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- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Hey KeePers!
For those of y’all who haven’t already heard, I recently came up with an idea for a Biblical-fiction-meets-fantasy novel that captured my imagination too much to turn it down, even though I’ve never written fantasy in my life. #newb
After hours of agonizing, I finally came up with a synopsis I really like. I have yet to do my customary 20-page outline, but this is what the story is essentially about. I’m sure y’all will be able to recognize the Biblical parallels just by reading the synopsis, but just in case, I’ll tell ya beforehand that it’s the Biblical story of Samuel, Saul, and the people of Israel – just in a fantasy world.
I really need y’all’s opinion, especially those of you who regularly write fantasy. Please tell me all your thoughts and any tips you have for diving into a genre I have never written before. I’m glad it’s half Biblical fiction, ’cause that will make things easier!
Here goes the synopsis (still stuck for book titles, so if ya have any tips on that I’d appreciate it as well):
The country of Kestra Maron was once split between two kingdoms: Aivathya and Desturnia. Desturnia, a land of black magic. Aivathya, a place of kindness, joy, and prosperity, inhabited by a happy people who trusted in God as their Protector. But one day Aivathya, wanting to be like its sister kingdom, demanded a human king. So Shamuel, the prophet, appointed Erebus as king.
Erebus became arrogant, and as a result, Desturnia took the people as captives. Now they are exiles, forced to perform harsh labor, and have turned to the black magic. Everyone, that is, except Shamuel.
But Shamuel’s daughter Lilibet is intrigued by the black magic, despite her father’s warnings. Tired of his rules, she allows herself to be abducted and taken to the palace. There she learns that the black magic may not be as evil as her father made it seem. In fact, it may not be black magic at all. Met with new friends who make her feel as loved and valued as she always longed for, Lilibet is overjoyed. But there’s more to discover: The truth about Shamuel, and about herself, that she never wanted to know.
Thanks so much if you got all the way here! *hands you tres leches cake*
@gracie-j @issawriter7 @mkfairygirl @nova21 @daisy-torres @jodi-maile @seekjustice @lydia-s @kathleenramm @r-m-archer @e-k-seaver @libby @godlyfantasy12 @kayleigh-idea @jenwriter17 @keilah-h @nanisnook@joy-caroline Ooooo!!! I’m lovinggg the idea alreadyyy!!! I would TOTALLY read that!!!
Okay so my tips? I love writing fantasy, but it can be hard, and there is still so much I don’t know yet.
Tip one: No matter how many blog posts you read, you will never know everything you need to know, and that’s okay. Honestly, 90% of blogs would have dismissed C. S. Lewis and Narnia for not having a well-thought-out magic system and layers upon layers of poetic prose and perfectly developed characters. So dismiss that and go with where God is leading you.
Tip two: As tempting as it can be, just using “well, it’s magic” does not work to fill every plot hole, especially when the “it’s magic” hasn’t been planned out well and is just an excuse to be lazy. (I’m telling me this more than you because I kiiinda tend to do this…….)
Tip three: Not all fantasy realms are medieval kingdoms 😉 What about Atlantis? Under the sea? A civilisation of swiss villagers in the mountains? It’s okay to break the typical fantasy molds–in fact, it’s welcomed!
"It's easy to be caught up in stardust and whispers when reality is so dark and loud."
@joy-caroline #1 I have noooo advice on fantasy, so I’ll let everyone else bring their expertise.
#2 That being said, I enjoy reading fantasy, so from a reader’s perspective, here’s what I say: SOUNDS AWESOME, LOVE IT, WRITE IT NOW.
the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel
@joy-caroline
First of all, YAY!!! I am so excited for you about starting a new novel, and that summary sounds so interesting!!! *high-fives* Secondly, *rubs hands together*, I’m chock-full of tips about fantasy writing, so let’s get into it.
#1 Read (and study) fantasy. When you’re looking to explore a new genre of writing, the first and foremost thing you want to do is read. I’d highly recommend the entire Narnia series for that! Or you could try The Wingfeather Saga as well (which is Christian as well). Either way, reading will definitely help acquaint you with the new genre. Focus on every little detail the author uses, whether it’s magic systems or worldbuilding or even theme, because they can really add up to something big and help you in your own writing.
#2 It’s ok to feel unprepared. Basically, as Daisy said, don’t overthink it. It’s perfectly all right to feel like it’s messy because, after all, this is totally new. So just experiment with it! Fantasy is all about creativity and freedom, so don’t feel constricted with it. The more you write on it, the better you’ll get! When I started writing fantasy some 3-4 years ago, it was a lot messier than what it is now (trust me). This is only the first draft after all, so be loose with it! It’ll get more familiar as time goes on. 🙂
#3 As far as book titles go… I would recommend either generators (it can be tempting to copy a title, though, so use this sparingly) or keywords. Write down some words that describe either the lessons the characters learn, the themes, or the conflict! Keywords are immensely helpful in coming up with book titles and it feels very relieving to see them all written down on page. (But also, don’t feel pressured to come up with a title right away! I’ve completed a draft of a novel and still don’t have a title for it… *shrug*)
As a side note, I really am interested by this idea and I think you’re already doing a great job for your first fantasy novel! I love how you’re blending in Christian elements, because it’s very rare that I see that done, especially in fantasy. *claps* You go, girl! If I think of any more tips, I’ll let ya know. 😉
@joy-caroline
Ooh I like it! 😍 Since I haven’t written much fantasy, I’ll leave that up to others. But awesome job!I'm a Kapeefer 'TIL WE'RE OLD AND GREY!
www.jennaterese.com- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Thank you so much! 😀
I really appreciate those tips! Especially the one about not using “it’s magic” as an excuse for everything. XD I have seen that problem in some fantasy I’ve read, when I’m just like “whaaat where did that come from” and the characters are just like “no wonder, that’s how the magic works.” Well, if that’s how it works, how come I never heard of it before? 😉
I’ll def be keeping your advice in mind!
