Summary of "How to Write a Fantasy Novel (My Exact Process + Tools I Use)"
Core premise
The video is a first-person walkthrough by Rita showing how she planned and began writing her fantasy novel. It focuses on practical, procedural steps for getting from idea to draft rather than revealing the book’s plot.
Overall process (high-level)
- Start with a strong “what if” premise.
- Choose subgenre and audience to set tone and reader expectations.
- Define primary characters—especially the protagonist—focusing on goals, flaws, and stakes.
- Pick a theme (accept that it can change).
- Do targeted world building (just enough to start; build more while writing).
- Design the magic system thoroughly (rules, costs, limits, source, societal impact).
- Outline using a beat sheet (Save the Cat recommended), then create a loose chapter-by-chapter guide.
- Write the draft messily; use placeholders; prioritize consistency over perfection.
- Revise, then decide publishing path (traditional vs self-publish).
Step-by-step checklist (actionable)
Premise
- Ask a “what if” question to generate a unique seed (example: “What if the moon was a prison?”).
- Use that premise as the central seed for plot decisions and worldbuilding.
Example seeds: “What if the moon was a prison?”; the video also cites Mulan as an inspirational “what if” for Rita’s project.
Subgenre, audience, and word count
- Decide subgenre early (YA, adult epic, etc.) to set tone and content boundaries (e.g., sexual content limits for YA).
- Research typical word counts for the chosen subgenre to set realistic targets and expectations.
Characters (focus on protagonist)
- Define the protagonist’s personal, immediate goal (not just “defeat the villain”).
- Identify major flaws and how they obstruct the protagonist’s goals.
- Define stakes: what the protagonist stands to lose.
- Create basic profiles for other primary characters, including antagonist(s).
Theme
- Choose a theme to inform arcs and plot (examples: power & corruption; revenge & justice; identity & belonging; grief & survival; found family vs blood family).
- Be open to theme shifts during drafting.
World building (practical approach)
- Avoid overbuilding up front—do only what you need for Act One.
- Essentials to map before writing:
- Geography of the immediate setting and nearby areas that affect Act One.
- Power structures: governance, laws, social hierarchy.
- Cultural and religious basics that matter to the story.
- Add detail as the story progresses to avoid paralysis.
Organization tools and systems
- Don’t rely only on scattered notebooks or Google Docs for complex worldbuilding.
- Use an interconnected system (Rita used Notion) to store and interlink characters, cultures, magic systems, religion, creatures, plot beats, chapter notes, etc., so updates propagate and searching is easy.
- Use guided prompts or templates to ensure you answer key worldbuilding and magic-system questions.
Magic system (go deep early)
- Define clear rules, limitations, and costs for magic.
- Decide the magic’s source and how it shapes society (status of magic users, legality, penalties, cultural effects).
- A firm magic-system design prevents contradictions and costly rewrites later.
Plot outlining
- Use a beat sheet—Save the Cat’s 15 beats is recommended—to map major milestones (opening image, inciting incident, midpoint, climax, etc.).
- Create a loose chapter outline: a short bullet list of what each chapter must accomplish. Enough structure to guide writing while leaving room for spontaneity.
Drafting
- Start writing once the basics are in place—don’t wait for perfection.
- Accept that first drafts can be messy; you will revise later.
- Use conspicuous placeholders for undecided names/concepts so you can continue without interruption.
- Prioritize internal consistency across the draft over polished prose at this stage.
Revision and publishing
- Plan for multiple revision passes and seek editorial help.
- Decide later whether to pursue traditional or self-publishing; the video’s blog post contains more detail on this choice.
Practical tips, warnings, and mindset
- Nothing is set in stone—be willing to change details as the story grows.
- Avoid “world-building procrastination”: start with what’s necessary and expand as you write.
- Beat sheets and outlining are especially valuable in fantasy to prevent plot holes.
- Tools that let you interlink world elements save time and reduce errors.
- Consistency matters more than first-draft quality.
Tools and resources mentioned
- Notion (used to build an interconnected world-building/story-planning system; Rita created and sells a template).
- Notebook (useful early for retention, but inefficient for long-term organization).
- Google Docs / Microsoft Word (for drafting; less ideal for organizing worldbuilding).
- Save the Cat beat sheet (15-beat structure adapted from screenwriting for novel planning).
- Rita’s blog post (longer write-up with more examples; linked in the video description).
- Editor (advice on using a beat sheet and revision).
Speakers and sources
- Rita — primary speaker; aspiring fantasy author; creator of the Notion template; narrator of the process.
- Rita’s editor — recommends using a beat sheet.
- Save the Cat — the beat-sheet method adapted for novels.
- Notion — software used to organize worldbuilding and story planning.
- Mulan — referenced as a “what if” inspiration for Rita’s project.
- Rita’s blog post and template — additional written resources linked in the video description.
Category
Educational
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