Building a fantasy premise is tricky business. You need to convey the unique fictional world you’ve created without dumping a bunch of information inelegantly in your reader’s lap. You have to give them enough context to understand what’s going on and to make sure that the framework, boundaries, rules, and unique qualities of your universe are conveyed clearly.
Get More Mileage Out Of Your Fantasy Premise
Let’s say that people can fly in your fantasy premise. This isn’t a unique book premise but it is your premise, and that’s what matters. Now, let’s say that you choose to hold off on this fact and use it as a reveal at the climax of the book. The character has no idea that people can fly in this world and only learns it at one of the last moments. Thrilling, right? Well, maybe. If it’s done right. But if this is a world where people can fly, why save that unique tidbit until the very end? Why not blow your character’s mind right at the beginning and get more mileage out of the flying than you would if you hid it away?
Your job is to attract readers to the fantasy premise you’ve created by giving them something that will get them interested in your unique idea. You certainly can tease and hint and withhold things about your world, but I would do this sparingly. Instead of counting on a big surprise to raise stakes and elevate tension, get the coolest stuff about your idea out in the open early. If you’re wondering how to write a unique fantasy novel, this is an effective approach.
How to Write a Unique Fantasy Novel: SELL IT
Instead of hiding your world, SELL IT to your readers by dropping clues for them to follow or exposing the elements that made you fall in love with your story and pursue it. This is a great way of drawing in your audience. It’s saying, “Sure, you’ve read a lot of fantasy before but MY fantasy premise has people flying, and glittering unicorns, and a giant who only falls asleep while guarding his cave of precious treasure once every hundred years.”
So if you want to know how to write a unique fantasy novel, remember this: The more we’re in that world and understand how it works–all of which takes information and revealing these elements in a timely manner–the more we can focus on the other elements of your storytelling. Compared to a rich fantasy premise full of interesting elements, the cheap fizzle of a last-minute surprise starts to feel like a bummer.
If you’re struggling with how to write a unique fantasy novel, hire me as your novel editor and I’ll help you work through premise, plot, character, and voice.
“Instead of hiding your world, SELL IT to your readers by dropping clues for them to follow or exposing the elements that made you fall in love with your story and pursue it.” Thanks for this…gave me a chill. Expose the elements that made you fall in love with it….makes total sense, um, now that I have heard it. Thanks!
World building can be difficult at times. Deciding when to reveal something, how to do it properly, and when to withhold but this post is really helpful on this subject. You have to think about selling the story when you’re writing it, and revealing some things can be more powerful than doing something big all at once — I hadn’t thought about it exactly like that. Thank you for the post!
I agree. Why not show off these great elements early on? In the flying example, there’s so much a writer could do with this that he or she misses out on by waiting to reveal it. Also this kind of discovery just feels like the beginning of a story, not the end.
Stupid question–yes, i know, but still…what exactly is a PREMISE? in the novel sense of the word, because i thing hollywood has its own idea of what premise is.