THE CRAFT OF WRITING FANTASY – AUGUST 2025
Welcome back to another episode of great writing advice on the CRAFT OF WRITING blog. This year we’re focusing on Genres. We’ll be looking at approaches to writing thrillers, mysteries, romances, and more. Each month I interview an accomplished author who writes in a particular genre, so get ready to learn from the experts!
Today’s guest is my friend and colleague, Beth Alvarez, who gives us insight into the craft of writing fantasy novels. Beth and I are members of the same writing group in Collierville, TN, so I’m familiar with her and her award-winning work. She’s published over twenty fantasy novels, so you’re in for a treat today.
Here’s one of her books. Click the image to go to the Amazon book page.
The name of each person who enters a comment on today’s blog will be put into the drawing for a copy of Spectrum Blade. So join the conversation and earn a chance to win. I’ll post the name of the winner after 9 PM Central Time tonight, and Beth has agreed to provide a copy of the book to the winner. (Either ebook or paperback, whichever the winner would prefer.)
The Craft of Writing Fantasy Novels with Beth Alvarez Share on X
* * *
Welcome, Beth, and thank you for being on the Craft of Writing blog!
What is your definition of a fantasy story?
Fantasy is one of the broadest categories under the speculative fiction umbrella, but to me, the defining characteristics of fantasy are that it includes elements that simply aren’t possible in the real world. Be it magic or fantastical creatures like dragons and unicorns, a fantasy story contains at least one element of make-believe that means a scenario could never truly happen.
How are fantasies different from science fiction?
There’s actually a lot of overlap between fantasy and science fiction, to the point the two are often confused and hotly debated! But while both fantasy and science fiction revolve around telling a “what if?” sort of story, science fiction speculates on what could be possible with the correct technological advancements. We probably won’t ever find a unicorn outside of books and art—at least, not anymore—but space travel? Robotic enhancements? Well, we’re already doing some of that! Sci-fi just stretches the imagination beyond what we can already do.
What’s the most important aspect of a fantasy?
I believe the main component of what makes fantasy the genre it has become is a lack of plausibility. This ties into the differences between it and science fiction, too. We can’t ride dragons or attend an academy to learn magic, and we probably never will. There are many different subcategories of fantasy, though, and they all have their own rules for what makes the genre tick. Magical realism, for example, is a less-common subgenre of fantasy defined by a story being set in a very realistic world, often our own, with a single magical element added that doesn’t change the way the whole world functions.
My personal favorite is high fantasy, where the author is tasked with creating an entire new world from the ground up, which means establishing new rules for how that world works! Most of my books are high fantasy, and the majority of them are epic fantasy, where I first create a new world… then my story’s heroes have to save it.
Why did you decide to write in the fantasy genre?
Honestly, I’m not sure I had a choice. My mother had a bit of a whimsical side and I spent my childhood surrounded by paintings, statues, and stuffed animal unicorns that belonged to her, while she read me Narnia books at bedtime and taught me all about The Lord of the Rings. Fantasy was such an innate part of my life from my earliest days that I always believed adding your own stories to this library of fantastical creations was something you just did when you grew up. My earliest fantasy stories were written when I was four or five. You know, around the time you start being able to write sentences. It was as natural as breathing and I don’t think I ever considered any other genres.
Can you give us a brief outline of the process—from concept to completion—that you use to write a fantasy?
Concepts are the easy part, they just spring out of nowhere and I have more of them than I’ll ever have time to write. I try to focus on the ones I’m most excited about, or I’d never get anywhere.
I’m big on outlining, and I think my favorite method for planning any story is when I scrawl out a one- or two-sentence description of a story idea and then outline it with index cards. I believe you do something similar with sticky notes, where you frame out the overall structure and pacing of the story and then use individual index cards or notes to explain the major events that need to happen for each character.
Once I have a solid outline and everything is in the right order, I sit the stack of index cards on my desk and spend the next few months writing. I am a linear writer, so I start at page one and end at the last word of the book every time. Whenever I finish a chapter, I pass it off to my husband to see if he can poke holes in my plot or if I’ve explained my new magical or fantasy world concepts well enough. I cannot overstate how valuable that feedback is to me as I write, because it gives me a chance to correct or clarify things immediately and set myself up for success as I go.
After the whole book is done, it goes straight to my amazing team of beta readers to see if they have any thoughts. I usually send it to my editor at the same time. Yes, the first draft goes straight to edits! I write pretty clean drafts, so there’s rarely much revision to do, since all my problem solving happened during the outlining and planning stage. If my betas do turn up any issues, my editor is an incredible resource for helping me iron them out.
