# What are some of the best resources for fantasy writers out there?



## Lord Hoffenburg of Hoffen (May 26, 2016)

As the title says, what's the best writing resources for fantasy writers, what books, sites etc?


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## Penpilot (May 27, 2016)

One of the best books IMHO is How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card.

For writing in general my favorite books are as follows
Save the Cat screen writing book
The Elements of Fiction Series of writing books
My Story Can Beat Up Your Story book

Videos on writing structure
Dan Well's 7 Point Plot Structure - You can find it on youtube

Podcasts
Writing Excuses
I Should Be Writing
The Roundtable 

These are some of the resources I found to be helpful, but what works for me may not work for you. Some of the things IMHO that one has to learn about being a writer is, one, figure out what approach works best for you, and, two, how to filter out the noise from the signal.  There's lots of stuff out there, some of it good, some of it bad, most of it in between. 

Another resource you might try is this site and it's article archive. Personal bias here because I wrote some of those articles, but there's lots of info to be had there, too.


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## brian dunn (Jun 21, 2016)

I have a new series of books that I am buying at the moment by the fantasy writer Rayne Hall, there very good and I have learned a lot already from them. 1 Writing Vivid Settings. 2 Writing Vivid Dialogue. 3 Writing About Magic. and am waiting for the others. I can recomend more when I have read them.


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## skip.knox (Jun 21, 2016)

The best thing you can do is to do your own research. Even a simple Google "best fantasy resources for writers" will get you tons of hits.

I say this not because you shouldn't have asked here, but because what is best will vary by individual. Not only that, even for yourself, what is best today will be a different list from what is best a year from now. There's just no good way around it--you'll have to slog through a bunch of material that is either irrelevant or too obscure or too simple or just not for you, in order to find those few nuggets that will speak to just exactly who you are, exactly where you are. In the meantime, the work won't be wasted. Bookmark everything; some of those articles that seem irrelevant now will be "just right" a year or two from now.


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## brian dunn (Jun 22, 2016)

received a few more books today 1 Showing and Telling in fiction by Marcy Kennedy. 2 Structuring your Novel by K.M. Weiland. 3 The Emotion Theesaurus: by Angela ackerman and Becca Puglisi 4 writing about magic by Rayne Hall. they open a load more question for me to think about and what I have read so far they show great promise and I have learn a great deal already.


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## brian dunn (Jun 22, 2016)

I also have Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card in my collection.

 I found it heavy toward science fiction rather than both, I feel they should have kept them separate. 

my favorite: Is The guide to writing  Fantasy and science fiction by Philip Athans. which is indefends of the first book is heavy toward Fantasy, but it's like a can of drink, if it says lemon and soda it is more lemon than soda and vise-versa.


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## brian dunn (Jun 22, 2016)

I am looking at writing as tho building a model airoplane it has many parts, and you have to study each part carefully so it fits together first, then the structure is the part numbers and need to be done in the right order with a little playing around because who as not clue the pilot in is seat before you get to that part lol. And the paint job as the polishing of your prose. 
The transfers as the finishing touches, before you put it on the shelf as the publisher.


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## Russ (Jun 22, 2016)

brian dunn said:


> I am looking at writing as tho building a model airoplane it has many parts, and you have to study each part carefully so it fits together first, then the structure is the part numbers and need to be done in the right order with a little playing around because who as not clue the pilot in is seat before you get to that part lol. And the paint job as the polishing of your prose.
> The transfers as the finishing touches, before you put it on the shelf as the publisher.



Great analogy.  For me the most important part is the box cover, that image of what it is supposed to look like when it is done that guides all of my other choices.

The first part of the OSC book is very good, that is the part written by OSC.  It takes a bit of a nose dive about half way through where his co-writers take over.

I also recommend that you read well outside just the fantasy genre and books on how to write fantasy, as good fiction is good fiction.

I would steer anyone to "Story Trumps Structure" by James.  I may be biased but I have read at least 100 books on writing and I think his is the best.

I am also fond of Many Genres, One Craft, but I am really biased about that one.


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## brian dunn (Jun 22, 2016)

Ill have to look them up and add it to my collection, if it looks like the picture on the box lid. lol


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## sandtrout (Jun 29, 2016)

Look at the books you like and figure out what you like about them, apart from the characters and the plot.
Look up books you dont like and search for the reasons, especial if you dislike the writing but would otherwise enjoy the characters or the plot.


