15 Things To AVOID When Writing Fantasy | WritingCraft
Summary
TLDRCe script de vidéo partage 15 fautes d'écriture majeures à éviter lors de la création d'un roman de fantasy, offrant des stratégies pratiques pour contourner ces erreurs courantes. Le narrateur, écrivain lui-même, souhaite aider les aspirants auteurs tout en se documentant pour éviter ces pièges dans son propre écriture. Des conseils tels que l'évitement d'un début lent, la non surcharge d'informations ou de personnages, et la mise en place de limitations dans le système de magie sont donnés pour améliorer la qualité de l'écriture.
Takeaways
- 📘 Évitez de planifier chaque détail de l'histoire avant d'écrire, laissez de la flexibilité pour les idées qui peuvent émerger au cours de la rédaction.
- 🏁 Commencez votre histoire par un début captivant pour maintenir l'intérêt du lecteur dès le départ.
- 📚 Ne soyez pas trop verbeux, évitez les paragraphes longs et fastidieux qui peuvent alourdir la lecture.
- 🚫 Évitez les info-dumps, introduisez graduellement les détails du monde et du système magique tout au long de l'histoire.
- ✂️ Coupez les sous-intrigues qui ne contribuent pas à l'intrigue principale pour éviter une narration encombré.
- 🧩 N'introduisez pas trop de personnages à la fois, évitez de confondre le lecteur avec une multitude de points de vue.
- 🔮 Assurez-vous d'avoir des limitations dans votre système magique, évitez d'accorder un pouvoir illimité aux utilisateurs de la magie.
- 🎭 Évitez les stéréotypes et les tropes usés du genre fantasy, offrez une tournure originale ou une subversion des attentes du lecteur.
- 🤔 Ne donnez pas tout de suite, maintenez un certain mystère et laissez le lecteur deviner pour augmenter l'engagement.
- 🚫 Évitez l'utilisation d'un jargon de fantasy excessif et de noms compliqués qui peuvent décourager le lecteur.
- 💔 Créez des personnages avec des imperfections, cela permettra une meilleure identification et développement du personnage.
- 🤼♂️ Utilisez l'action de manière significative, évitez les scènes de combat inutiles qui ne servent pas l'intrigue.
- 🙅♂️ Évitez les miracles qui sauvent les personnages des situations désespérées, cela peut sembler être un cop-out.
- 🗣️ Utilisez le dialogue pour faire avancer l'intrigue, évitez les conversations qui ressemblent à des leçons d'histoire.
- 🏎️ Assurez-vous d'un rythme approprié tout au long de l'histoire, avec une évolution vers le point culminant pour maximiser l'impact.
Q & A
Quels sont les 15 péchés majeurs de l'écriture que l'on doit éviter lors de la création d'une nouvelle de fantasy ?
-Les 15 péchés majeurs de l'écriture mentionnés dans le script ne sont pas tous listés, mais ils incluent la planification excessive, le début lent, l'info-dumping, l'introduction de trop de personnages, la confusion du lecteur avec les styles de voix multiples, les personnages parfaits sans défauts, l'action sans but, les miracles déus ex machina, le dialogue utilisé comme livre d'histoire, et le manque de rythme.
Pourquoi est-il important d'éviter de planifier tous les détails de l'histoire avant de commencer à écrire ?
-Planifier tous les détails peut restreindre la flexibilité de l'écriture et empêcher l'émergence d'idées ou de directions imprévues qui pourraient enrichir l'histoire. Laisser une marge de manœuvre permet d'adapter l'intrigue aux nouvelles idées qui peuvent surgir pendant l'écriture.
Quels sont les avantages d'un début d'histoire captivant ?
-Un début captivant peut aider à retenir les lecteurs, en offrant de l'intrigue et en soulevant des questions qui les incitent à poursuivre la lecture et à découvrir ce qui se passe ensuite.
Pourquoi faut-il éviter l'info-dumping, c'est-à-dire le surcharge d'informations au début de l'histoire ?
