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Learn How to Write
Fantasy Stories
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Characters With Magical Skills
Fictional writers have a multitude of diverse
sub-genres from which to choose within the fantasy genre.
Examples include high fantasy (Magic Kingdom of Landover
by Terry Brooks, and Tolkien's, The Hobbit),
contemporary fantasy (King Rat by China Miéville)
fairytale fantasy (The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo
Collodi), super-hero fantasy (Lois and Clark: A Superman
Novel by C. J. Cherryh), and sword and sorcery (Conan the
Barbarian by Robert E. Howard) to name a few. A common
element found in all fantasy sub-genres is magic in some
form.
Fantasy characters exhibit vast magical differences
from one sub-genre to another. In the short story fantasy
collection Tales of the Warrior Priest by Teel James
Glenn, the main character learns the magic of healing with
song. He's not a wizard or warlock but a priest. Magical
powers are as limitless as the fantasy writer's
imagination.
For the sake of this article, consider some of the more
common magical characters.
Wizard:
One who practices magic; a sorcerer or magician.
Archaic. A sage. Wizards are often presented as wise
older looking gentlemen bearing white beards, long hair
and a pointed hair, or hooded cloak. However, a character
can take on the role of Wizard and look nothing like this.
Consider Harry Potter.
Witch:
A woman claiming or popularly believed to possess
magical powers and practice sorcery.
A hag. Fantasy writers can portray witches as good or
bad. In the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S.
Lewis, the white witch casts a spell on Narnia that trusts
the land into an endless winter without Christmas, while
Glenda the Good Witch from the North in the Wonderful
Wizard of Oz uses her magic to help and protect Dorothy
and her traveling companions.
For clarification, a male witch, sorcerer or wizard is
also known as a Warlock.
Beyond the obvious wizards, witches and warlocks, unique
life forms such as fauns, unicorns, trolls, elves,
dwarves, faeries, mages, telepaths, shapeshifters, heroes
with superhuman powers and time travelers can be
considered a list of ingredients from which to draw as you
create your own fantasy realm.
For example, in the fantasy novel Windwalker by Donna
Sundblad, the most special of the Windwalker fantasy
characters not only walks on the wind, but has telepathic
and shape-shifting abilities. The goal is to make the
magic understandable to readers and unique to your
storyline.
Combining Character and Magical Traits
Common characters found in fantasy novels include:
Knights, jesters, kings, queens, prince and princesses,
paladins, warriors, priests, shamans, bards, knaves,
thieves, alchemists, wraiths, nomads, nobles, merchants,
guards, mistresses, dancers, travelers, minstrels,
mediums, spies, barmaids, inn-keepers, wenches,
swashbucklers/sailors, blacksmiths, silversmiths (and
other such trades), slaves, doctor/healer, archer, and
woodsman. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but a
list for aspiring authors to choose from.
Any fictional fantasy character included in the list above
has magical potential. A barmaid casting enchantments with
beverages she serves or an alchemist crafting enchanted
medallions bestowing special powers to those that wear
them fall within the realm of possibility when writing
fantasy.
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