Summary of "If I Started Writing a Fantasy Novel in 2025, I'd Do This"

Practical Framework for Writing a Fantasy Novel in 2025

The video presents a practical, beginner-friendly framework for writing a fantasy novel in 2025. It emphasizes emotional storytelling and efficient world-building over overwhelming preparation. The approach focuses on aligning all story elements with the core emotional and narrative essence, ensuring a coherent and compelling novel.

Key Artistic Techniques, Concepts, and Creative Processes

Start with the Story Promise

Define an emotional contract with readers that expresses why the story matters, not just what happens.
Example: Instead of “a prince fights to reclaim his kingdom,” say “discovering true strength comes from courage to sacrifice what we love for what we believe in.”

Craft a Log Line

Distill the narrative essence into one compelling sentence using this formula: When [inciting incident] happens to [protagonist], they must [objective] or else [stakes], but [obstacle] stands in their way.
This creates immediate conflict and hints at both internal and external struggles.

Use the Conflict Triangle

Layer three interconnected conflicts that escalate together:

External conflict: The visible, plot-driving problem (e.g., dark lord, magical plague).
Interpersonal conflict: Relationship struggles such as betrayals, romances, or tensions.
Internal conflict: The protagonist’s personal fears or flawed beliefs.

These conflicts influence and reinforce one another to create emotional depth and a sense of inevitability.

Design the Protagonist Through Crucial Choices

Focus on five key, escalating decisions that define the character and tie into all three conflict layers.
Show smaller versions of these choices earlier in the story to build toward major moments.

Build a Focused Fantasy World

Limit world-building to elements that directly impact the protagonist’s key choices and conflicts.
Identify three crucial world aspects with competing forces that pressure decisions (e.g., ancient powers, social structure, price of magic).
Avoid unnecessary details that don’t serve the core narrative.

Create a Purposeful Magic System

Design magic to generate conflict and character growth, tied to the protagonist’s internal struggles.
Examples of approaches:
- Cost approach: Magic requires sacrificing precious memories.
- Connection approach: Magic grows stronger the more publicly it’s cast, exposing vulnerability.
- Control approach: Magic becomes chaotic with attempts to control it, requiring acceptance of imperfection.

Use a Scene Map to Maintain Momentum

Map emotional waypoints rather than every scene. For each major choice, plan three scenes:
1. Build-up
2. Choice
3. Consequence
This keeps the story focused and prevents writer’s block while allowing creative discovery.

Adopt the Emotional First Draft Approach

Prioritize capturing the emotional core of each scene over perfect prose or detailed descriptions.
Use placeholders (e.g., “TBD”) for details to be refined later.
Treat the first draft as the story’s skeleton; add richness and polish in revisions.
Emphasizes progress over perfection, helping writers overcome fear of imperfection.

Summary of Steps and Advice

Define your story promise (emotional heart).
Write a log line (narrative essence).
Develop the conflict triangle (external, interpersonal, internal conflicts).
Design your protagonist through five crucial choices.
Build a focused world that pressures those choices.
Create a magic system that ties to character growth and conflict.
Plan your story with a scene map focusing on emotional waypoints.
Write an emotional first draft, capturing feelings over details, then revise.

Creators and Contributors

The video is created and narrated by an experienced fantasy author who shares insights from over 20 years of writing fantasy, including work on a novel titled The Fugitive Prince. The creator’s name is not explicitly mentioned in the subtitles.