Fantasy Writing Inspiration: 5 Places My Story Ideas Come from While Drafting

The drafting phase of writing, where I am at in my fantasy project at the time of writing this post, is very fertile soil for story ideas to grow and new inspiration for the book to emerge. I’ve come to learn that while I do my due diligence in prewriting, it isn’t until I’m drafting that all the elements of the story present themselves to my mind in a clearer structure. 

The drafting phase is magical. Prewriting is full of expectations and brainstorming, but drafting is where I learn if an idea is feasible, practical, or even how I truly want to tell the story to readers. 

Therefore, this post is about where I get fantasy inspiration story ideas during my drafting phase, and how they often expand upon the plans I crafted during the prewriting phase of novel writing. 

1. Animals

I didn’t grow up around a lot of animals. I never had a childhood dog or cat or rabbit, and yet I always loved animals from afar. I especially loved learning about forest dwellers and the great animals in Africa. Like most children, I was enamored by books with photographs of wild animals living their best lives in their natural habitats. 

That childhood curiosity has turned into story inspiration. For my fantasy series, I plan to use animals we know and also fantastical animals from my own imagination that are inspired by real-life animals. I research animals facts to enrich my own story’s fauna. Wildlife is truly incredible, and there are so many story ideas to be had from simply a pedestrian curiosity into animals and their habits, strengths, and weaknesses. 

While drafting, I began with a certain idea for one of my mystical animal creations, but after the first draft I decided it wasn’t right. Then I saw a video of a well-known animal in Africa and inspiration struck. After continued research into the species that lives in Africa, the Middle East, and India, I found better descriptions for this imagined beast which I’ll input into my second draft. 

2. Political Conspiracies 

This is a big one, and an area of fantasy writing inspiration which I’ve only recently recognized. 

Politics is a screwed up minefield, making it the perfect place for gleaning story fodder. I try to stay informed in certain political news which interests me or affects me so I can be a responsible voting citizen, but I also do it for great story ideas. 

In this fantasy book I’m writing, politics between nations will be a significant player for plot. I’m writing about four nations on the same continent that have their own goals and interests, and as we know, power and money often corrupts. It’s the tale as old as time. Because that is so, politics and conspiracies, true or false, will always be relevant in books. (Next time you’re reading the news, maybe a story idea will pop out at you.)

As I draft, I get to know my characters better which then informs the realistic direction of my plotlines and scene logistics. This, in tandem with the ever-changing news cycle, inspires the political conspiracies I’ve already dreamed up to expand to a greater scope. 

3. Nature. Herbs. Scenery. 

I’ve never truly camped in my life. I didn’t grow up in a nature-focused family. I think long hikes are a great idea…for other people. (Of course, maybe one day I’ll become the most avid hiker…maybe). 

But despite my lack of firsthand experience with nature, it’s a great source of inspiration for my fantasy series. First, of course, is scenery. Great fantasy books have remarkable sceneries that make us readers long to travel to them. So when I come across a beautiful photograph or painting of a landscape, I save it on my phone, computer, or Pinterest board for scenery inspiration. 

If you’ve followed my story for a long time, you know I had hip surgeries as a teenager and ever since then have been physically challenged in a few areas, one of those being hiking on uneven terrain (though maybe I could do it if I trained up for a hike for a few months). Because of this, photos of grand overlooks and plains are my portals. 

To be fair to myself, though, not all my scenery inspiration comes from photographs. I live near enough to the ocean and mountains that I take road trips up there every so often, and those drives are inspiration for my soul. When I travel to other states or abroad, that scenery also forever makes an impression on my imagination.

Nature continually shapes and refines my descriptions, but I often don’t know where I need the refining until I have drafted. 

I mentioned herbs in the heading, so I should elaborate. I find the medicinal properties of herbs and plants fascinating. In my opinion, natural remedies are so often overlooked. These small plants have amazing powers when used in tinctures, infusions, capsules, and what not. 

I’m planning to lean heavily into herbology as the basis of at least one of my medical systems in my fantasy book. So as I draft, new ideas for which herbs and what methods of delivery I could use come upon me and spur me back into research. 

4. History

There are events I learned about in school that have lived rent free in my mind ever since. Historical events that took place during times like the French Revolution, World War I, or ancient civilizations that to this day subtly give me story ideas. 

Historical accounts are even ripe for picking out fantasy inspiration for writing. You can choose an event in history that captured your attention and allow it to influence your fantastical world’s plot. I have one particular historical event in mind that is influencing an aspect of my plot, but I fear to say it just yet as it will give too much away without enough context. (I can say one thing for certain though: I do not foresee myself ever writing historical fiction.)

As I draft, I try to be aware of how that inspiration is used and adapts to my book. Like I showed with animals above, sometimes I think I know how the story is going to play out before I draft, only to discover the inspiration has taken me in another direction. 

5. Personal Experiences & Questions

I’ve discovered that my book themes can be tied to questions of “being human.” Take my espionage thriller book, which deals with the theme of navigating personal betrayals, and compare it with this fantasy project’s theme, one of them, that explores the idea of choosing the path one believes is “right” even when it requires self-sacrifice. Two different topics, but both relatable and relevant human experiences everyone has probably faced, or will soon, in their own lives.

Themes are usually like that. They explore some aspect of human existence in this messed up world. It’s what adds weight and meaning to fictitious works. 

Where I get the inspiration for my themes are from my own life experiences or the existential questions I’ve wrestled with. And somewhere in there is usually a discussion about where the lines of morality fall. So many of my themes have been developed in the recesses of my mind or in the pages of my journals. 

But the true test of my theme ideas comes in drafting and rewriting. I have an idea of what themes I will highlight after prewriting, but I do not know what the final focus of the book will be. What theme will outshine all subthemes? I have no idea. I’ll know after it’s been written. As I’ve shown numerous times in this post, drafting shapes my fantasy book, giving me inspiration to look in new or forgotten directions as I’m writing.

Which area of fantasy inspiration do you find to be the most intriguing in novel writing? Reply below. 

You can always keep updated on the Sacred Wolves project on my book page here. 

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