Writing Fantasy Worlds: Tips for Making a Fantastical World Feel Real

When you set off on a journey to write fantasy worlds, the challenges can begin to multiply for plenty of reasons—and world building is at the top of the list.

The sad truth is, a lot of fantasy worlds just… fall flat. Sometimes the reason is obvious; other times, it's a mystery that you can't quite put your finger on.

So, as a writer, what can you do when crafting your own fantastical world?

The first step is to understand the common mistakes authors fall into. By making a conscious effort to avoid these pitfalls, you’ll build a more textured, original world.

Your fantasy world could be falling flat for one or several reasons:

• The world feels more like an encyclopedia of random knowledge rather than a lived space where history and culture impact your characters and the story. (A confused reader is an unhappy reader.)
• There isn't any mystery to keep your readers hooked. The "Zeigarnik effect" states that we remember incomplete/unfinished stories better than completed ones. Cliff hangers, unresolved tensions, mysterious happenings—these devices promote curiosity in the reader and keep them absorbed.
• The world lacks ‘soul,’ or the reader doesn’t find a core emotional truth to be explored.
• The universe or world is pretty, but only superficially so. The story lacks real substance, making it feel empty, like a film set.

The strongest fantasy worlds are ones in which we live vicariously. Ones where readers ask: "what would I do in this world?"

Maybe the characters get sorted, or get to choose their categories (think Divergent, Stormlight Archives, or Attack on Titan)—we've all had at least one conversation about this with our friends. This type of ‘tribifcation’ adds a sense of realness to your world because you imagine yourself in it.

What do zombie films and The Hunger Games have in common? Both have story lines where you, as the reader, can imagine what you would do in this situation. This is another great strategy for making your world feel real.

A believable world is a world in which your reader is invested.

When writing fantasy worlds, it's important to make use of immersion anchors.

An immersion anchor is a particular aspect or area of the fantasy world that gives extra depth to the world or universe as a whole.

A great example of this can be found in Dune, when the reader is shown how to survive in the desert and evade the sand worms. The information about drum sands and tidal dust basins give the illusion that Frank Herbert put the same level of thought into all other aspects of his world—even if he hasn’t.

It’s likely that in your fantasy world, there’s one aspect that you’ve given extra thought to: whether it's the magic system, the politics, a special event—use immersion anchors to add textured details that ground readers in your world.

Showing how a particular part of the world works grants the illusion of complexity to the entire universe. A little effort in one place goes a long way.

Multi-dimensional world building means adding different perspectives on the same locations, events, or beliefs.

This can be accomplished through one character or several: through changing the narrative point of view, or via a protagonist’s interactions with other characters.

Imagine your protagonist is a journeying noble, who stops for the night in an idyllic little town. At first the town seems quaint and cozy. But as your protagonist explores, they learn of the terrorizing bandits, and other dark secrets lurking in the shadows.

In this way, extra "dimensions" or perspectives multiply as the story unfolds. Let your characters explore their environments. In your world, there should be more than meets the eye.

One big problem with mainstream storytelling is its lack of mystery. There’s a tendency to try and explain everything.

In fantasy, this is a no-no. Cultivating an air of mystique helps draw your reader in and keeps them guessing.

But be careful not to go overboard.

As a writer, it can be difficult to draw the line between what you know about your fantasy world, and what your readers should know.

Maybe you’ve mapped out the whole history, down to every tiny detail, every ruin under the sun(s)—and that’s awesome! But maybe your reader doesn't need to know about the childhood of the second step-father of a minor character’s twice-removed cousin…

Or maybe they do. The choice is yours. But remember: an air of mystery is what makes fantasy worlds epic and believable.

Not everything needs to be seen up close (I'm looking at you, Numenor of Rings of Power), but if you do show a mystery up close, you’d better follow up with… another mystery.

Because if your readers aren't left with questions, why would they continue reading?

Sometimes fantasy worlds dazzle us initially, but upon closer look, there isn't much substance behind the veil. A lack of an animating centre can make your world feel empty, like a mere backdrop or stage rather than something worth exploring for its own sake.

One of the simplest ways to make a world more immersive is to decide on one key concept that the world will embody.

Maybe your world is collapsing because magic is fading—the backdrop of crisis can then be used to stage the cultures and customs of your fictional societies.

In one fell swoop, you add depth to your universe and beef up the plot. See how everything ties together?

When designing a fantasy world, it can be tempting to throw out everything about the real world and start from scratch.

OK—sounds epic. But this isn’t always the best way to go. In fact, creating a world that reflects aspects of our own can be just as powerful as building a world from the ground up.

Think about how many fantasies centre around problems of greed and power. Real world problems make your fiction feel familiar; they help hook your readers and keep them interested.

However, this being fantasy, try to add a fantastical spin when you can.

Instead of a greedy human banker, why not make your antagonist an otherworldly demon? There is a lot of room to play with when bridging the good and bad between worlds.

Use this trick to raise the stakes and make your universe more believable.

Here’s a few more tried and tested tips for writing fantasy worlds:

• Include rituals and celebrations in your world (funerals, new life, weddings, worship, etc.) to explore everything from character relationships, to culture, history, and the divine.
• Make your world a character or a living entity that reflects the essence of your story. Video games like Dark Souls and Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon are great examples of worlds that double as metaphors for the story’s themes.
• When creating cities, layer the new on top of the old. Show the history of an area through ruins, rebuilds, and sacred sites. Game of Thrones is a remarkable example of this. Information about ruins, city districts, and more are provided through quick scenes and brief history lessons. (Look at historical cities like London, Rome, etc, for inspiration.)

Not sure how to begin building your world? Check out Ellipsus’s range of free story templates, located directly in your dashboard. (Just select New —> From Template.)

World building is no walk in the park, but don’t let that stop you! The challenge is its own reward.

Above all, have fun, and don't be afraid to make it weird! That's what fantasy is all about.

Hailing from South Africa and now living in Scotland, Heather Sykes is a content and creative writer with a passion for fantasy, world building, and what makes a story tick. They are ignoring their BSc in forensic psychology and instead spend most of their free time absorbing stories or working on their adult fantasy series with their trusty dog, Tombi, by their side—and a good cup of tea.

Want to connect with a like-minded community and get the latest news on Ellipsus? Join our Discord to follow announcements and share your feedback.