Fantasy is a form of speculative fiction, and has been popular for many decades. Although fantasy has many different genres, such as high or epic fantasy, sword and sorcery, urban fantasy, dark fantasy and many more, there is only so much a writer can do in terms of developing the story.
There are four basic types of fantasy fiction: Standalone fantasy novels, standalone with same protagonist and/or setting but different stories, fantasy series with one protagonist and a fantasy series with different protagonists.
Standalone Fantasy Novel
A standalone fantasy novel has a unique story, protagonist and setting. The story ends to the satisfaction of the reader and the writer never gets back to the same characters or land again. Many writers begin with this kind of a novel, or even short stories and novellas and later progress to writing more complex stories. These stories are easy to write because there isn’t usually a great depth of history or back story.
Standalone Fantasy with Repetition of Same Protagonist or Setting
Many famous authors have written stories such as these, for example, Piers Anthony's The Magic of Xanth novels have the same setting, the land of Xanth. This land has a huge cast of characters and he uses a different protagonist in each story. Each novel is the story of one character, told from his point of view, and ends with the triumph of that protagonist over his enemies or circumstances.
Fantasy Series with One Protagonist
Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Saga is a good example of this type of fantasy. His main character has been Eragon from book one and has continued with Eragon’s triumph over the evil king in the last book. The growth of the protagonist over various books is a major accomplishment during a series like this, and it’s important for the writer to ensure freshness of the character’s struggles while at the same time showcasing the development of the character’s skills. The writer has to ensure that the reader becomes emotionally invested in the character and waits patiently as the protagonist draws close to his main goal, which is achieved in the last and final book.
Fantasy Series with Different Protagonists and Same Setting
In this type of fantasy, a writer will have the same setting and/or magic system but each story will have its own protagonist. Each novel of the series becomes more complex than the last one as the cast of the characters increases in size. In the end, usually, the protagonists of each story stand together to fight the ultimate villain who remains the same through each book. Each novel has its goal which is achieved by the protagonist of the story, but at the same time, the story arc builds towards a larger goal that is achieved by all the characters in the last book. A good example of this is Nora Robert’s Three Sisters Island Trilogy or her Key of Light Trilogy. These are fantasy romance, but each story is a standalone, and yet a part of the series.
Sabine A. Reed - Sabine A. Reed is the author of fantasy ebook The Black Orb. She has has her own Writing and Publishing blog.
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