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## Russ (Jun 30, 2016)

I gotta differ from an opinion above.  I picked up some of those books from Rayne Hall and thought they were really weak.


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## Steel Dragon (Jul 3, 2016)

I like D&D monsterous manuals for resources on mythical creatures, not just dragons, either. I personally think the AD&D second edition Monsterous Manual is a particularly good find, it presents pictures, descriptions, weapons and ecology for each monster and covers a great many. I have five copies, just in case. I grab them up at yard sales and the like whenever I find one.


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## Caged Maiden (Jul 3, 2016)

I just finished reading Donald Maass' "Writing the Breakout Novel" and I would really recommend it. It's not geared toward fantasy writing, but is focused on how to take risks and push your understanding of your own story. It doesn't tell you a single thing about "how to write" but instead instructs how to make your story stand out amongst thousands of others. How to make a plot stronger. How to make a character deeper. How to get an emotional impact, or create symbolism. It's pretty advanced in most of its concepts, because again, it doesn't tell you HOW to actually accomplish those things on the practical level, but rather it expects you to know a fair bit about writing, and then to use your already developed tools, to make a story that'll blow a reader's socks off.


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## Demesnedenoir (Jul 8, 2016)

Russ said:


> I would steer anyone to "Story Trumps Structure" by James.  I may be biased but I have read at least 100 books on writing and I think his is the best.



I scanned this one today while taking a break from writing, hit this notion which is essentially what I do: 

"As you learn to feel out the direction of your of your story by constantly asking yourself what would naturally happen..."

I might word it differently, but that's essentially what I do. It's good to see a book going about things a bit differently than the structure route.

The more I scan this, the more I see my writing here. The 3 questions: What would the character do, how do I make it worse, how do I end inevitable but unexpected. Ayup! Not my exact terminology when thinking, but boils down to that.


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## JaniceKersh (Sep 21, 2016)

I've recently read two great books that were really helpful for me as a fantasy writer. The first one is _How To Write Science Fiction & Fantasy_
By Orson Scott Card and the second one - _Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction_ by Jeff Vandermeer.

But I agree that first of all you should Google and see what you can take out from free online resources.


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## DragonOfTheAerie (Sep 21, 2016)

JaniceKersh said:


> I've recently read two great books that were really helpful for me as a fantasy writer. The first one is _How To Write Science Fiction & Fantasy_
> By Orson Scott Card and the second one - _Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction_ by Jeff Vandermeer.
> 
> But I agree that first of all you should Google and see what you can take out from free online resources.



I have Wonderbook on my shelf. It has lots of quirky artwork and stuff that could inspire your imagination.


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## mulierrex (Oct 1, 2016)

sandtrout said:


> Look at the books you like and figure out what you like about them, apart from the characters and the plot.
> Look up books you dont like and search for the reasons, especial if you dislike the writing but would otherwise enjoy the characters or the plot.





Steel Dragon said:


> I like D&D monsterous manuals for resources on mythical creatures, not just dragons, either. I personally think the AD&D second edition Monsterous Manual is a particularly good find, it presents pictures, descriptions, weapons and ecology for each monster and covers a great many. I have five copies, just in case. I grab them up at yard sales and the like whenever I find one.



I agree with both of these. Familiarizing yourself with the genre is a great idea, since you can figure out what you like and don't like, what you thought might be a good idea but turned out bad, etc. Also, I really like D&D manuals.

As for what I think -- and this is going to sound very suburban mom-like -- Pinterest. I use Pinterest a lot, and have two accounts; one for my characters and for story ideas in general, and one for my world, which has numerous boards for places, people, gods, etc. I just pin stuff that reminds or inspires me for each thing and it really helps with imagery, visualization, and coming up with new things. It may sound tacky, but I love looking at haute couture and other runway fashion to design clothing for my world, and that's just one example. You just have to know where to look.


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## Chessie (Oct 2, 2016)

Writing Deep Scenes by Martha Alderson. It's been very helpful in helping me determine what types of scenes would best fit where in my story. The prewriting exercises have also been a boon in warming up my writerly brain muscles before working. I'm so glad to have come across this book.


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## Chessie (Oct 2, 2016)

Russ said:


> I gotta differ from an opinion above.  I picked up some of those books from Rayne Hall and thought they were really weak.


