Fantasy writing

Fantasy writing

Fantasy is a category of fiction stories under speculative fiction or ‘spec-fic’. Other types of speculative fiction include horror, supernatural fiction, and science fiction.

Speculative fiction is a broad category of fiction encompassing genres with certain elements that are non-existent in terms of reality; fairies, ghosts, fictional planets, etc. It demonstrates a set of features that set it apart from other ‘spec-fic’ types.

Subgenres of Fantasy:

• High fantasy – A sub-genre of the boarder category of fantasy which is characterized by extravagant characters and a fictional world; usually extensively detailed.

• Low fantasy – Another sub-genre in which magical events intrude on an otherwise-normal world.

• Urban fantasy – A type of fantasy fiction set in a real-world urban setting.

• Dark fantasy – Incorporates darker and frightening themes of fantasy.

• Portal fantasy – In portal fantasy, a person is transported from one world to another by some sort of magic.

• Fairy tale – Fairy-tale fantasy is distinguished from other subgenres of fantasy by the heavy use of motifs or plots from folklore.

• Paranormal fantasy – Includes beings and phenomena that are outside the realm of normal scientific understanding.

Elements of fantasy:

• Magic system

• Developed setting

• Complex characters

• Central conflict

• Power structure

We shall take each element of fantasy apart and explain what their purpose is over the next few instalments.