How to Write a Fantasy Novel (and Become a Fantasy Novelist)
Writing a fantasy novel means building a world with its own rules and telling a story that could only happen inside it. You become a fantasy novelist by learning to balance worldbuilding with momentum, finishing the book, and publishing into a genre that rewards series and deep readers.
How to write the book, step by step
- 1
Read widely across fantasy so you know the tropes you are using, subverting, or avoiding.
- 2
Build a world with consistent rules, but reveal it through story rather than front-loading lore.
- 3
Keep the plot moving, because worldbuilding serves the story and never the other way around.
- 4
Design a magic system or premise with clear limits, since limits create tension and stakes.
- 5
Draft to the longer lengths fantasy readers expect, then cut anything that stalls the pace.
- 6
Plan for a series, as fantasy readers reward authors who deliver more of a world they love.
The craft
Fantasy asks you to balance worldbuilding against momentum: build a consistent world with real rules, but reveal it through character and plot rather than front-loading lore, which is the genre's most common failure. If magic is central, give it clear limits, because unlimited magic dissolves tension while well-defined rules create stakes. Fantasy runs longer than most genres and readers expect it, so use the average-length tool to aim right, and plan for a series since fantasy readers reward more of a world they love.
A day in the life
You hold a whole invented world in your head, its rules and its magic and its history, while making sure the story keeps moving and the lore never smothers it. The daily balance is momentum against depth: enough worldbuilding to feel real, revealed only as the reader needs it.
Your first 90 days
Read widely across fantasy so you know the tropes you are using or subverting, and build a world with consistent rules that you reveal through story rather than front-loading. Keep the plot moving, design a magic system with clear limits, draft to the longer lengths readers expect, and plan for a series.
What writers and authors earn
The closest US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation is Writers and Authors (SOC 27-3043). In the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release, the national median wage was $76,910 a year, with the lower tenth under $44,310 and the top tenth above $139,870. These cover wage-and-salary jobs only, so self-employed and freelance earners are not counted.
See the full state-by-state breakdown in the Writer Salary Explorer.
Your first markets
Real places to submit or pitch, pulled from this site's living databases on the day this page was built. Check each one's current guidelines before you send.
Contests and grants
- Guggenheim Fellowship (US & Canada) — Grant amount varies; ~175 fellowships/year (deadline 2026-09-15)
- Mslexia Novel Competition — £5,000 + manuscript feedback + agent intros (deadline 2026-09-21)
- L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest — $1,000/$750/$500 per quarter + $5,000 annual grand prize (deadline 2026-09-30)
- Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers - Boulevard — Publication and one-year subscription to Boulevard Magazine (deadline 2026-09-30)
Magazines that pay
- Clarkesworld Magazine — $0.10 per word for the first 4,000 words, $0.05 per word thereafter (open now)
- Asimov's Science Fiction — $0.10 for the first 7,500 words, $0.08 for every word after (open now)
- Analog Science Fiction and Fact — $0.10 for the first 7,500 words, $0.08 for every word after (open now)
- Raising Mothers — $100–$400 (open now)
The full, sortable lists live in the deadline databases.
Looking for paying gigs and staff roles right now? Browse the writing jobs directory - verified job boards, pitch markets and marketplaces, filterable by niche.
Tools for the job
The free tools on this site that do this kind of work.
Frequently asked questions
How much worldbuilding does a fantasy novel need?
Enough to make the world feel real and consistent, and no more than the story can carry. The common failure is front-loading lore; the fix is to reveal the world through character and plot as the reader needs it.
How long is a typical fantasy novel?
Fantasy runs longer than most genres, and readers expect it, with expected ranges that shift for epic versus other subgenres. The average-length tool on this site shows the standard word counts so you can aim right.
Do I need a magic system for a fantasy novel?
Not always, but if magic is central it needs clear limits, because unlimited magic removes tension. Well-defined rules are what let magic create stakes rather than dissolve them.
Related paths
How to Write a Mystery or Thriller Novel (and Become a Novelist)
Writing a mystery or thriller means engineering suspense: a question the reader must see answered, and a plot that keeps tightening.
How to Write a Romance Novel (and Become a Romance Novelist)
Writing a romance novel means delivering the promise readers come for: an emotional central relationship and a satisfying, hopeful ending.
How to Become an Author
An author writes a book and gets it into readers' hands, whether through a traditional publisher or by self-publishing.
Still weighing your options? The two-minute quiz walks you to the path that fits and shows two more worth a look.
What kind of writer should I be?The writer's edit
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