-L'info-dumping peut être repoussant pour le lecteur, car il peut sembler être un cours de histoire plutôt qu'une narration engageante. Il est préférable de révéler petit à petit les détails du monde et de l'intrigue tout au long de l'histoire.
Quelle est une stratégie efficace pour éviter de confondre le lecteur avec un grand nombre de personnages introduits simultanément ?
-Il est recommandé de limiter le nombre de personnages nommés et de points de vue différents introduits au début de l'histoire, pour ne pas surcharger la mémoire du lecteur et faciliter la compréhension de l'intrigue.
Pourquoi est-il important de ne pas écrire de personnages parfaits sans défauts ?
-Les personnages parfaits manquent de profondeur et de réalisme, ce qui rend difficile l'identification des lecteurs. Les personnages avec des défauts et des forces sont plus attrayants et offrent plus de possibilités pour le développement de l'intrigue.
Quels sont les inconvénients de l'utilisation excessive de l'action dans une histoire sans but ?
-L'action sans but ou excessive peut être épuisante pour le lecteur et ne pas contribuer à l'avancement de l'intrigue. Il est important d'utiliser l'action de manière significative et de la façon dont elle est nécessaire pour faire progresser l'histoire.
Quelle est la différence entre un miracle déus ex machina et une résolution de conflit bien écrite ?
-Un miracle déus ex machina est une résolution soudaine et improbable d'un problème sans logique interne, tandis qu'une résolution de conflit bien écrite est basée sur des éléments de l'intrigue et des actions des personnages qui sont cohérents avec l'histoire.
Pourquoi faut-il éviter d'utiliser le dialogue comme un livre d'histoire ?
-Utiliser le dialogue comme un livre d'histoire peut rendre les conversations artificielles et peu naturelles. Il est préférable d'écrire des dialogues qui sont conversationnels, émotionnels et qui avancent l'intrigue.
Quels sont les avantages d'une bonne gestion du rythme dans une histoire de fantasy ?
-Une bonne gestion du rythme permet de maintenir l'engagement du lecteur, en alternant les périodes d'intensité et de calme, et en assurant une montée en intensité vers le climax de l'histoire pour un impact maximal.
Quels sont les effets de l'utilisation de jargon de fantasy excessif et de noms compliqués sur la compréhension du lecteur ?
-L'utilisation de jargon excessif et de noms compliqués peut rendre l'histoire difficile à suivre et à comprendre, risquant de décourager le lecteur de poursuivre la lecture.
Quels sont les avantages de la création d'un sens de mystère dans une histoire de fantasy ?
-Le mystère pousse l'imagination du lecteur et crée de l'anticipation pour les révélations futures. Cela ajoute de la profondeur à l'intrigue et maintient l'engagement du lecteur tout au long de l'histoire.
Comment peut-on éviter de baser son récit sur des clichés et des tropes de fantasy trop courants ?
-Pour éviter les clichés, il est recommandé de retravailler ou de subvertir les tropes, en donnant une tournure originale à l'histoire qui surprend le lecteur et offre une perspective fraîche sur le genre.
Quels sont les effets de ne pas respecter les limitations et les règles de votre propre système de magie ?
-Ne pas respecter les limitations et les règles du système de magie peut conduire à des problèmes de cohérence et de croyabilité dans l'histoire, ce qui peut décevoir ou frustrer le lecteur.
Quels sont les avantages de ne pas tout révéler dans l'histoire de façon anticipative ?
-Ne pas tout révéler permet de maintenir l'intérêt et la curiosité du lecteur, en laissant des mystères et en utilisant la préfiguration pour construire vers une révélation satisfaisante.
Quels sont les effets de l'introduction de trop de personnages dans un récit sans structure ou sans but ?
-Introduit trop de personnages sans structure ou but peut rendre l'histoire confus et difficile à suivre, risquant de perdre l'intérêt du lecteur et de fausser l'intrigue.
Comment peut-on utiliser efficacement l'action dans une histoire de fantasy sans la rendre excessive ou inutile ?
-L'action doit être utilisée de manière significative et liée à l'avancement de l'intrigue. Il est important d'éviter les scènes d'action qui ne mènent nulle part ou qui ne servent qu'à remplir l'espace, sans contribuer au développement de l'histoire.
