Fantasy writing is probably THE example of imagination at its highest. The author is creating a whole new world – one filled with dragons, creatures, rules of magic – very different from the reality we know. Unlike science fiction which pushes the boundaries of physics and biology, fantasy pushes something more inward, belief and wishes. For the most part people don’t believe in elves, fairies or dragons in the day-to-day, but in the fantasy author’s world, those elements thrive…and the more fantastical, the better.

The battle between good and evil, right and wrong is the main theme of fantasy and of course magical solutions which replace the laws of nature as we understand them. Events occur, things appear, change just because they do. It’s all at the mercy of the author’s galloping imagination. For children in particular this works beautifully. They have very little hard fact for why things work as they do, making believing a fantasy story just another happening in their lives.

These stories are generally about kings and queens, knights, castles, villagers, etc. Peaceful kingdoms are threatened by some great evil and conquering heroes ride forth. It’s not uncommon to see parodies on this theme, poking fun at it’s usual loftiness. For the most part, these stories come from mythology and European legend, particularly Britain. In these stories our heroes are not really facing the “big” battle but rising to the challenge of smaller, more personal forays into fantasy worlds..and quite often having a darned good time doing it. We’ll commonly see a small group of friends and possibly their animal sidekicks working together for the common good. The Wizard of Oz is a fine example of this type of fantasy book.

Fairy Tales could never be left out in the world of fantasy writing and are probably some of the oldest examples. Fairy tales in general deal with a personal transformation of some kind. The ugly duckling becomes the swan, the poor maid becomes a princess and the frog becomes the prince. They are ‘smaller’ stories, but by no means any lesser of a fantasy with any less number of fans. Older works of Hans Christian Andersen to the more modern tales from Jane Yolen and Patricia McKillip fall into this group. Magical Realism of fantasy fiction mostly takes place in the modern world, with magic oozing into one particular character’s life. And often without anyone else seeing the magic…just it’s effects. Like Water For Chocolate – A famous example of Magical Realism.

In a short story, which in practice is normally 1,000 to 3,000 words, you simply haven’t got room to fully describe a character to your reader. On the other hand your characters should be real to you personally so that you can make them behave in an authentic way.

1. What do they look like?

Some authors would say start by describing who they are rather than what they look like, but to me, a character’s physical appearance always comes first so that’s where I’ll begin.

Take pen and paper and jot down the following physical characteristics: Hair and eye colour, hair style, complexion, age, build, slim or plump. You can do this in 50 words or less. And remember, once you have the basic description, you can always tweak it later. Get a clear picture of your character in your mind’s eye.

2. Background

Where were they born and where did they grow up? Jot down their country of origin, county or state, town, city or village. What were their parents names? What schooling did they have? What jobs have they had, and what job do they have now? Are they married or single? Any children? See all this in your mind’s eye so that their background begins to come to life for you. All this stuff will affect how they think and react to different situations. Jot it down briefly to begin with.

3. Likes and dislikes

What food do they like, are they a drinker? Are they into sport, pets, hobbies? What music do they listen to and what movies do they like? What is their favourite food and what can’t they stand? Do they have pet hates or phobias? Get this all down on paper, but keep it short.

4. Character

Now we come to what they are like as a person. What is their temperament? Easy going? Short tempered? Anxious, easily vexed? Are they strong willed or easily led by others? Are they forgiving or do they not suffer fools gladly? Are they loving and outgoing or timid and introspective? Jot it all down and try to build inside your head just what kind of person they are on the inside.

Now bear in mind that not all this information may come out in your story. The reader may never know that your character’s hobby is needle point, or that they grew up in poverty in a Welsh mining village, but you, the writer, will know and this will help you give your character the proper responses, accent and reactions as they brush up against the other characters in your story.

By this time you should know what their name and age is. You may have known that from the start, but if so do you want to change either one now you know your character better?

As a writer you should try to make your characters living, breathing, believable people. And ideally, you want your reader to develop an emotional connection with them. How do you want your readers to respond to them? Do you want the reader to love them, dislike them, be amused by them? Getting the details of the character down on paper as we did above will help you to craft the characters your readers will respond to.