17 Exciting Fantasy Novel Ideas for Authors

By BookBaby author Chris Huff

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Brainstorming ideas for a fantasy novel can really stimulate your imagination. A society of singing spoons declares war on other flatware! Or perhaps Mr. Bubble, cartoon spokesperson, travels back in time to Rome to unseat Caesar. But unlimited possibilities can also freeze the brain, so don’t worry if you’re feeling stuck! Here are a few ideas to spark creativity and your own ideas for a fantasy story. Some examples used are from TV/movies and other genres, but don’t let that throw you — it’s all storytelling. Part of what makes fantasy such an exciting genre is the ability to draw from many sources, the only limit being your own imagination.

Classic fantasy tropes reimagined

The reluctant hero

The reluctant hero is a common trope featuring an every-person placed by circumstance into an extraordinary situation. This differs from an “antihero” in that reluctant heroes usually end up being real heroes. Famous examples include Bilbo Baggins and Luke Skywalker. When reimagining this well-used trope, consider the character’s motivations as a place where you can add your own touch. The more complex the motivations are, the more realistic your reluctant hero may seem.

The hidden kingdom

The trope of the hidden kingdom, a secret realm existing in parallel to the real world with its own magical rules, can be a great starting point when thinking of ideas for a fantasy novel. Examples include Harry Potter discovering the world of wizards and Sarah in Labyrinth wishing her baby half-brother to be taken by goblins only to find out goblins are actually real.

The prophecy

A prediction that drives the plot, the prophecy trope involves a chosen one like Paul Atreides in Dune or a fated event like Game Of Thrones’ “Winter is coming.” The malleability of prophecy means that it’s a good way to avoid clichés, even if the trope itself is common. What if the prophecy is actually wrong? There are many ways the prophecy device can engender ideas for a fantasy story.

Innovative world-building concepts

Floating islands

Welcome to the world of the Jetsons, known as Cloud City in the Star Wars universe. Finding land too dreary for a setting? Put your action in the skies on floating islands, connected by portals, bridges, or aircrafts. Why did the people move off the ground in the first place? Many intriguing questions arise.

Parallel worlds

Whether it’s a neighbor planet like Vulcan (Star Trek) or a separate dimension like the Hell Dimension (Buffyverse), you’ll find many ideas for a fantasy novel in the intersection of planes of existence. Are the worlds cooperating or in conflict? How do you travel between them? Do the inhabitants of elsewhere look like us? Maybe it’s a mirror of our own reality like DC’s Bizarro World.

Living cities

What if the cities in your universe were actually alive? The buildings could communicate and even move around. This idea can be applied to anything that’s not, as in the TV show Farscape where a living spacecraft had complex emotions and actually gave birth.

Fresh takes on fantasy creatures

Shape shifters

Going as far back in history as any trope, shapeshifting is a helpful device because a true shape shifter can turn into anything. Some shape shifters are static, like werewolves and vampires, but the transformation can still be used to dramatic effect. What if a shape shifter gets stuck and can’t change back? What if their powers are accidentally bestowed on someone else, someone not prepared?

Sentient Plants

“Feed me, Seymour,” says the Venus flytrap of Little Shop of Horrors. When seeking ideas for a fantasy novel, consider flora with intelligence and/or magical abilities. There are even recent scientific studies showing that plants may have consciousness. While fantasy is not sci-fi in that there are no requirements of scientific accuracy, one could use this information as a starting point to imagine what could happen.

Elementals

An elemental is a mythical being that corresponds to one of the classical elements: earth, water, air, and fire. They have been popular in literature since Paracelsus wrote about them in the 1500s. Used by everyone from Shakespeare to Stan Lee, elementals can add a familiar element to your book. Possibly the elemental is unhappy with their powers and would rather be human? Maybe they are too human and shunned by other elementals? However you approach it, dipping your toe in the elemental pool is bound to give you some ideas for a fantasy story.

Unconventional character archetypes

The reluctant villain

For some villains, their evil actions have complex motivations and they flinch at the evil they seemingly “have” to do. Gaius Baltar in Battlestar Galactica and Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter are two examples. Giving your villain an origin story that even allows the reader to sympathize with them can go a long way into making your antagonists three-dimensional.

The cursed hero

Back to werewolves! A hero living under a bad sign or curse comes with a built-in dramatic arc: introduction (full moon), conflict (inner and outer), and method of resolution (silver bullet). Plenty of ideas for a fantasy novel in this trope!

