I want to do a Fantasy But Have No Story

[X Equestris]

Personally, I've found that creating characters first can be an effective way of setting up a story. I created two different worlds and plots for each, but neither of those were really clicking with me. Then I had a character idea( a young woman in a semi-religious military order who's desperately seeking to atone for a horrible mistake from her past), and everything else sort of started to fall into place.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

So, I love fantasy and I've written fantasy shorts, but I'm really trying to write something that's novel-length. The problem is that I have no idea what I want to do. I normally write sci-fi, and I have no problem coming up with science fiction stories, I have tons of stories of the genre I'd love to tell. But I want to get that way with fantasy, but I find my mind drawing a blank.

I can come up with plot lines and concepts, but nothing that I'm passionate about. They all feel uninspired. I know this is a difficult think to give advice on, but anyone know what can help inspire me create a story in fantasy I want to tell? I confess that reading-wise, I've read far more science fiction than fantasy. Could it be that I just need to read more fantasy? Could it be that fantasy may just not be my thing? What kind of stuff got you inspired to tell the stories you wanted to tell?

If you REALLY want to write fantasy, but you have plenty of sci-fi ideas, why not blend the genres? Have a "space fantasy" or a ship full of unarmed scientists that crashes onto a primitive planet. Thanks to their Translator Doohickeys™, they are able to understand both the Groovon Warriors and the Jazpastic Wizards. Captain Kames Jirk, naturally, beds a Groovon lady, which he later finds out is actually a male Groovon, though it's an understandable mistake, as the males are the more flamboyant gender, like peacocks, and also the childbearing gender, like seahorses.

Oh. Sorry. Got a bit carried away there.

So anyway, Captain Jirk and his crew are trained in the ways of the Groovon warrior. When Jazpastic magic makes short work of Jirk's elite force, the Red Shirts, Jirk realizes his Groovon stabbing device is useless against magic. The answer to the world's problem is embedded in his skull—the Translator Doohickey™! Dr. Pocks was trying to tell Jirk that like five chapters ago, but whatever, the end.



So……… now that I ruined the ending, you may want to tell a different story. But yeah, mix sci-fi and fantasy. That was my point.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I know I've posted the trailer before (or maybe it was somebody else, and I was just like yeah, awesome, I want a PS4!), but this post-post-apocalyptic game seems to have a good sci-fi/fantasy mix which leans toward fantasy style fighting (monster-hunting) and setting (more green than gray) but with a hint of sci-fi because of the technology.

Oh yeah, and the dinobots.

 

[evolution_rex]

As I said before, I personally not a fan of writing fantasy/sci-fi mixes at this point, but I do enjoy reading them. I find coming up with stories for those even more difficult than fantasy.

 

[CharlestheBaer]

I think a lot of the people who responded here gave some helpful advice so I will just add on a bit if I could. Since I love to write fantasy, science fiction, and horror, I always love to devour books in those genres. It is helpful to see what other people have written, especially successful ones, and get better acclimated with the landscape of those genres. If you want to get into fantasy, I would suggest reading a lot of fantasy. Make a book list of titles or authors and read a few of them (I would suggest at least five). I always point people to my favorite fantasy author, the late Robert Jordan in his Wheel of Time series, a magnificent example of epic fantasy like non other. I get the popularity of George Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire from the Game of Thrones television series, but personally I enjoyed reading the Wheel of Time ten times more. In fact, I have re-read the Wheel of Time several times! But there are so many influential writers in the genre that can motivate or inspire you. You can go old school and read something like the Piers Anthony Incarnation series, or if you are (were) into D&D read some R.A. Salvatore. Terry Goodkind had a popular series, the Sword of Truth, that also spun off to a television series, and then there is specific more 'niche' fantasy like Stephen Lawhead with his Celtic/Arthurian legend perspectives. The point is, you have to find something that inspires you, but I would earnestly suggest that you do some heavy reading in the fantasy genre before exploring a foray into writing it. I wish you luck!

 

[Warrioress]

My personal thought is that if you have a character story you want to tell you could place it in any world. Maybe develop a character you're passionate about, but don't pigeon hole them by what world they're from, then if you have the urge set them in a fantasy setting. If you like fantasy just choose your favourite aspects of it and combine them into your own thing.

Also I'd say read more fantasy.


All this has probably already been said but anyway.