7 answers
Emma
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
3
Questions
Asked
1752 views
what would the process of becoming a fantasy author entail?
I'm in 9th grade, and I honestly filled this out because it was a requirement for an assignment.
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7 answers
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1464
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Emma!
Becoming a fantasy author is like setting out on an epic quest—you’ll learn, grow, and have a blast along the way. L
Read a Lot of Fantasy:
Dive into classics and new favorites alike. Notice how authors build worlds, create magic systems, and develop characters. This isn’t just reading; it’s like a masterclass in imagination.
Write Regularly:
Start by jotting down ideas, crafting short stories, or even keeping a fantasy journal. Every writer begins with a rough draft—don’t worry about perfection at first. Just let your ideas flow.
Create Your World:
Think about the rules of your fantasy realm. What makes your magic unique? How does your world function? Sketching out your world’s history, geography, and culture can make your stories even more immersive.
Join a Writing Community:
Whether it’s a school club or an online group (like on Reddit or Wattpad), sharing your work and getting feedback is a game-changer. It helps you see your writing through fresh eyes and gives you the boost to keep improving.
Learn the Craft:
Look for creative writing classes or workshops, either at school or online. There are tons of free resources and writing guides that can help you hone your skills.
Embrace Revisions:
Writing is rewriting. As you gain confidence, don’t be afraid to revise your work. Each edit makes your story stronger and more polished.
Have Fun:
Most importantly, enjoy the journey. Your unique voice and ideas are what will set your fantasy world apart. Keep exploring, experimenting, and let your imagination lead the way.
Every great fantasy author started exactly where you are—curious, learning, and dreaming big. Enjoy the adventure and happy writing! Good luck Emma! 😉
Becoming a fantasy author is like setting out on an epic quest—you’ll learn, grow, and have a blast along the way. L
Read a Lot of Fantasy:
Dive into classics and new favorites alike. Notice how authors build worlds, create magic systems, and develop characters. This isn’t just reading; it’s like a masterclass in imagination.
Write Regularly:
Start by jotting down ideas, crafting short stories, or even keeping a fantasy journal. Every writer begins with a rough draft—don’t worry about perfection at first. Just let your ideas flow.
Create Your World:
Think about the rules of your fantasy realm. What makes your magic unique? How does your world function? Sketching out your world’s history, geography, and culture can make your stories even more immersive.
Join a Writing Community:
Whether it’s a school club or an online group (like on Reddit or Wattpad), sharing your work and getting feedback is a game-changer. It helps you see your writing through fresh eyes and gives you the boost to keep improving.
Learn the Craft:
Look for creative writing classes or workshops, either at school or online. There are tons of free resources and writing guides that can help you hone your skills.
Embrace Revisions:
Writing is rewriting. As you gain confidence, don’t be afraid to revise your work. Each edit makes your story stronger and more polished.
Have Fun:
Most importantly, enjoy the journey. Your unique voice and ideas are what will set your fantasy world apart. Keep exploring, experimenting, and let your imagination lead the way.
Every great fantasy author started exactly where you are—curious, learning, and dreaming big. Enjoy the adventure and happy writing! Good luck Emma! 😉
Rich Feitelberg
Novelist
26
Answers
Quincy, Massachusetts
Updated
Rich’s Answer
You’ll be to write a story and self publish at a minimum. To write a story you are probably looking at 60000 words or more and you’ll want a really good story to stand out. You’ll need an editor when you are done, you need a graphic artist for a cover. You’ll need to know how to layout the book too. You’ll need to advertise it to so you’ll need a following. You can try to sell the book to a publisher as an alternative. Be sure you read to read extensively in the genre so you know what’s popular. And that’s just a start. Good luck
Thank you , your insight on the process was helpful in knowing what I need to prepare for in the future.
Emma
Caitlyn Johnston
Senior Technical Writer
53
Answers
Odin, IL
Updated
Caitlyn’s Answer
FIRST, read a LOT. Read what you love. Read really good classsical authors like Tolkien, Tolstoy, The Bronte sisters, Alexandre Dumas, Dickens, and Umberto Eco. Read fabulous contemporary authors like Alice Walker, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaimen, and Douglas Adams.
Next, write a lot. Take writing classes and workshop your writing.
Then:
1. Write your book and edit it. Do NOT use AI!! Write something of QUALITY, not volume.
1a. Get REALLY proficient at understanding contracts.
1b. Have a good intellectual property lawyer on hand to review your contracts so you don't get screwed.
2. Hire a proofreader to proof your book.
3. Hire an editor and have them edit it.
4. Identify your target market. It doesn't marttter how good it is if you you can't sell it.
5. Sell it to a publisher.
It's that simple.
