Reflections on ProWritingAid's 2024 Fantasy Writers’ Week

The virtual event saw the return of some well-known faces to lead presentations and workshops. Sue Campbell, Anne Hawley, and Rachelle Ramirez from Pages & Platforms delved into “Marketing Your Fantasy Novel” and “Essentials of Writing Fantasy”. Kristina Stanley, CEO of Fictionary, shared “The Fantasy Writer's Guide to Effective Story Editing”, while Savannah Gilbo explained “How to Start Planning a Book Series”.

Aside from these familiar voices, some new presenters brought fresh perspectives and topics to the table. In “Writing Crossroads: How Four Big Decisions Shape Your Story”, Lewis Jorstad offered insights into storytelling, Julie Artz discussed how to develop rich and nuanced protagonists in her session “Beyond the Fantasy Archetype: Creating Memorable Characters”, and Isabel Sterling addressed a significant yet frequently neglected subject in her presentation “Beyond Burnout: Maintaining Passion for Writing and Establishing a Sustainable Author Career”.

My highlights from Fantasy Writers’ Week

In his session “Making Magic with Reader Magnets”, Z.S. Diamanti stressed the importance of reader magnets in building and nurturing a loyal reader base. According to him, reader magnets are not just an optional add-on, but an essential item in an author’s toolkit. He defined them as “something of value offered by an author in exchange for the permission and ability to contact the reader further”. This could be an exclusive short story, a bonus chapter, or any other enticing content. 

Furthermore, Diamanti pointed out that reader magnets act as a filter to make sure that only truly interested readers join an author's email list. Additionally, the reader magnet sets the vibe for the author's writing style, genre, and overall brand. Think of it as the opening act that introduces readers to the tone and atmosphere of the author's work.

In her session “Writing Compelling Fantasy Antagonists: The Art of Creating Multidimensional Villains”, Dana Pittman emphasized that without villains with complexity and depth, readers have little incentive to invest in a story. A strong villain not only gives the hero a hard time, but also helps them grow and keeps the story interesting—especially in stories about good versus evil. 

Consider the Harry Potter series: Tom Marvolo Riddle aka Voldemort serves as the ultimate adversary for Harry. Now, imagine if a less menacing character, such as Gilderoy Lockhart, had been the main villain instead. Lockhart's lack of competence and depth would have diluted the conflict, failing to elicit the same level of investment and emotional engagement from readers.

Last but not least, a special shout-out to Janet Forbes from World Anvil for delivering another engaging session on “Building Rich Worlds for Many Stories”. I've seen her give many presentations, so I know the content she covers. But what makes her stand out is how she can captivate the audience every time. She's passionate about worldbuilding, and her excitement is contagious. I never get bored, even if she talks about the same thing again and again.

Final thoughts

ProWritingAid’s “Fantasy Writer's Week” primarily caters to authors keen on learning about or honing skills in worldbuilding, storytelling, and book marketing. Therefore, it's no surprise that sessions and workshops revolve primarily around these topics. 

However, I missed sessions where fellow authors shared their personal writing journeys and experiences, or just talked about their novels. These sessions have been highlights of previous years and offered insights and inspiration from those who have navigated similar paths. Hearing about the triumphs and challenges of fellow writers not only fosters a sense of community, but also provides practical advice and encouragement for (aspiring) authors. I hope future iterations of the event, and their other events, will include more such sessions.