Outlines
📚 Évitez les 15 péchés capitaux de l'écriture de fantasy
Le script présente 15 erreurs courantes à éviter lors de la rédaction d'un premier roman de fantasy. L'auteur partage des stratégies pour contourner ces écueils, en tant qu'auteur en herbe qui documente son propre parcours. Le but est d'améliorer l'écriture en évitant ces pièges, et le script commence par une publicité pour GlassesUSA, une entreprise de lunettes offrant des offres spéciales pour la saison des fêtes.
🛠️ Planifiez, mais laissez la flexibilité
Il est important d'avoir une structure de base pour un roman de fantasy, surtout pour le genre haut ou bas fantasy où l'on crée un monde entier. Cependant, il faut éviter de planifier tout à l'avance, ce qui peut gêner le flux naturel de l'histoire et fermer la porte à de nouvelles idées. La solution suggérée est de créer un synopsis approximatif tout en laissant la possibilité d'adapter l'intrigue aux nouvelles idées qui surgissent pendant l'écriture.
🏃 Commencez par de l'action pour accroître l'intérêt
Le script insiste sur l'importance d'un début captivant pour un roman, en évitant les histoires qui commencent lentement. Il est recommandé de démarrer avec de l'action et des questions non résolues pour maintenir l'intérêt du lecteur. L'auteur donne un exemple de son propre travail, changeant un début banal pour un scénario plus tendancieux impliquant un empoisonnement, ce qui introduit le personnage principal et crée de la tension dès la première page.
📖 Évitez l'info-dumping et la verbosité
L'info-dumping, c'est-à-dire l'explication excessive du monde et de l'histoire dès le début, est à éviter pour ne pas alourdir le récit. Au lieu de cela, il est préférable de révéler petit à petit des détails du monde et du système de magie tout au long de l'histoire. Le script met également en garde contre l'utilisation de trop d'adjectifs et de descriptions peu intéressantes qui peuvent décourager le lecteur.
✂️ Coupez les intrigues secondaires non pertinentes
Les histoires qui ne contribuent pas au récit principal doivent être éliminées pour éviter une narration gonflée et sans but. L'auteur suggère d'engager un éditeur externe, un relecteur ou des lecteurs de test pour identifier et couper les éléments superflus, tout en citant 'A Song of Ice and Fire' comme exemple de convergence efficace des intrigues.
🧐 Présentez vos personnages sans les surcharger
Il est important d'introduire les personnages de manière à ne pas surcharger le lecteur, en particulier dans les genres de fantasy épiques où il y a un grand nombre de personnages et de points de vue. Le script mentionne 'The Wheel of Time' de Robert Jordan, connu pour son grand nombre de personnages, mais souligne que cela ne se fait pas dès le début, en se concentrant plutôt sur un petit nombre de personnages et de points de vue principaux.
🚫 Évitez la confusion avec les styles de voix et les temps verbaux
Le script met en garde contre le changement constant de premier et troisième personne, qui peut désorienter le lecteur, ainsi que contre l'inconsistance dans les temps verbaux, qui doit rester le même tout au long de l'histoire pour un récit professionnel. Il insiste sur l'importance de la cohérence pour éviter de confondre le lecteur.
🪄 Limitez le système de magie et respectez les règles
Un système de magie bien conçu doit avoir des limites et des conséquences définies pour chaque utilisation, pour éviter de donner aux utilisateurs une puissance illimitée. Le script souligne que chaque utilisation de la magie devrait avoir des répercussions et que les règles établies doivent être respectées tout au long de l'histoire pour maintenir la crédibilité et la tension.
🎭 Évite les clichés et les jargon de fantasy
Le script conseille de ne pas se baser sur des clichés et des trophées de fantasy surutilisés, mais plutôt de les retravailler ou de subvertir pour apporter une touche personnelle à l'histoire. Il est également recommandé d'éviter l'utilisation d'un jargon de fantasy excessif et de noms compliqués qui peuvent décourager le lecteur.
