Imperative elements: 4 things every fantasy novel needs
Fantasy novels have long been a worldwide favourite for their ability to teleport us into strange new realms. Whatever subgenre of fantasy you like: epics, magic realism, sword and sorcery - whatever - you can always trust a solid fantasy novel to take us somewhere new and exciting.
But the best literary fantasy novels do have a few things in common, and these are the elements that are required for it to:
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Be classed as fantasy;
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Be a good fantasy novel.
Trust us, the next thing you pick up an awesome fantasy novel, you should be able to pick out these four vital elements.
Check them out below:
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A well-developed world
Fantasy readers want to be immersed in the fictional world you create. Think about it: if someone reads a realist novel they don’t necessarily need to know the finite details of the setting.
Why? Because it’s a real world setting that they can possibly already relate to. With a fantasy novel, conversely, the reader wants to imagine exactly what that setting is like and place themselves in its realm.
Think about some of the great fantasy novels: A Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, even literary classics like 100 Years of Solitude. What do all these novels have in common? Of course, it’s not their magical system - it’s the fact that they all have well-developed worlds that truly give the reader a sense of what it is like in their magical worlds.
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A central conflict
This is true of any great story, and fantasy is absolutely no exception to the rule. In fact, central conflict is perhaps even more important in fantasy novels, as the key characters have to overcome some force (usually magical) that is stopping them from achieving their goals and providing a resolution to the story.
Typically, the characters are drawn into a situation that they will have to overcome. Take the Harry Potter series, for example. Young Harry knew absolutely nothing about wizardry growing up with his Muggle family, but before he knew it he was whisked away to Hogwarts and dragged into the battle against the evil Lord Voldemort.
Once the character is drawn into the conflict the conflict itself can then start to play out through numerous hurdles and problems before reaching its ultimate conclusion.
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A magic system
What is it about the novel’s fantasy world that sets it apart from anything that could possibly happen in the real world (as far as we know)? What happens in this world that is so out of the ordinary it goes in the complete opposite direction of something you would call “realism”?
Every fantasy novel needs a magic system, that special element of sorcery, witchcraft, supernatural anomalies that make it “magical”.
The easiest example of this is, duh duh duh, the ring in The Lord of the Rings. The ring had the ability to dominate all the other Rings of Power and control their users, making it all powerful.
This is The Lord of the Rings’ premier magic system, and what sets it apart from other novels and genres.
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A wide cast of characters
This isn’t necessarily a rule, but some of history’s great novels have featured large, complex casts of characters, many of whom have fascinating backstories that inform their motivations.
Having a large cast of characters is a great way to further develop an amazing setting, but be sure to develop these characters before writing as you might trip yourself over if a particular character’s input convolutes the story…