Agreed. They're more like booklets than intructional manuals.


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## artsyChica (Oct 3, 2016)

Hi, newbie poster here!

I've found tons of resources on both youtube and Pinterest:
Brandon Sanderson Lectures - YouTube  which is a series of Brandon Sanderson lectures

Movie Breakdowns for screenwriters - YouTube even though D4Darious' focus is on screenwriting, I really enjoy his Story Structure Analysis for popular movies

Vivien Reis - YouTube  Vivien Reis has a nice collection of writing videos too. 

On Pinterest, I have several writing boards, including Crafting Characters, Plotting & Outlines, Fantasy Worldbuilding and more: artsy Chica on Pinterest


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## KBA (Oct 12, 2016)

I have to agree somewhat with sandtrout, in that the best resources for writing are the fantasy and science fiction you loved to read. Sure we need the left brain hemisphere to study the components, but the right brain hemisphere can help plug you into a writing wavelength you can kind of float on amidst all the analysis. Might sound like a "well, DUH," but I'm amazed at how many aspiring fiction writers feel that reading great fiction is a luxury they can barely afford to allow, when instead it can be seen as part of the work day.


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## gia (Nov 13, 2016)

So...here's a resource probably not listed. I am an energy healer and work with energy protocols. One of the protocols I work with heightens my creativity, connects me to my muse (or wherever the heck the story is coming from), and cuts out mental/emotional doubt, fear, distraction and the dreaded block. You can learn it in a weekend online class. And, yes, I created this protocol but it works great for all creatives! Can't operate without it. It's called Expressing Your Creative Purpose.


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## neodoering (Feb 5, 2017)

*Read What You Love*



Lord Hoffenburg of Hoffen said:


> As the title says, what's the best writing resources for fantasy writers, what books, sites etc?



Rather than a book on how to write, read the fiction you love best, and write like that.  I'm into the Maya Indians.  I read a scholarly book entitled _2000 Years of Mayan Literature_ by Dennis Tedlock, and it was good insight into how the Maya conceived of their written corpus.  But even better is reading _Popul Vuh_, which was the Bible of the Maya people.  It's a series of myths and legends, and in here I found how the Maya themselves present their stories.  Both books were valuable, and I will be writing more stories about the Maya in the future.  You have to find the stories that most interest you, and learn how to write like those.  

My two cents.


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## TheCatholicCrow (Feb 5, 2017)

neodoering said:


> *Rather than a book on how to write, read the fiction you love best, and write like that.*  I'm into the Maya Indians.  I read a scholarly book entitled _2000 Years of Mayan Literature_ by Dennis Tedlock, and it was good insight into how the Maya conceived of their written corpus.  But even better is reading _Popul Vuh_, which was the Bible of the Maya people.  It's a series of myths and legends, and in here I found how the Maya themselves present their stories.  Both books were valuable, and I will be writing more stories about the Maya in the future.  *You have to find the stories that most interest you, and learn *how to write like those.



^ I definitely agree with that. Once you know the basics of writing (like grammar for your language of choice or story arcs), you start getting into improving your writing in a particular genre, there's really nothing quite like reading stories you love and aspire to write like. Learning theory will only get you so far, seeing it applied in real books / stories / flash will do the rest.


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## oenanthe (Feb 5, 2017)

books on craft I think people should read:

2k-10k by Rachel Aaron
The Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
hooked by Les Edgerton
On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner
Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer

there's no sense in ignoring a good resource. There are a lot of craft books out there. I've read dozens. All of them carry some value but these are the six I think are the most valuable.

Fantasy novels I think people should read:

I think you should read what's coming out NOW. Get current and stay current. Then look to your influences and your peers. The authors who have written books that make you itch for a pen. you should read their work, obviously. but I think you should find out who influenced your influences.

Fairly recently I realized that a good friend of mine and one of my heavier influences (who i've met and spoken with briefly) are both influenced by a writer I missed entirely, so i'm doing something I never do, these days: read a writer whose most recent title published was more than ten years ago. (actually, it was more like thirty.)

(why? because there's so much going on in NEW SFF these days, I simply don't have time to read anything but recent work in Adult Fantasy. Yeah. I don't read much YA. I make an exception or two, but YA isn't what I'm writing, so i don't target it unless people are flinging the book at me or it was written by a friend. I think 25% of my fiction reading is Adult Fantasy. the rest is a mishmash of literary fiction, romance, mystery, and historical fiction.)

