The 5 Questions Every Fantasy Writer Avoids (And Why Answering Them Changes Everything)

The Problem No One Talks About

You have a fantasy world in your head.

It’s vivid. It’s alive. You see the characters, the landscapes, the magic crackling in the air.

Then you sit down to write.

And something breaks.

The villain feels flat. The world feels empty. The magic system has no rules. The plot goes nowhere.

You’re not alone. Every fantasy writer hits this wall. The difference between a story that dies in a notebook and one that lives on a reader’s shelf? The questions you ask before you write.

The Questions That Separate Good Stories From Great Ones

I’ve been writing fantasy for years. I’ve built worlds, killed characters, resurrected them, and learned the hard way what works.

Here are the 5 questions I now ask before starting any project. I didn’t invent them. I learned them by failing.

1. What Does Your Character Want More Than Anything?

Not “save the world.” That’s the plot.

What do they want selfishly? Recognition? Revenge? To be left alone?

The best characters want something specific, small, and deeply personal. The plot then forces them to chase something much bigger.

Without this question answered first? You get a hero who feels like a robot following instructions.

2. Why Is Your Villain Right?

The best villains don’t think they’re evil. They think they’re the only ones willing to do what’s necessary.

Ask yourself: if you were in your villain’s position, with their history, their wounds, their beliefs — would you do the same thing?

If the answer is no, your villain is a cartoon. If the answer is “I don’t know, maybe,” you’re on the right track.

3. What Does Your World Cost?

Magic has a price. Power has a price. The old castle on the hill has a price.

Too many fantasy worlds feel like theme parks. Free magic. Free healing. Free heroics.

The real question: what breaks? Who pays? What can never be fixed?

The cost is what makes the world feel real.

4. What Is Your Story Really About?

On the surface, your plot might be “a young warrior defeats a dark lord.”

But underneath? What’s the real story?

A daughter trying to escape her father’s shadow?
A man learning to trust again after betrayal?
A society that burns its best people because they’re different?

If you don’t know the real story, your readers will feel it. They’ll close the book and say “it was fine.” But they won’t remember it.

5. What Happens When Your Hero Fails?

Most stories skip this. The hero loses a battle, then immediately wins the war.

But failure — real failure — is where readers fall in love.

What does your hero lose permanently? A friend? An ability? Their faith in everything they believed?

The deeper the failure, the sweeter the victory.

Why I Built This

I got tired of asking these questions in my head.

I wanted a system. Something I could print, fill out, and keep on my desk. Something that forced me to answer the hard questions before I wasted months writing a story that didn’t work.

So I built one.

It’s 5 worksheets. One for each of these questions — plus more.

Character
Villain
World
Plot
Magic System

No fluff. No filler. Just the questions that matter.

What’s Inside

I’m not going to spoil the worksheets. That’s the point.

But here’s what each one does:

Character Worksheet — Builds someone flawed, strong, and unforgettable. Core profile, emotional core, powers, moral compass, voice.

Villain Worksheet — Turns your antagonist into someone your readers will love to hate. Origin, psychology, defeat condition.

World Worksheet — Creates a world that feels lived-in. Geography, politics, history, daily life, technology.

Plot Worksheet — Structures your story so it doesn’t fall apart in the middle. 3-act breakdown, theme, plot checklist.

Magic System Worksheet — Gives your magic rules, costs, and limitations. Because magic without rules is just random.

Each worksheet is 2 pages. You can print them or fill them digitally. I designed them for writers, D&D players, game masters — anyone who builds worlds.

The Honest Truth

These worksheets won’t write your story for you.

They won’t fix a bad idea or save a project that isn’t working.

But they will force you to ask the questions you’re avoiding. And that’s where great stories come from.

Where to Get It

If you’re tired of staring at a blank page, unsure where to start, I made this for you.

The Fantasy Creator’s Worksheet Pack is $9.99.

You get 5 worksheets. 10 pages. Printable. Yours forever.

No subscription. No login. Just the tools.

👉 Get it here

One Last Thing

The next time you sit down to write, ask yourself:

What question am I avoiding?

Answer that one first. Everything else gets easier.