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”.

In addition to the familiar voices, new presenters offered fresh perspectives and topics. In “Writing Crossroads: How Four Big Decisions Shape Your Story”, Lewis Jorstad offered insights into storytelling. In her session, “Beyond the Fantasy Archetype: Creating Memorable Characters,” Julie Artz explained how to develop complex and well-rounded protagonists, while Isabel Sterling’s presentation, “Beyond Burnout: Maintaining Passion for Writing and Establishing a Sustainable Author Career,” tackled the important but often overlooked topic of career sustainability.

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. He believes that reader magnets are not just an optional add-on, but an essential item in an author’s toolkit. To him, they are “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.

Diamanti noted that reader magnets filter out those not genuinely interested, ensuring only dedicated readers join an email list. They also set 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.

Dana Pittman's session, “Writing Compelling Fantasy Antagonists: The Art of Creating Multidimensional Villains,” highlighted the importance of complex villains to keep readers engaged. A great villain makes the hero work for it, helps them grow, and keeps things exciting, especially in good vs. evil stories.

Consider the Harry Potter series: Harry's ultimate adversary is Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Voldemort (Although one could debate how a teenager could defeat such an intelligent and experienced man). Now imagine what would have happened if a less threatening character, such as Gilderoy Lockhart, had been the main villain instead. Lockhart’s lack of competence and depth would have diluted the conflict. He would not have elicited the same level of emotional involvement from the reader.

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. Yet her passion for worldbuilding is infectious, so I never get bored.

Wrap up

ProWritingAid's "Fantasy Writer's Week" focuses on helping fantasy authors improve their worldbuilding, storytelling, and book marketing. Consequently, most sessions and workshops center on these issues.

Unfortunately, I missed some sessions with other authors discussing their writing processes, experiences, and novels. Hearing about other authors’ ups and downs builds community and gives helpful tips. I hope they do more sessions like that in the future.