My books usually get 4 editing passes before they’re complete. When that very last editing pass is done, that’s my favorite part, because my husband always celebrates my hard work by delivering a pint of my favorite mango sorbet.
What advice would you give an author who decides to write a fantasy?
Make a lot of time for daydreaming. My best ideas and strongest inspiration always come when I have time to just sit and look at the clouds, or when I can let my mind wander while doing mundane things. Doing dishes, pulling weeds in the garden, folding laundry—any time I can keep my hands busy and my mind bored is perfect for dreaming up new possibilities. Those ideas are what will fuel your creativity more than anything else, so lean into it!
Besides your own books, what fantasies would you recommend?
I think the last series that swept me up and consumed me was The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker. But lately it’s been hard to find time for long epics like that, so I have really enjoyed exploring a lot of shorter, sweeter fantasies and fairy tale stories. Frey and the Icy Orchard by Scarlett Luna Strange is one I’m enjoying now. Another is Love, Ships & Sea Serpents by Elaine Canyon.
Are you working on a book now?
Yes! I told myself I’d take a break after finishing my epic fantasy series Spectrum Legacy, but I only made it a few days before I started a new project. The Cinders and the Crown is my second fairy tale retelling, although I use the term “retelling” loosely. It’s a Cinderella story, except instead of her carriage turning into a pumpkin, the prince is transformed into a dragon at the stroke of midnight and it becomes her job to rescue the kingdom… and save him from his curse. I hope for it to be released by the end of the year.
Where can we find out more about you and your writing?
My home base is my website at https://www.ithilear.com and share lots of extras about my stories, characters, and fantasy worlds on Instagram as @authorbethalvarez – I’d love to see you there!
Thank you, Beth, for being with us today!
The Craft of Writing Fantasy Novels with Beth Alvarez Share on X
***
Meet Beth Alvarez
Beth Alvarez is an Illinois-born author living in Memphis, Tennessee, along with her husband, daughter, and a very mean cat. A visual arts major, she worked previously as a freelance graphic designer. Against all advice, she makes her own book covers.
Reading The Hobbit led Beth to fall in love with fantasy at age 8. She later developed a love for vampires and the supernatural, which is unsurprising, given she never outgrew the goth phase.
In her free time, Beth enjoys drawing, hitting the road in her beloved Mustang, sipping tea, sewing for her Asian ball-jointed dolls, and making her prior-Marine husband spar in the kitchen for sake of writing more convincing combat scenes.
She can be contacted via her website, where you can find her personal blog, and also sign up for bonus content and advance notification of new and upcoming titles: http://www.ithilear.com/newsletter.html
***
Another Side of Sunshine
ON SALE NOW 99¢
A Middle Grade Mystery featuring those two irrepressible detectives, spunky 10-year-old Reen and her shy 9-year-old cousin Joanie.
“The story excels at honoring the emotional realities of childhood without veering into sentimentality. It’s a smart, well-constructed mystery that values relationships over rivalry, process over prizes, and growth over glory.” —Prairie Book Reviews
Click the image to go to the Amazon book page.
Beth, thank you for this fascinating overview of fantasy. It’s a genre I’m not very familiar with (since my books are grounded in gritty realism) but your clear explanation taught me a lot. You do a great job explaining the differences between fantasy and sci-fi, as well as understanding your audience.
Wishing you great success!
Thanks, Kay, for another educational guest post.
Thank you, Debbie! That’s very kind of you to say. I always find a lot of value in exploring other genres and what makes them tick, because you never know what elements you might take home to your own writing to make it even stronger than before.
I appreciate you joining us today!
Good morning, Debbie.
Like you, I’m not familiar with fantasy, but having Beth explain it was—well—fantastic. Although we write different genres, there’s a lot in common.
Have a good rest of the week.
Great interview! That’s the best distinction between fantasy and science fiction that I’ve ever heard, totally makes sense. The Cinders and the Crown sounds like a fun story. Happy writing, Beth!
I recall an interview with Orson Scott Card I always found funny. When asked about the distinction between science fiction and fantasy, he said to consider the cover. “If there are rivets on it, then it’s science fiction. But if there’s a tree on the cover, then it’s fantasy.” It’s certainly more complicated than that, but it’s amusing to see how accurate the assessment can be.
Thanks for joining us!
Love that explanation! 😊
Good morning, Priscilla!
I also enjoyed hearing the distinction between sci-fi and fantasy. Never realized that before.