🤷♂️ Créez des personnages imparfaits et réels
Il est essentiel de créer des personnages avec des défauts pour qu'ils soient plus relatables et réalistes. Le script souligne que les personnages parfaits manquent de développement potentiel et que les erreurs et les échecs des personnages principaux peuvent renforcer l'engagement du lecteur.
💡 Utilisez l'action et les dialogues de manière significative
L'action doit être utilisée de manière à avancer l'intrigue et les dialogues doivent être naturels et propres à l'avancement de l'histoire. Le script met en garde contre l'utilisation d'actions excessives sans but et de dialogues qui se ressemblent à des leçons d'histoire, en recommandant de garder le discours authentique et de ne pas sous-estimer l'importance de l'évolution des conversations dans la vie réelle.
🌐 Gardez l'équilibre entre l'action et la réflexion
Le script insiste sur l'importance de la cadence dans une histoire, en évitant les périodes prolongées d'inaction qui peuvent ennuyer le lecteur tout en maintenant une tension constante jusqu'au climax. Il est recommandé de planifier une montée en intensité tout au long du récit pour assurer un impact maximal à la fin de l'histoire.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Fantasy novel
💡Writing sins
💡Story structure
💡Slow beginning
💡Info dump
💡Character development
💡Magic system
💡Tropes
💡Pacing
💡Dialogue
💡Climax
Highlights
15 Cardinal writing sins to avoid for better storytelling.
Planning every story detail can disrupt the natural flow; allow flexibility.
Avoid slow beginnings; make the start intriguing to retain readers.
Verbosity and info dumps can bore readers; integrate world-building naturally.
Eliminate side quests that don't contribute to the main plot.
Introduce characters gradually to avoid overwhelming the reader.
Maintain consistent voice styles and verb tenses.
Define limitations for your magic system to keep tension and interest.
Don't reveal everything about your world immediately; maintain mystery.
Avoid basing your narrative around common fantasy clichés and tropes.
Refrain from using excessive fantasy jargon and overly complicated names.
Create imperfect characters with flaws for more relatable and realistic storytelling.
Action should serve the plot; avoid pointless or excessive action scenes.
Avoid deus ex machina solutions; let characters fail and learn.
Dialogue should feel natural and not serve as a history book.
Varied pacing is crucial; balance intense action with quieter moments.
Transcripts
so you are a writer you're working on
your first fantasy novel or series I'm
going to be sharing with you 15 Cardinal
writing sins that you should take great
care to avoid when constructing your
story and I'll even be sharing some
practical strategies on how to work
around these common writing mistakes as
ater and a writer myself these are
things I've noticed that bother me and
as I continue on my writing journey I
want to be making more of these writing
related videos not only to help fellow
aspiring writers out there but also to
help myself so these videos act as sort
of a journal that I can look back on to
make sure I'm not making these mistakes
in my own writing if you avoid the 15
things I'm going to be sharing with you
your writing is going to see a big
Improvement
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details number one do not plan out every
single story detail prior to writing you
could say more than any other genre
fantasy requires a lot of planning and
structure because depending whether
you're riding low or high fantasy you're
basically creating an entire world and
structure is the skeleton that gives
stories shape and so I think it's very
important to have structure but you
don't want to plan out everything and
this is something that I struggle with
myself I am not a panther by any means I
am a planner I like to have everything
figured out so that I feel like I have
Solid Ground to stand on when I'm
writing but I'm realizing that I don't
need to plan out as much as I thought I
needed to if the story is left without
any Breathing Room it can actually
disrupt the natural flow of the book and
it can close you off to opportunities
that you might realize later on
sometimes it's good to Branch off on
where the story naturally feels like
it's going even if it's something you
weren't planning readers that have been
around for a long time can sense when a
storyline has been forced into the
narrative it can feel unnatural and it
can break immersion now an effective way
to work around this is to create a rough
outline but leave chances of flexibility
down the road that way when you're
writing if new ideas or a different
direction pulls up the narrative you can
adapt to that the next thing to avoid is
a slow beginning there are plenty of
slow Burns that I love Assassin's
Apprentice by Robin Hobb or the dragon
bone Chair by Tad Williams being two
that I highly recommend however if
you're a new writer trying to get into
the genre one of the worst things you
can do for reader retention is start
your story slow you should be trying to
make the beginning as intriguing as
possible because for a debut novel the
first chapter pretty much decides the