Non-Fiction novels I think people should read:

Seriously, anything you're interested in that could possibly apply to your writing is probably fantastic. I also recommend joining free course sites like Coursera and taking something that interests you for free.


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## Mike Chara (Feb 6, 2017)

artsyChica said:


> Hi, newbie poster here!
> 
> I've found tons of resources on both youtube and Pinterest:
> Brandon Sanderson Lectures - YouTube  which is a series of Brandon Sanderson lectures
> ...



The Sanderson lectures on youtube are great, thanks for the other links, I'll check them out.


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## Ronald T. (Mar 29, 2017)

I hope this will be of help, Lord H of H.

I've been a devout reader for more than forty years, and deeply involved in the study of writing for more than thirty years.  I have subscribed to both WRITER'S DIGEST and THE WRITER for thirty years and have more than one hundred books on the art and craft of writing.  But I didn't start writing until eleven years ago.  Prior to that, it was all about reading the work of other authors and studying the art and craft of writing.  

I have a few suggestions on writing guides and self-help for writers that might be useful.

Writer’s Digest has a good series on self-help for writers by various authors that I found highly beneficial and enlightening: Voice and Style; Characters and Viewpoint; Settings; Scene and Structure; Description; Beginnings, middles, and ends; Theme and Strategy; Plot; Dialogue; and Plot vs. Character. 
I have all these books and more, and found them very helpful.  

One of my favorite authors on writing well is Donald Maass.  You might find it helpful to check him out.  Here are just two of his well-written books:  “Writing the Breakout Novel”, and “The Fire in Fiction”.

Following, I will list just a few more books I found particularly useful:
     — Les Edgerton’s “Hooked”.
     — Robert Masello’s “Robert’s Rules of Writing”.
     — Jack M. Bickham’s “The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes” (and how to
                                            fix them).
     — William Noble’s “Noble’s Book of Writing Blunders”.
     — Marc McCutchen’s “Building Believable Characters”.

I have too many to list here.  But there is an endless supply of resources.  Just keep an eye open for them and do some focused research.  What you need is out there.

But study alone is not enough.  You must write every day, if possible.  There is no better teacher than experience.  So…write, write, write.

All my best to you and yours.


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## Chessie (Mar 29, 2017)

I'd like to add Story Grid by Shawn Coyne to this list, for those who need more of a breakdown on plot points and story structure.


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## pmmg (Apr 4, 2017)

For writing Fantasy, I think best is just a wild imagination, and a love of your craft. For writing in general, I personally like books that are short and get to the point. And better than all of those, is just doing your own writing and learning what works for you and what does not.

A book I liked, and it has been a while for me, was Noah Lukeman's 'The first five pages'.


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## yoffi (Oct 26, 2019)

Reading other authors and making notes on their style is useful!


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## Fëanor (Dec 3, 2019)

Wow, what a to read list has this thread created.

I knew many of them but will start with the new ones now.

No one spoke about "The Fantasy Fiction Formula" from Deborah Chester which I really liked and come back from time to time.

EVERYTHING that Brandon Sanderson shares about his writing is absolute gold. He has lectures, he has a blog on writing advice,etc He even has and I'm not kidding, himself writing real time on youtube and even creating a story from the scratch (this is a 4 hours youtube video).

Check it out!


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## Kasper Hviid (Dec 4, 2019)

Russ said:


> I would steer anyone to "Story Trumps Structure" by James. I may be biased but I have read at least 100 books on writing and I think his is the best.



Wow. Only thirty pages in, and I'm absolutely amazed how it's in perfect sync with my own vague ideas of the craft. It almost feels too easy, like he had written it explicitly to appeal to me and no other reader. Like how he considers the cover, blurb and other packaging as being part of the hook. Or how he talks about _tension _instead of _conflict_, to avoid, I guess, the laters inherited suggestion of physical conflict. Or his disdain for physical action prologues.

I'm sure I'll find something to dislike about this book, like I usually do, but it just feels so fresh, so totally outside conventional ideas about writing. Thanks for recommending this!


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## oenanthe (Dec 4, 2019)

oh, now i'm intrigued.


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