A guide to writing fantasy characters!

A GUIDE TO WRITING FANTASY

This is something that I’m feeling is relevant! In most of my critic of other peoples work, I think I’m preaching about this. The original text was written by the late author David Eddings, who is my favorite fantasy author. Enjoy!
This list is meant as a help to you all who are writing fantasy, to help creating your characters. This list has helped me get structured when I create my characters, and I hope that it’ll help you as well.


1. No Christianity! It is a known fact that the so called “heathens” often have a lot more fun than others. Even Tolkien, who was Catholic, did the same thing.

2. The Seeking is the second thing on this list. If you’re not looking for something, then you haven’t got a story. The seeking part gives you all the right reasons to run around in the world, meeting people and finding new clues!

3. The magical mojo is our third point – the ring in Lord of the Ring, the Horrocruxes in Harry Potter, to take two examples. Mostly, but not always, the magical mojo is what you’re looking for.

4. The Hero is one of the most important things. Harry Potter, Frodo, and Galahad just to mention a few heroes. The stupid hero is the perfect hero since he doesn’t have a clue to what’s going on. That gives you, the author, an advantage. Because, not only do you have to explain everything to the hero, the reader also gets a clue to the mystery!

5. Now it’s time for the wizard, usually Merlin or Gandalf. They are very powerful and can be boring. Make your wizard less boring; add qualities to him/her. Maybe he’s a hobo that wanders from place to place, but has the power to rip the world into shreds. Dumbledore is the wizard in Harry Potter, and also the mentor. The wizards are often mentors to the good guy.

6. The heroine! Not the drug, the female hero! Usually a little fair girl, who sits in a tower, and daydreams. Don’t follow that pattern, unless that’s what you really want. Hermione Granger is not that kind of girl, and not Ginny either. Make it work, but not in a boring way.

7. The villain is the seventh point. Voldemort is one of the villains we know the best. Beware; he’ll need very good motives for what he does. Otherwise you could just stay at home growing vegetables. Of course the villain has people under him, who do all the dirty jobs.

8. The friends and small characters! The Death Eaters, the Phoenix Order are two examples of groups. They will deal with all the thinking (mostly) and killing until the hero has grown up enough to kill for himself. These people are people from different cultures and backgrounds, who team up with the hero or the villain to help.

9. The wives and husbands of the people in point 8. All of these men and women must be distinguished by their own personality and passions.

10. The last point on this list is the kings, the queens, the peoples of your world and all the rest who are the governments of the world that you’ve created. They too must be distinguished by their own personalities.


Was this long and difficult? Well, it costs to stay on top. I only want you to be the best you can be at writing, so good luck!