fate of your novel for instance with the
book that I'm writing originally I start
it off just by having the main
protagonist meet up with an informant in
a Tavern they share some drinks they
joke around and then they move over to
the ministry headquarters to get their
their mission this is how I changed it
page one starts off with the main
protagonist realizing he's poisoned he
feels the symptoms starting with
tingling in his fingertips to a numb
tongue and his mind is racing trying to
discover what poison it is if he has an
antidote and who in the room poisoned
him my protagonist is a traveling doctor
he also knows a lot about poisons so not
only is it giving some information about
him but it's also adding a ton of
tension and it's leaving unanswered
questions why would somebody poison the
Doctor Who in the room poisoned him and
how is he gonna find an antidote jumping
right into action and supplying the
reader with a bunch of unanswered
questions is a great way to do it now
you do not necessarily need to start off
with like a life or death action scene
by any means but you do need to deliver
enough Intrigue and questions to keep a
reader reading and turning the next page
and the next page and the next starting
slow with the history of the land or a
monologue of a person or place is going
to put the reader to sleep keep in mind
verbosity the quality of using more
words than needed wordiness long flowery
indulgent paragraphs that are packed
with adjectives and uninteresting
descriptions are going to fail to hold
the interest of your reader which leads
me to the next one do not info dump I
feel like this is pretty basic advice
that any person is gonna give but even
some of the best authors on my shelf
that I love are prone to info dumping
now and then but you should try to avoid
it as much as possible some writers want
to explain the history and give a
detailed event of the plot and things
going on right in the first chapter and
it ends up just sounding like a history
lesson an intricate description of your
magical realm is not actually gonna
interest the reader until they're well
acquainted with the protagonist and the
plot a better way to build your world is
to give small little details that can be
explored and unraveled as the story
moves along long this makes it appear
much more natural during the beginning
stages the reader has no idea what you
have to offer them as an author and so
you should be trying to all them with
your entire writing Arsenal rather than
giving them a long-winded and boring
history lesson and guess what if you
place a large part of your world
building at the beginning nobody is
actually going to remember it you also
do not need to over explain the
mechanics of your magic system right
from the get-go you need to trust that
the reader is going to pick up on these
as they read through the story first you
need to create Dynamic scenes and then
you could delve deeper into the finer
details later in the story my next
advice if you have a storyline that
doesn't actually contribute to the main
plot then you need to cut it this can be
extremely hard to do I understand you
have poured your heart and soul into the
side quest where the protagonist helps a
lonely old lady befriend a pigeon so
that she won't be lonely anymore it's
very heartwarming stuff but you need to
cut it it needs to go it can be very
easy to lose yourself in your writing
and start writing without purpose or
intent but you don't want to write just
to write and have a bloated manuscript
with story threads that don't really
have any substantial value this can be
difficult to do on your own you might
want to hire an external editor or
proofreader or even some beta readers so
they can help point out things that
don't seem necessary a prime example of
a complex fantasy where all the
storylines converge is A Song of Ice and
Fire by good old Georgie Boy no matter
how many conflicts are happening at once
they're all important and most the time
they have to do with who will sit Atop
The Iron Throne you also don't want to
introduce too many characters at once
the fantasy genre especially epic and
high fantasy is known to have a large
cast of characters and have different
point of views switching every chapter
and if you don't introduce them in a
timely manner and with care the the
reader's gonna feel overwhelmed and
frustrated they may even mix up the
names and the personalities which can
ruin the story for them it is good
practice to restrain the amount of named
characters and different points of view
so you don't overwhelm the reader The
Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan is pretty
notorious for having a ridiculous amount
of characters The Wheel of Time Has
2787 distinct named characters those
aren't all point of view characters but
still it is a lot to wrap your head
around however it doesn't start off that
way the majority of book one is from
rand's point of view where only a
handful of characters are introduced
until later in the book where the point
of view shifts between Rand perin and
naive maybe that's a bad example anyways
my point is do not not confuse the
reader with a ton of different
characters don't confuse the reader in
