your book. In fact, the start of your story is more important than ever with Amazon and Kindle offering first chapter peeks at your novel’s content. There’s no need to judge a book by its cover anymore because whether you’re in a bookstore or online, that first chapter is available for everyone to read.
Fantasy novels have more work to do to introduce the reader to a new world.
The start of your story should set the tone of your novel and introduce the conflict. If you’re writing an action packed story filled with conniving antagonists and political intrigue, the beginning of your story should reflect that. So don’t skimp on the introduction with the promise that it will be more engaging later on because if your readers are not intrigued in the beginning, they likely won’t see your book through to its end.
Staples of the fantasy genre
There are a few key elements in the fantasy genre that your readers will expect. So, it’s important to keep these in mind and in your story so that your readers don’t feel cheated by the promise of a fantasy story with none of its common staples.
1. Religion and mythology
The fantasy genre is filled with gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, and magic weapons. Of course, you are not obligated to create an entire bestiary of original cryptids but consider the supernatural elements of your story—is there a widely agreed upon religion, how do the people in this world interact with religion, do humans live in harmony with nature, do humans even exist? Build as much world as you want but make sure you have an answer for all these questions.
2. Magic
Whether you’re writing a low or high fantasy story, magic should be present in some form. It can be as deep as hard magic systems with set rules and limitations, or as simple as a magical world that people have little control over. Consider what role it plays in your characters’ lives and in your plot.
3. A detailed history of your world
If avid fantasy readers love anything, it’s a detailed history of a world that never existed. Details of the past can make or break your readers immersion, so be purposeful with the history you create. Think about how much history influences our world. It is constantly used as precedent for harmful litigation and why things are the way that they are. Your world should also have a past that influences its present and future.
How to start your fantasy novel
Now that you know a little about why the start of your fantasy novel is important and what should be included, let’s talk about how to write those first few chapters.
Give a taste of your story’s world
Emphasis on "taste." Your reader will be excited to learn about the world they’re leaping into and you’ll be just as excited to tell them all about it, but don’t jump the gun. An exposition dump in the first few chapters can be exhausting. Start by peppering in broad details of your world before really getting into the nitty-gritty complexities of your world’s lore. As much as we all want to be J. R. R. Tolkien, your readers will not care for the finer details of your story until they’ve become invested in it.
With that said, ensure your world is as fleshed out as it can be. Even if most details never make it into your book, your knowledge of the world will show in your writing if you have everything sorted in that mind palace of yours.
Start with a suspenseful prologue or an exciting opening scene
A suspenseful prologue can get your readers intrigued and start to build on wider conflicts of your story. You could open with a letter between two political leaders, giving hints of a political conflict that started far before your main character came into the picture. This sets the stage for issues that will no doubt arise and lets your reader know that answers to these mysteries are soon to come.
An exciting opening scene is a good way to hook your readers as soon as they start the book. Considering fantasy is often filled with action, starting with that type of scene can give your reader assurance that this is the novel they’re looking for.
Introduce your cast of characters
Large scale fantasy novels are known for their large casts of memorable characters. From childhood friends, rivals, and family members to recurring antagonists, prominent political figures, and mysterious individuals who always seem to watch from the sidelines, memorable and complex characters will help flesh out your book just as much as your meticulously created world will.
If you keep all these things in mind when starting your fantasy novel, I have no doubt you’ll write a killer opening to your story.
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