Since I’ve been back to a more frequent schedule of writing both on my novel and here on the blog I wanted to take a look at some of the challenges of writing fantasy, scheduling time for it and doing what you love.

First of all, I just want to say how much I love epic fantasy, both as a reader and as a writer. To me, this genre is unmatched in the way you can make anything possible, with no boundaries on your creativity or imagination.  This type of freedom in writing opens up so many possibilities but also brings in a lot of challenges as well.

I think everyone who has put a pen to paper or their fingers on a keyboard has run into the issues of staring at a blank page and thinking about all the things you could put down on the said page. It’s hard because once you start writing, you can and will be constrained at times by what you write on that page.  When that light bulb moment kicks in and the initial idea becomes a reality for you it’s like a thrill ride honestly.  Not really knowing where it’s going to take you, or what is coming up around the corner can be exciting and frighting all in the same moment.

For me, one of the biggest challenges and joys of writing comes with the creative freedom you have over the story and how it’s being told.  Ultimate possibilities are within the power of your fingertips and absolutely no one can tell you what should or shouldn’t be done when writing.  There really isn’t a rule book when it comes to this stuff, as you as the author can invent entire worlds filled with culture, history, and whatever you want it to have.  The challenge though comes in once you start writing those ideas, as it must be consistent across the story just as things would be in real life, but you have a different set of rules you can play by per-say.

Another challenge you will probably encounter is around world-building and unfolding the history and creation in the story itself. I tend to immerse myself in the process, inventing names, cultures, beliefs, trying to envision them all in my head. This is extremely challenging and time-consuming, but once you have that idea solidified like you want it is very rewarding and freeing.

Building characters is also another challenging place when writing. It’s hard to stick to one point of view when writing an epic fantasy novel, so finding a balance between points of view to that character’s personality and connecting them with the audience can be tough.  I’m working on my first novel right now and it’s been a long enjoyable, tiresome, exciting time but the challenges have been overwhelming at times.

Overall I wrestle with myself a lot and the world I’m creating as I will spend hours trying to make things perfect before they ever hit the page.  Unfortunately this has caused a lot of unwritten things that probably could have been written badly and fixed while editing.  I began book plotting which helped with this madness and over the last few years has kept my mind somewhat straight on where the story needed to go…..and allows me to visually see the overall plot, sub-plots, and timeline.  When I began seeing things tie together, I simply could not believe what I was reading honestly.  I was kinda shocked that things were making sense and that what I was reading was working.  Ultimately, seeing this epic story, set in a made-up world come together is my reward.  Having that sense of freedom and joy while writing is hard to explain but for everyone out there who has experienced it and managed to push through the challenges knows how rewarding writing can be.

Keep pushing through those challenges, have fun with your writing, and pursue those dreams as the process of learning and seeing your world come together is so worth it.