This freedom can also become a challenge when writing. How much worldbuilding do you need before you start? What rules does your magic system require? And what actually distinguishes High Fantasy from Urban Fantasy or Romantasy? In this article, we show you the defining characteristics of fantasy, introduce the most important subgenres and explain how you can develop your own fantasy book step by step.
What to expect:
First things first:
- Fantasy thrives on original worlds, magic and supernatural elements.
- Consistent worldbuilding gives your story a believable foundation.
- Characters and their conflicts remain the heart of the story, even in fantastical settings.
- Choosing the right subgenre helps readers categorize and discover your book.
- High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romantasy and Cozy Fantasy appeal to different reader expectations.
What is Fantasy?
Fantasy tells stories that contain elements which are impossible according to the laws of our reality. These can include magic, fantastic creatures, fictional worlds, supernatural abilities or completely new societies.
A fantasy story does not necessarily have to take place in a medieval-inspired world filled with dragons, castles and swords. A modern city can also become a fantasy setting if a magical world exists beneath its seemingly ordinary surface.
The key factor is this: The fantastical element must be a fundamental part of the fictional world or the story itself.
Of course, your novel does not need to include all of these elements. Modern fantasy in particular thrives on combining familiar concepts in new ways or deliberately playing with genre expectations.
The Most Important Fantasy Subgenres
Fantasy is not one single, uniform genre. The term includes numerous subgenres that can differ significantly in terms of setting, atmosphere and plot.
High Fantasy
High Fantasy usually takes place in a completely fictional world with its own countries, cultures, political systems and often even its own languages or religions.
A major conflict is frequently at the center of the story, with consequences that affect not only individual characters but entire kingdoms or even the whole world.
High Fantasy is particularly suitable if you enjoy creating complex worlds and telling large-scale stories.
Low Fantasy
Low Fantasy focuses more strongly on individual characters and smaller conflicts. Magical elements may exist but do not necessarily define the entire world.
This often makes the story feel more immediate and realistic than classic High Fantasy. Instead of saving an entire kingdom, the plot might focus on a character trying to protect their family, break a curse or survive within a dangerous society.
Urban Fantasy
What if magic existed right outside your front door?
Urban Fantasy combines fantastical elements with a modern, often urban setting. Witches, vampires, demons or other supernatural beings may move through cities such as Berlin, London or New York.
The contrast between familiar everyday life and a hidden magical world is what makes this subgenre particularly fascinating.
You can choose between different approaches: Perhaps the entire society knows that magic exists. Or perhaps it is carefully hidden from ordinary people.
Dark Fantasy
Dark Fantasy combines typical fantasy elements with darker themes, unsettling atmospheres and often morally complex characters.
The boundaries between good and evil are usually less clear. Heroes can make questionable decisions, while antagonists often have understandable motivations.
Common elements include:
- dark or threatening worlds
- morally ambiguous characters
- supernatural dangers
- themes such as fear, loss or trauma
- a darker atmosphere
Dark Fantasy is particularly interesting for authors who want to explore the more unsettling sides of fantasy and create emotionally intense stories.
Romantasy
Romantasy combines two popular genres: Fantasy and Romance.
While the fantasy world provides the setting, magic and conflicts, the emotional relationship between the characters is often at the center of the story.
Important elements include:
- a strong romantic storyline
- magical worlds and conflicts
- emotional character development
- tension between the protagonists
Romantasy has become especially popular in recent years because it combines the appeal of immersive fantasy worlds with the emotional depth of romance novels.
Cozy Fantasy
Cozy Fantasy focuses less on epic battles and world-threatening dangers and more on atmosphere, relationships and everyday moments.
The stories are often warm, comforting and optimistic. Conflicts exist, but they are usually solved through cooperation, personal growth and community rather than violence.
Typical elements include:
- small magical communities
- everyday life with fantasy elements
- found family themes
- comforting settings
- hopeful stories
This subgenre is especially suitable for authors who want to create a feel-good reading experience.
Worldbuilding: The Foundation of Every Fantasy Story
One of the greatest strengths of fantasy is the freedom to create completely new worlds.
However, this freedom also requires planning.
A convincing fantasy world does not need to contain endless details. What matters is that the elements that influence the story are consistent and understandable.
Ask yourself:
- How does this world work?
- Which rules apply?
- What conflicts exist between different groups?
- How do people live in this world?
- How does magic influence society?
Good worldbuilding creates the feeling that your world existed before the story began – and will continue to exist after it ends.
Your Characters Are More Important Than Your World
An elaborate magic system and a map featuring twelve kingdoms can be fascinating. However, readers stay with a story primarily because of its characters. Even in the most fantastical world, your characters need relatable desires, fears, and conflicts.
