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What makes readers stay?
This can be several things. From the storyline to how the characters evoke a sense of attachment, authors consider multiple elements in crafting a perfect story.
For fantasy novel writers, there are more intricate details to weigh in. Beyond crafting a world unimaginable, fantasy writers also have to create fantasy creatures that will either enhance or terrorize their world. These characters may be considered embellishments to the story, but they also have their fair share of impact to contribute.
As how Gollum is among the most popular characters in Lord of the Rings, fantasy creatures may also leave an impression that will make readers revisit stories.
First, What Are Fantasy Creatures?
World-building is critical to writing a successful and gripping story. As in the name, this process makes up the story’s setting and the characters driving its plot—making or breaking the entire thing. It sets the mood, steers the plot, and enhances the readers’ experience, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the fictional space. Hence, world-building doesn’t only include assembling the story’s physical environment but also thoroughly planning the characters that reside in it.
In fictional novels, there are recurring characters that capture readers’ interest.
Fantasy creatures are unique and original characters—often entirely imagined—used for storytelling. In the landscape of fantasy fiction, they are the cornerstone of creativity. While they aren’t necessarily at the forefront of these stories, they still influence readers’ impressions and interests.
After all, whether it’s a villainous creature or a companion of the main character, these characters will immensely captivate readers’ attention. They can make or break a story, a vital element of authors’ world-building. To create fantasy creatures, authors have to rap into their creativity to come up with something out of this world. They’re essential channels that will help stories explore themes, reflect societal values, and ignite the creativity and imagination of the readers.
How to Create Fantasy Creatures?
From dragons to sirens, countless fantasy creature ideas are already deeply embedded in literature. But it’s integral that authors at least try to come up with something new.
Chris Cochrane is a budding author who has mastered the skill necessary to create fantasy creatures that will be engraved in readers’ minds. In his adventure book titled Caste Forks, Chris sprinkled in original creatures to elevate his story, making it more riveting for his audience. In a story about immortal demon shadows, the author had to create fantasy creatures that aren’t only original to his story but would also instill a sense of fear in his readers.
Thus, he came up with immortal demon shadows.
Like Chris Cochrane, authors go through a deliberate process of crafting their fantasy creatures. While the rules are boundless, authors don’t want to create fantasy creatures simply to incorporate one into the story. Instead, they want these characters to add significance to the story and weigh into its uniqueness. How do they do so?
Start With a Background
Like the main characters or the antagonists, fantasy creatures also deserve to have a background. How did they exist? What caused them to look how they are?
Although they’re imaginative and non-existent in reality, they would still require some logic in the fantasy world authors are creating. Remember, readers don’t want loopholes. Hence, to create fantasy creatures, authors have to start from their very foundation. The background story doesn’t have to answer every nitty gritty about the creature; a little mystery would still be beneficial. But at the very least, this should provide a stable reason behind these characters’ existence.
Leave Space for Imagination
Although loopholes aren’t welcomed, this doesn’t mean authors should spoon-feed every little detail about their fantasy creatures. They don’t always have to create a complete image to make things compelling. Instead, they can leave some aspects to their readers’ imagination. To effectively create fantasy creatures, authors often leave some details for their readers to fill.
Effectivity doesn’t always have to rely on the creators themselves. Often, leaving room for imagination to fill does perfectly to meet their goals.
Make It Tough to Kill
Who doesn’t love a relentless character? Authors can create fantasy characters as friends or foes, but one thing is certain: readers want them to stay longer.
This can be more effective for antagonistic creatures. This way, they can contribute to the rising tension and anticipation of the readers. The harder they are to kill, the scarier they can be to the audience. This increases their intrigue about the story’s ending. On the other hand, if this fantasy creature is a friend, authors have the freedom to either kill them early in the story or not. After all, pain and revenge are also elements to captivate readers and make them invested in the story.
Authors don’t always have to craft something hideous to create fantasy creatures if they aim for something frightening. Often, these characters can be eerily humanized, and they can still evoke the same level of fear depending on their movements and motivations.
If you’re interested in reading more about the fantasy creature crafted by Chris Cochrane, grab a copy of his book Castle Forks now!
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