general that's kind of a sub point for a
lot of these you also don't want to
confuse the reader with multiple voice
Styles this may seem like an obvious
thing to avoid but it's actually a big
issue with a lot of new writers as a
general rule of thumb you don't really
want to be switching between first
person and third person constantly it's
not gonna have the intended effect on
the reader that you think it will have
there is some exceptions there's some
stories that do this really well if they
have a sort of frame story like the Name
of the Wind by Patrick rothfuss this
does it extremely well but to execute
this well you need a lot of skill and
you need to handle it carefully along
those same lines the tenses of your
verbs should stay consistent as well if
your story is being recounted as if it
already happened you need to make sure
your verbs are in past tense if your
story is unfolding before the eyes of
the reader then you need to make sure
your verbs are in present tense if you
want readers to feel like you're a
professional if you don't want to scare
them away way consistency in verb tense
is key magic number seven relates to
your magic system you want to have
limitations in place do not give its
users Limitless power many aspiring
fantasy writers run into issues when it
comes to crafting their magic system
mainly because they have no defined
repercussions of magical use in their
narrative every magical use should have
a consequence to it and you need to find
a way to explain this to the reader
otherwise it just looks like magic can
fix whatever and there's no downside to
using it this eliminates the element of
danger and suspense and it can take away
from the Integrity of your story not to
mention overpowered characters can be
very boring to read readers love tension
that's what keeps us reading and we like
to feel like danger can strike at any
moment this keeps readers on their toes
which translates to more engagement also
another tip once you specify those rules
and limitations of your magic system you
need to be consistent with it don't go
breaking those rules later on because
readers are going to notice and there's
no worse turn off in a book than writing
inconsistencies do not give everything
away like I said readers hunger for
suspense and tension and mystery I have
been building and building my world I've
been working on the magic system the
religion the currency everything but
sometimes it's also good to have some
mystery and unanswered questions a
mysterious atmosphere not only evokes
imagination but it is a prerequisite for
creep and wonder and these can be very
powerful however creating a sense of
mystery requires restraint you the
author need to keep yourself from
Overworld building keep them guessing
throw some red herrings in there and a
ton of foreshadowing so they feel
rewarded when they do discover what's
going on I recently discovered something
in my story that I I realized I revealed
too early so instead I decided to add in
foreshadowing and build up to that
reveal do not base your narrative around
common fantasy cliches and tropes tropes
are not inherently a bad thing I mean
you find them in everything there's
tropes that I like and there's tropes
that I dislike but you want to steer
clear of setting up your story around
these heavily overused fantasy tropes
now there is a reason why many of these
tropes we've seen over and over and why
they have success because fantasy fans
are drawn to some of these ideas the
best thing you can do to make your story
stand out and feel original is to rework
some of these give them your own
creative spin to fit your narrative
subvert the reader's expectations
there's plenty of examples of stories
that subvert some common tropes Gray's
sister by Mark Lawrence turns the
prophecy Trope on its head The Magicians
by Lev Grossman subverts the magic
school and the narnia-esque Fantasyland
tropes really it's pretty much a
theoretical deconstruction of the genre
as a whole our Scott Baker is all about
subversions of tropes read the darkness
that comes before for example book of
the new Sun half the book is about
subverting tropes A Song of Ice and Fire
is constantly playing with readers
expectations Terry pratchett's Discworld
books these books not only stick to
certain tropes to a key but they also
subvert them and they do it in a
satirical way and it's amazing please
please do not use excessive fantasy
jargon and overly complicated names it
can be fun coming up with names for
characters and cities and mythical
beings but it can also go way way too
far if I read a book where immediately I
have all these fantasy made up words and
I have no idea what the meanings are of
them and characters are referring to
events and places that I I have no idea
what they're talking about after a
certain amount of time trying to figure
all this out I might just end up giving
up but yeah difficult names to pronounce
that are extremely complicated is is
kind of a big turn off for me when I'm
reading books especially if it's a
protagonist's name that I have no idea
how to pronounce one of my favorite
series The Stormlight Archive by Brandon
Sanderson he kind of jokes about this by
naming one of his characters this but