Haha, thanks, Gracie! I’m actually doing Camp NaNoWriMo this July, and this is the novel I’ll be working on. So it shall be written. 😉
I LOVE NARNIA! That series is actually what got me thinking about trying fantasy in the first place. I’ll have to look into The Wingfeather Saga, as I largely prefer stories that are directly Christian.
Thanks for letting me know! I’ll def make it a goal to have fun with this first draft and not stress too much. If I have time today (I have that 20-page outline and a couple character profiles to do 😬), I’ll brainstorm some titles.
Thank you so much, Lexi! That really means a lot to me. I think the main reason I’m passionate about this story (because I always have to have passion for something in order to write it) is because there really isn’t much God-honoring fantasy out there. I’d love to change that and give teens something fun to read while pointing them to Jesus.
Thanks so much, Jen! But whaddya mean you haven’t written much fantasy? *coughs* Ignite *coughs* (On a side note, I know I’m probably not supposed to tell you this now, but ever since I read Ignite I’ve turned into a crazy fangirl. XD)
@joy-caroline You’re welcome! Ooh, yay!!!!
the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel
@joy-caroline
lol yeah I guess there’s that 😂
(AHH that makes me so happy! 😁 )
I'm a Kapeefer 'TIL WE'RE OLD AND GREY!
www.jennaterese.com@joy-caroline Absolutely!! And yess same XD It can be preeetty frustrating XD And it’s so obvious what’s happening lolll
"It's easy to be caught up in stardust and whispers when reality is so dark and loud."
This sounds awesome! And @joy-caroline I absolutely LOVE The Wingfeather Saga! My mom bought it for me a month or so ago and I’ve already read all four (two of them twice)!
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Hi, it’s SeekeroftheTruth!
I read the synopsis for your story and I like the way the plot is. I’m curious about what a Biblical Fantasy Idea is and how to turn it into a story? I’d like to write a story that is inspired by not only the Bible, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Kingdom Series, but also by movies and books of Disney, Nickelodeon, and Dreamworks brands.- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Hi! Thank you.
Ooh, I’d love to explain! So basically, Biblical fantasy is a genre that tells a story of the Bible in allegory form. While Biblical fiction is written about the actual people in the real time and place, Biblical fantasy takes place in a make-believe world and simply uses its plot and characters to illustrate the real people and their real story.
About developing a Biblical fantasy idea into a plot? My advice would be to first choose a story in the Bible you’re interested in retelling, and then brainstorm a bunch of ways you can get creative with it and incorporate fantasy elements into it. Just go crazy with the brainstorming, ask yourself lots of “what-if” questions, and don’t restrict your creative flow. Since you’re wanting to incorporate other stuff in as well, like Narnia and Disney, choose a book or movie you love from those places and think about how you can include those elements in your story to make it even MORE unique.
It could help you to make a list of elements you like from, say, Narnia, and then do the same with a favorite Disney movie, and so on. Then you can basically put your list in the blender of your mind and see what you come up with.
Hope this helped! 🙂 Let me know if there’s any more tips I can give; I love talking about Bible-inspired stories.
@joy-caroline
Ooh, sounds awesome! 😍 This idea has a lot of potential. A few thoughts about your story in particular and fantasy in general, if I may. . .
#1: As I read through the descriptions of the countries, the line between light and dark felt a liiiiiitle too sharp. There are definitely times when that can work, and I get that you’re basing it off the Biblical story, but I’d still look to see if you could incorporate a few shades of gray in there instead of just having “this is good” and “this is bad”.
#2: I loveeeeeee the twist with Shamuel’s daughter – that’s awesome. You’ll be able to pull in a lot of interesting relationships in there. If I were you, I’d spend some time (if you’re an outliner) developing the family relationship – does Shamuel’s wife make it into the equation? Are there any other siblings? What are the dynamics like, and how have they changed as Lilibet grew older? If you spend time crafting that family dynamic, your story will be able to carry such an emotional punch with it.
#3: Like others have mentioned, magic is not the answer to everything. XD Magic, like everything else, needs rules, and those rules need to be established early so that readers understand what kind of tools/enemies your characters have available.
$4: This one is really small, but names that are able to be pronounced are always great. XD For fantasy writers (speaking from experience), it’s sooooo easy to just throw a bunch of cool letters together and call it a name, but making sure readers can actually *pronounce* the name is an awesome step to cover before you go too far and get too attached to the current names. XP
Hope that helped a bit – and good luck! This concept sounds awesome.
wonder | beauty | truth | love
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