Ask yourself:
- What does my character want?
- What stands in the way of achieving this goal?
- What do they have to lose?
- What false belief about themselves or their world do they carry with them?
- How do they change over the course of the story?
The larger your fantasy world becomes, the more important an emotional anchor is. Your protagonist allows readers to gradually discover this unfamiliar world step by step.
Plan Your Story – or Discover It as You Write
There is no single right approach to writing fantasy. Some authors develop their plot in detail before starting the first chapter. Others discover the story as they write. Both methods can work.
Think About Series Potential Early On
Fantasy is particularly well suited to book series. After all, a large world offers plenty of room for additional conflicts, characters, and settings. However, a series should not be created simply because fantasy novels often consist of several volumes.
Instead, consider:
- Does my story really need several books?
- Does each volume have its own arc of tension?
- Which questions are answered within each volume?
- Which larger conflicts remain unresolved across several books?
Even the first installment of a series should give readers the feeling that they have read a complete story – even if larger questions remain unanswered.
Publishing Fantasy: Know Your Genre
At the latest when you want to publish your fantasy novel, it is worth taking a closer look at your subgenre. Terms such as High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, or Romantasy help readers understand what kind of book you are offering.
Take a look at books aimed at a similar target audience. Which design elements appear frequently? How are the stories described? What expectations do these elements create?
The goal is not to copy other books. Instead, you should understand which signals readers use to identify books belonging to their favorite genre.
Your Fantasy World Begins with an Idea
You do not need a fully developed world map before you are allowed to write your first sentence. Perhaps your story begins with nothing more than a question:
What if memories could be sold?
What if dragons were believed to be extinct – but suddenly returned?
What if magic were forbidden and the king’s daughter suddenly developed magical abilities?
An initial idea like this can give rise to characters, conflicts, and eventually entire worlds.
Fantasy gives you the freedom to invent almost anything. But the best fantasy stories do not use this freedom merely to showcase extraordinary worlds. At the same time, they explore deeply human questions: power and responsibility, love and loss, belonging, fear, hope, and change.
And that may be the genre’s greatest strength.
Did You Know?
Your Fantasy Story Is Finished? Publish Your Book!
You have created your own world, sent your characters on their journey, and completed your manuscript? Then there is only one step left: publication.
With self-publishing, you can publish your fantasy book yourself while retaining control over your work. From the design of your book to its positioning in the marketplace, you can decide how your story finds its way to readers.
At GRIN, you can publish your manuscript as an e-book and printed book and make it available through numerous online bookstores.
Your world already exists on paper. Now you can share it with others.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ: Autor:in werden
A story belongs to the fantasy genre when fantastical or supernatural elements are an essential part of the plot or the world. These can include magic, fictional worlds, fantastical creatures, or supernatural abilities.
Some of the best-known subgenres include High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romantasy, and Cozy Fantasy. There are also numerous other forms and hybrid genres. Many fantasy novels therefore cannot be assigned exclusively to a single category.
No. While High Fantasy often takes place in entirely fictional worlds, other subgenres can use our real world as their foundation. Urban Fantasy, for example, combines modern cities and everyday life with magic or supernatural creatures.
That depends on your story. Focus primarily on developing the aspects of your world that are relevant to the characters and plot. A complex world can be fascinating, but it should not push the actual story into the background.
Not every detail needs to be explained. However, readers should be able to understand the possibilities and limitations of magic within your story. Most importantly, the rules should remain consistent, and magic should not be able to solve every problem at any time.
No. Some authors plan their plot and world very carefully, while others develop much of it as they write. A combination of both approaches is also possible. At least some basic planning can be helpful, particularly for complex worlds, multiple perspectives, or planned book series.
There is no fixed requirement. The appropriate length depends, among other things, on the subgenre, the complexity of the plot, and the target audience. Extensive High Fantasy stories often require more space than, for example, a more focused Cozy Fantasy story. What matters is that the length fits the story and does not contain unnecessary passages.
Yes. Fantasy worlds often offer plenty of potential for multiple books. However, a series is not a requirement. If you plan several volumes, each installment should have its own arc of tension while also contributing to the overarching story.
Consider the setting, atmosphere, and central conflict of your story. Does it take place in a completely fictional world? Is the atmosphere particularly dark? Is a love story at the center? The answers can help you classify your book. Comparing it with similar published books can also be useful.
Yes. Genre boundaries are not rigid. A story can, for example, combine elements of Dark Fantasy and Romantasy or Urban Fantasy and Mystery. For marketing purposes, however, you should consider which genre best describes the expectations of your primary target audience.
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