Next, write a lot. Take writing classes and workshop your writing.
Then:
1. Write your book and edit it. Do NOT use AI!! Write something of QUALITY, not volume.
1a. Get REALLY proficient at understanding contracts.
1b. Have a good intellectual property lawyer on hand to review your contracts so you don't get screwed.
2. Hire a proofreader to proof your book.
3. Hire an editor and have them edit it.
4. Identify your target market. It doesn't marttter how good it is if you you can't sell it.
5. Sell it to a publisher.
It's that simple.
Caitlyn Johnston
Senior Technical Writer
53
Answers
Odin, IL
Updated
Caitlyn’s Answer
1. Write your book and edit it. Do NOT use AI!! Write something of QUALITY, not volume.
1a. Get REALLY proficient at understanding contracts.
1b. Have a good intellectual property lawyer on hand to review your contracts so you don't get screwed.
2. Hire a proofreader to proof your book.
3. Hire an editor and have them edit it.
4. Identify your target market. It doesn't marttter how good it is if you you can't sell it.
5. Sell it to a publisher.
It's that simple.
1a. Get REALLY proficient at understanding contracts.
1b. Have a good intellectual property lawyer on hand to review your contracts so you don't get screwed.
2. Hire a proofreader to proof your book.
3. Hire an editor and have them edit it.
4. Identify your target market. It doesn't marttter how good it is if you you can't sell it.
5. Sell it to a publisher.
It's that simple.
Joanne Williams
Associate Professor
44
Answers
Olivet, Michigan
Updated
Joanne’s Answer
Great question, Emma-
Reading a lot of Fantasy
Joining reading, writing, and fan groups
Finding inspiring writers and following them and seeing how they evolved into writers
Writing. And don't throw anything out. Get organized - start a filing system that works for you- For example, "Parking Lot" which means I should get to this but not right away, ideas to develop, starts and endings of stories, etc.
Writing courses- from creative non-fiction to poetry. Learn how to use the written word in ways you never imagined.
And yes, imagine success.
All the best!
Reading a lot of Fantasy
Joining reading, writing, and fan groups
Finding inspiring writers and following them and seeing how they evolved into writers
Writing. And don't throw anything out. Get organized - start a filing system that works for you- For example, "Parking Lot" which means I should get to this but not right away, ideas to develop, starts and endings of stories, etc.
Writing courses- from creative non-fiction to poetry. Learn how to use the written word in ways you never imagined.
And yes, imagine success.
All the best!
thank you for giving me these tasks that I can do to help prepare for a future in writing
Emma
Michelle M.
Actress
3284
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Emma !
It's awesome that your school has incorporated Career Village into a homework assignment for you and you pose a very interesting question that can help you learn more about being a Writer for a future career !
Your question can best be answered and advised on two levels. I will advise you on how to be a "fantasy writer" and how to become a professional Writer. If you want to get paid for your writing, you will need to understand the career.
There is no specific "process" attached to "becoming" a writer. You have to take your circumstances and work with them and get a full education so that you can be creative, know how to network and meet contacts and broaden your outlook on the career.
If you want to ONLY write fantasy stories, you will have to think about a sustainable career, one that you can make a reliable income from, and write the fantasy genre as a hobby in which you once in a while submit your stories to publishers and wait to hear back. Being someone who writes only fantasy stories would be more of a sideline and a once in a while thing that you may or may not sometimes get paid for.
Other advisors can give you a list of things to do that can help you organize and be active with your writing, but I believe that you first need to know about the career since you have not started yet. Being a professional writer is very exciting and can be a very successful career if you are open-minded, versatile and persistent. So, you can do one form of writing while having a regular job or you can be a professional writer that is qualified to obtain consistent work because you can write many types of material.
Professional writers write on all different topics. Their work appears in hard copy books, eBooks, Audio books, magazines, newspapers, websites/blogs, video content, print and video advertisements, greeting cards, instructional manuals and just about everywhere. You will need to be able to write for all media on many, many topics if you want to pursue a professional career.
You will need to learn the art of writing which you can learn right now at your school and throughout junior high and high school. This means using the English language to describe, create characters, create realistic dialogue, vocabulary, punctuation, sentence structure, mood, tone and many other elements of writing that you can learn in school. If you are serious about writing as a career, your best move would be to plan to go to college as an English major and obtain a Bachelors Degree. This can open doors for you in your writing community as well as possibly getting an "in" working for a publisher. Remember that your current teachers and your school social worker can help you with your writing and give you referrals to local writing workshops or events for people your age. This is all going to depend on if you really want to be a Writer or if you want to focus just on one type of writing. So give it some time to see what exactly you'd like to do in the future.
