How to Stay Motivated When Writing Fantasy

The first thing to know about writing fantasy is that it has to be exciting for the writer. You have to feel an aching feeling to write about this fantastical creation that you have inside of you. It's very easy to think up an idea and hold the excitement for about six seconds when you realize, "I have to actually write this." That is by far the easiest way to lose that excitement when you realize that a lot of work must be put into it. Fantasy, is by far the easiest genre to write. You want to know why? Because you can do WHATEVER you want! In the genre of fantasy you can pretty much make the world, mold the characters, and create plot that is original an in depth. The first thing you must do is hold that excitement. So you've decided to start? Are you excited? Let's do this!

So you're excited now. You've got this great idea for a new fantasy novel. You think it's going to be so awesome because your magic system is unique or your character is one of a kind. You're worried though. "What if I'm not a strong enough writer?" That's a good question really. Some people have this way of getting exciting, holding the excitement and then losing all hope when they put doubt into their own writing ability. You know what? You might not be that good of a writer. But how will you know if you don't give it a shot first? Worst case scenario you have difficulty towards the middle, it's hard, it's difficult. Welcome to being a writer, my friend. No matter what the skill set or talent, it's going to be hard and it's going to take lots of grueling hours at the laptop, lots of sleepless nights and dreams about how your character kills the dragon. It's going to be hard and you have to accept the fact that you might not be able to pull it off. Though, it's the doubt itself that keeps you from even TRYING. How well do you know yourself really? A writer doesn't know what could happen until it happens. So lose the doubt, at least start and see what happens.

So you've gotten excited, you fought whatever lingering doubt you may have. You might still even be a bit skeptical. Well guess what? When you're writing, the words will come to you easier than you'd imagine. It's your world, your characters, your story. It will not move until you say move. So when you're sitting at the desk, just think of things you'd enjoy reading in a book and put those kinds of things into your work. If you like comedy, throw some comedy in there. If you like drama, action, romance, throw those in as well. Make your own stew with your original thoughts and tastes. The hope is that others share your tastes and will gravitate towards your writing. It's much easier than you'd think. Just throw in those things you enjoy about fantasy and you'll definitely make some worthy reading.

That's awesome that you finished. It stinks? You know why? Because a book in its first draft is usually pretty bad. You've dragged your way through the middle and crashed into the end. The first part of the book is the easiest, the middle is long and hard, and the ending is like the end of the race. You're almost completely out of steam by the time you get there. That's completely normal. All you have to do is pick up your pen and go back over your own writing. It's always been said to edit AFTER your draft has been completed. You will find typos, misplaced scenes, even characters that aren't supposed to be there. So don't worry much about all that "this stinks and it sucks" stuff, because it's completely normal in the first draft. And after you've gone through it a few times it should be just how you wanted it. When that happens, let someone read it and then you'll easily know what kind of writer you are.

There are things you need to realize when receiving critique. Many people will give you an opinion based on their own liking, not the integrity of the work. Also there are many who will tell you it "stinks" but won't give you a conceivable reason as to why. These kinds of people are not good for critiquing your work. When writing fantasy, you have to surround yourself with other fantasy readers and let them lend you their critique. You must also take none of it personally and understand that you are still an amateur writer. Sometimes it won't be that easy early on. Writing is trial and error, it's hard work, and it's lots of rewriting, editing, proofreading, rewriting again. Just take a deep breath and really look at your book and ask yourself? "How'd I do?" If you thought you did well then you've done a pretty good job. Now you just need to determine what to do with it.

There are quite a few other things to learn about writing fantasy and about being a good writer. This is just the beginning. Don't fret, don't scream. Just take a deep breath and continue on learn the craft of writing. Read other works, read other authors, learn what makes a great book. If you find that you're doing well, maybe there are ways to correct it. It's not easy and it's never going to be as simple as you'd like. It takes time to grow into an awesome writer. Believe me, I know. Take into consideration everything you've learned in this article and apply it!

1. Get excited about what you want to write.
2. Maintain all that excitement so you can move forward, no doubts, no worries.
3. Write it with the best of your ability without thinking of your own skill.
4. Polish your work, get critique, continue to polish if necessary.
5. Seek what you'd like to do with your fantasy work (publish, sell, leave on the shelf, share with friends and family)