Kay and Beth,
Fascinating insight about fantasy. Thank you,
Terry
Thank you for stopping by!
Good morning, Terry.
Thanks for stopping in and commenting!
Beth, much as I enjoyed your differentiation between scifi and fantasy (and I *did* enjoy it–it was as unique as you are) my question is of a more practical bent. I’m and editor who has had the pleasure of editing a wide variety of fiction, but fantasy is a definite favorite. The problem I have encountered in editing fantasy is in world-building. Too many authors don’t give any thought to the worlds they’ve created, to the extent that three-quarters of the way through a book in which dragons played a significant part, a dragon suddenly voiced his opinion about something. But nobody was surprised about it because “of course dragons can talk,” the author said when I asked him about it. “Then why hasn’t he spoken before now?” I said. “He’s been given to a human but had no opinion about that. He’s flown this inexperienced human all over the kingdom without saying a word, and now, after 126 pages with this human, he just opens his mouth and voices an opinion about cigars???”
So my question is this: how much prior thought do you give to world-building, and where/how do you start?
Thanks much,
Mel Hughes
That’s an excellent question, and a very good point! None of my books have ever started in the same place–some begin with a character concept, or a plot concept, or a quest I want to feature–but my early steps in story development are always building out a robust world in which my idea can take place.
My husband has always described me as a “world architect” writer type, and he’s probably correct. One of the earliest things I figure out for each story is geography, laying out everything the story will need in a world and then building a world where it can logically take place. I often begin with drawing out maps for continental tectonic plates and how they affect the world’s weather patterns and water supply, as the shape of terrain and the climate it hosts are hugely influential for how a world’s fantasy cultures will develop. For all that there’s a big difference between science fiction and fantasy, there’s a lot of science that goes into the writing of my stories, everything from how having a stationary moon will affect the party’s ability to travel by sea to what a region’s chief export will be, based on what livestock and crops their climate would encourage. It’s fine to leave mysteries if a region won’t be explored in depth, but the story always feels more rich and “lived in” if I flesh out more than what I need. I frequently establish documentation for my world regions, trade routes, likely candidates for geographical flora and fauna, and an outline of magic and its capabilities before I write anything at all.
I have always found that soft magic systems are the hardest to work with and need a better world foundation with more logic behind it, because it gives you more leeway for magic to be some great unknown that does mysterious things if those things are happening in a place that has hard rules. I have also learned it’s fine for some things to be left unexplained, as long as the characters are just as mystified or confused by it as the reader. I recall a statement Brandon Sanderson shared in one of his lectures, something along the lines of “Nobody cares if the horses have wings, as long as the saddles make sense” and I have found that is very true for a good story foundation.
Thank you for asking!
Good to see you here, Mel, and great question.
That dragon sounds a lot like Balaam’s donkey.
Kay–lol!
Beth–may I copy and use your world-building advice with future clients (properly accredited, of course)?
I’m reminded of one author who set her story on a desert world with plenty of water (go figure). She’d never heard of Maslow’s hierarchy and it showed–imagine a world where there were plenty of railroads, but portable water (i.e., canteens) were an unheard-of novelty! 😵😳
Shalom,
Mel
Mel, I would be honored! I’m always delighted if I can offer information that helps someone on their way as an author.
I could not fathom not being able to take water with me wherever I go. I can’t even manage sitting in the pick-up line at my daughter’s school without a tumbler of ice water, haha!
Wonderful interview, Beth & Kay! Beth, I think your advice to make time for daydreaming and your observation that busying our hands with mundane tasks frees our minds are pure gold. That’ll preach, no matter what genre you write in. Godspeed in your work, both of you!
Good evening, Lisa!
I agree that doing mundane things—even exercising—frees the mind to wander and create.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you so much, Lisa! In our busy modern world, I find time to just think and daydream is often overlooked. Maybe life would be much sweeter if we all slowed down a little and let ourselves get lost in those idle ideas.
I appreciate you taking the time to read!
It’s almost 10pm here in Memphis, and I listed the five people entered to win one of Beth’s books:
1 Debbie Burke
2 Priscilla Bettis
3 Terry Whalin
4 Mel Hughes
5 Lisa Simonds
I ran the random integer generator and the number that came up was 5, so Lisa Simonds won the book. Congratulations Lisa!
Love this interview and the explanation of what fantasy is. I also love seeing a writer process.
Hello Patricia! thanks for stopping by. I especially enjoyed the interview with Beth since I know so little about fantasy books. She did a great job of explaining the difference between sci-fi and fantasy as well as outlining her process.
Have a goo rest of the weekend.