The outcast

Outcasts in literature are on the fringe either by choice or by societal decree (punishment). Often they hold secret knowledge or power — “help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope!” A common trope in Westerns, the outcast can be an antihero but does not have to be. Having an outcast wander into your story or be sought out will always add an air of mystery to the proceedings.

Intriguing plot devices

Time loops

“Ok campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties because it’s COLD out there,” says the DJ in Groundhog Day… over and over (and over) again. This is the most-famous example of a repeating time loop, where a character or multiple characters are trapped living the same period of time repeatedly. Time loops have appeared in literature since the early 20th century. The movie Primer uses time loops that get progressively more complicated to tell the story of two amateur scientists who invent a time machine in their garage.

Magical artifacts

Many fantasy stories have a talisman, ring, or other magical artifact that ends up being crucial. For your purposes, it can be entirely of your own creation or it could be an object from actual history. Biblical objects (Ark of the Covenant, Holy Grail, etc) often lend gravitas to stories as their cultural resonance is strong. But don’t feel compelled to add something real unless it fits your narrative!

Forbidden knowledge

Whether it’s that a secret sect is hiding the fact that Jesus had children (The Da Vinci Code) or that there’s a hidden message in the U.S. Declaration of Independence (National Treasure), forbidden knowledge will excite the reader — especially if its discovery will send shock waves through the established order of things.

Fresh story themes

Redemption arc

The redemption arc of a fantasy novel character can often include long, treacherous journeys through fantastical landscapes, showing geographical as well as emotional transformation. This lends itself to epic novels but can also provide ideas for a fantasy story of any size.

Cultural clash

Many fantasy series describe fictional wars, the most famous being The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Conflict is endemic to human nature and readers perennially love a good war story. A clash between magical and non-magical beings can add spice to this trope.

Finding inspiration for your fantasy story

Hopefully the suggestions above have given you some ideas for a fantasy novel! For additional inspiration, consider the following:

Rooting your stories in real-world symbolism and imagery can lend it additional resonance. Many fantasy stories draw directly from mythology and folklore. These timeless tales have lasted for thousands of years have done so for a very good reason — they resonate with people!

Additionally, using actual historical events as a basis to launch an alternate history is a great way to intrigue your readers. Philip K. Dick’s The Man In The High Castle uses an alternate history where the Nazis and Japanese won World War II and conquered the U.S.A.

Your own dreams are another place to find inspiration and ideas for your fantasy story. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and much of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre arose from dreams. The psychologist Carl Jung wrote at length about the resonance of dreams and dream symbols in what he called our “collective unconscious” — use this to your advantage!

Crafting unique fantasy worlds

Think about the level of detail that J.R.R. Tolkien or George R.R. Martin put into the creation of their fantasy worlds. If you are truly serious about fantasy writing, you’ll want to think long and hard about the fleshing out of your universe. It can be challenging to tread terrain where others have gone before successfully. Focus on putting on your own spin; even a comedic writer like Douglas Adams put tons of detail into his goofy universe. Make sure your world follows its own internal logic, and, if you are creating a world where magic exists, that the magic has its own rules, limitations, and balance with the non-magical characters. If everything is possible, that can be quite dull! Limitations add an extra degree of tension.

Developing compelling characters

Keep in mind that readers will relate best to the humanity of characters. You’ll want them to be as human as possible — warts and all! One amusing twist might be to add flaws to a previously unflawed character, similar to how Superman 2 took away Superman’s powers. The more fleshed-out your side characters, the better. Characters should have a solid arc of transformation, and if they don’t change, that should also be addressed.

Plotting engaging storylines

To craft an engaging story for readers, start with a strong premise, identify the core conflict, and create interesting hooks, twists, and turns along the way. The songwriter Sting says that all great music for him has the element of surprise, and this holds true for literature as well. Build tension with conflict and resolve it unexpectedly; surprise revelations and fake endings/false resolutions can be incorporated to excite your readers.

Using writing prompts and exercises

In this day and age, there are a myriad of writing prompts and exercises available to you in the world at large, both online and off, should you be stuck on ideas for a fantasy story. These writing exercises might inspire a short story or longer work, or they might just get you writing, which is the most-important part. The best way to finish a novel is just keep plugging at it. Remember that you are just writing a first draft; editing is over half the actual work of writing!

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