In addition, to be a career writer, you will gain self-discovery, personal growth and life experience that writers bring to their work. You will discover your own personal journey for this career if you learn more about the career, obtain continued education and let life take its course.
So, whether you want to write only one genre or become a Writer as a primary career, your first step would be to learn what it means to be a writer and explore how your own unique path for it can and should go. I hope this helps to start you off and I wish you well in your studies !
It's awesome that your school has incorporated Career Village into a homework assignment for you and you pose a very interesting question that can help you learn more about being a Writer for a future career !
Your question can best be answered and advised on two levels. I will advise you on how to be a "fantasy writer" and how to become a professional Writer. If you want to get paid for your writing, you will need to understand the career.
There is no specific "process" attached to "becoming" a writer. You have to take your circumstances and work with them and get a full education so that you can be creative, know how to network and meet contacts and broaden your outlook on the career.
If you want to ONLY write fantasy stories, you will have to think about a sustainable career, one that you can make a reliable income from, and write the fantasy genre as a hobby in which you once in a while submit your stories to publishers and wait to hear back. Being someone who writes only fantasy stories would be more of a sideline and a once in a while thing that you may or may not sometimes get paid for.
Other advisors can give you a list of things to do that can help you organize and be active with your writing, but I believe that you first need to know about the career since you have not started yet. Being a professional writer is very exciting and can be a very successful career if you are open-minded, versatile and persistent. So, you can do one form of writing while having a regular job or you can be a professional writer that is qualified to obtain consistent work because you can write many types of material.
Professional writers write on all different topics. Their work appears in hard copy books, eBooks, Audio books, magazines, newspapers, websites/blogs, video content, print and video advertisements, greeting cards, instructional manuals and just about everywhere. You will need to be able to write for all media on many, many topics if you want to pursue a professional career.
You will need to learn the art of writing which you can learn right now at your school and throughout junior high and high school. This means using the English language to describe, create characters, create realistic dialogue, vocabulary, punctuation, sentence structure, mood, tone and many other elements of writing that you can learn in school. If you are serious about writing as a career, your best move would be to plan to go to college as an English major and obtain a Bachelors Degree. This can open doors for you in your writing community as well as possibly getting an "in" working for a publisher. Remember that your current teachers and your school social worker can help you with your writing and give you referrals to local writing workshops or events for people your age. This is all going to depend on if you really want to be a Writer or if you want to focus just on one type of writing. So give it some time to see what exactly you'd like to do in the future.
In addition, to be a career writer, you will gain self-discovery, personal growth and life experience that writers bring to their work. You will discover your own personal journey for this career if you learn more about the career, obtain continued education and let life take its course.
So, whether you want to write only one genre or become a Writer as a primary career, your first step would be to learn what it means to be a writer and explore how your own unique path for it can and should go. I hope this helps to start you off and I wish you well in your studies !
Thank you for this insightfull comment about how to approch my future in writing
Emma
You're welcome.
Michelle M.
Kari Lundy
17
Answers
Des Moines, Iowa
Updated
Kari’s Answer
Step 1: Read Fantasy novels
There's a lot out there, pick one that interests you and read it. Read as many as you find interest you until you find a specific topic you actually want to write on. Then find more that have that same element. For example - dragons. There are a lot of different fantasy books that have different takes on dragons.
Step 2: Practice
Writing, whether it's fantasy or not, takes a lot of practice. By doing a lot of reading you will help get a feel for how things should flow.
Step 3: Find what's right for you
There's a lot of ways to go about this once you have a manuscript. You can buy MarketPlace books to try and send out letters to physical publishers, you can self publish, you can join a community, you can even start by just having a job at a publishing company and networking your way there to getting the company to publish your works for you.
There's a lot of ways to get out there, but it's not easy. Being a writer can be very difficult so be ready to deal with a lot of rejection.
There's a lot out there, pick one that interests you and read it. Read as many as you find interest you until you find a specific topic you actually want to write on. Then find more that have that same element. For example - dragons. There are a lot of different fantasy books that have different takes on dragons.
Step 2: Practice
Writing, whether it's fantasy or not, takes a lot of practice. By doing a lot of reading you will help get a feel for how things should flow.
Step 3: Find what's right for you
There's a lot of ways to go about this once you have a manuscript. You can buy MarketPlace books to try and send out letters to physical publishers, you can self publish, you can join a community, you can even start by just having a job at a publishing company and networking your way there to getting the company to publish your works for you.
There's a lot of ways to get out there, but it's not easy. Being a writer can be very difficult so be ready to deal with a lot of rejection.