people call him Rock for short and I
thought that was hilarious avoid making
Perfect characters with no flaws or if a
character is just plain boring if they
don't have many opinions if they lack a
distinct voice and they don't have many
flaws I'm gonna have a hard time caring
for them readers are drawn to characters
that have admirable qualities but also
shameful ones as well it makes them feel
more realistic and relatable because
believe it or not we're not perfect and
if there isn't any character blemishes
there's not room for character
development I would even say it's
important to introduce your character as
imperfect as soon as you can if you
intentionally make them flawed this also
opens you up to different story paths
later on and can help with building more
conflict and the more conflict the
better your hero does not need to make
the best choice every time let them mess
up you need to show their ups and downs
rather than just having them on a
never-ending winning streak you do not
want to make a Mary Sue character do not
Place action over plot action in a story
can be utilized to keep the reader
engaged it can make them worry for the
survival of the characters they love and
overall it just builds up that tension
that we love so much not to mention
battles and sword fights assassinations
it can all be really exhilarating and
fun to read but not if they're pointless
or excessive if there's no goal and no
end in sight I'm gonna have a hard time
being invested in this action scene try
to only use action or battle scenes when
the plot actually requires it this leads
me to the next one avoid Miracles what
do I mean by that I mean Miracles that
bail characters out of life or death
situations many many fantasy writers are
guilty of this mistake and I it annoys
me every time when all hope is lost
somehow our heroes escape a situation
unrealistically or the rules of magic
Bend to save them or some other Miracle
a deus ex machina this is when a
seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly
solved by an unexpected and unlikely
occurrence rather than feeling like a
major plot twist it ends up feeling like
a cop-out because the author didn't know
what to do it's much better to find a
different way to resolve the issue and
you gotta remember that it's okay for
your protagonist to not win every single
time read are actually going to become
more attached to the characters that
fail and go through hardships because
they feel believable have your
protagonists succeed at some obstacles
and fail at others this is going to keep
the reader guessing next you don't want
to use your dialogue as a history book
oftentimes you're gonna see writers use
dialogue as a way to explain different
events in history and different aspects
of the world and this works much better
than just doing a big info dump but you
also need to make sure your dialogue
feels conversational and emotional and
not like a textbook imitate real life
speech as much as possible and write
dialogue that moves the plot forward if
the main characters Converse in
melodramatic cliches that feel like it
belongs in an ancient Greek play then
the reader is probably going to put down
your book pretty quickly you don't want
it to sound overly literary and you also
want to avoid overly long conversations
that mess up the pacing and don't add
much value in real life people don't
always talk in a straightforward
question and answer format oftentimes we
might want to evade a question by
changing the subject or using other
tactics writing your dialogue like this
is going to help it feel more realistic
and maybe you even want to read your
dialogue out loud so you can tell
whether it sounds real or not and
finally do not underestimate the
importance of pacing you don't need to
have non-stop adrenaline fueled action
but you also don't want to bore your
reader with long periods of nothing
happening over the course of your novel
having a variety of pacing is key
periods of high intensity and action
followed by laws where the reader can
kind of absorb everything that just
happened and most importantly you want
to have a continuous escalation towards
the climax of your novel if you don't do
this the payoff at the end might not
have the intended impact that you wanted
the climax of many of Brandon
sanderson's fantasy books have come to
be known by fans as the sanderlanche
because of how well he escalates things
right near the end this is something you
should be planning in the outline of
your story I would recommend looking
into the classic three-act structure
because this is a good foundation for
your writing and it also is a good
example of how to Pace your story so
those are 15 things you should avoid
while writing your fantasy novel let me
know if any of these helped you or if
you have some other advice you would
like to share feel free to leave it in
the comments don't forget to check the
links in the description for
glassesusa.com they have a bunch of
holiday deals going on right now also
let me know if you want to see me make
more videos on writing because I really
enjoyed making this video anyway that is
it I'll see you guys next time
[Music]
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