Hey fantasy writers! The fantasy genre will forever be booming and it’s fun to write about! My personal favorite is fantasy romance.

Writing fantasy can get overwhelming, to say the least. From world-building to creating unique names. There’s a lot to unpack. You can’t always google a question about your world, you have to create it right from that big ol noggin of yours.

Let’s dive into some helpful tools you can utilize while writing your fantasy book!

1. Writing and Drafting Tools

Scrivener– get a 30-day free trial. Scrivner offers great character and world-building templates making it a great choice for the complexities of writing a fantasy novel. Scrivner also has organizational tools that allow writers to break their work into sections, such as chapters and scenes.

Google Docs- This is what I’m currently using for my book. It’s pretty basic but it’s free!

Microsoft Word- Also free.

Reedsy – I saved the best for last! You can make a free account with Reedsy to easily write and format your book from the start. I’m thinking of switching to Reedsy for the organization features and most importantly, it’s free!

World-Building Tools

The fun part! oh, how I love world-building in all of its overwhelming frustrating glory…

• World Anvil– World Anvil is an all-in-one writing tool and world-building tool for fantasy writers! I believe it’s free as well, but don’t quote me on that. I’m going to be joining the platform when I start writing my next project!
• Campfire– Campfire comes jam-packed, you can write your book, use world-building tools, and even publish your book directly through campfire.
• Notebook.ai – An AI-powered world-building tool that is easy to navigate and that allows you to create anything from food, towns, religions, technologies, and many more within your world!

3. Character Development Tools

Most of the programs I listed above have some sort of character creation included but there are a few other options as well.

Artbreeder– Artbreeder is a website that allows you to make a character from scratch. This is such a helpful tool that brings your characters to life. For all kinds of writers and genres! Check it out.

Character-building workbooks- Find some workbooks online you can utilize to help create and organize your characters.

Pinterest- Create boards from pictures on Pinterest to set the mood for your characters and your book as a whole. When I need inspiration for my book I head to interest to get my head back in the game.

Research and Reference Tools

Doing your research is super important, especially if your book has historical elements to it. make sure you get accurate information by using reliable sources such as:

• Google Scholar
  • Access to academic papers for inspiration and factual accuracy.
• Wikipedia and Online Encyclopedias
  • Resource for historical and mythological references.

5. Editing and Proofreading Tools

• Grammarly
  • Features for grammar checking and style suggestions.
• ProWritingAid
  • In-depth reports on writing style and readability.
• Hemingway Editor
  • Simplifying complex sentences for clarity.

6. Publishing and Marketing Tools

• Reedsy
  • Overview of self-publishing resources and professional editing services.
• Canva
  • Used as a tool for creating Book Covers
• Social Media – Think of places like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
• Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing– You can publish your book through Amazon KDP but there are a few things to consider when choosing where to publish.
• How to self-publish your book guide– If you’re wondering how self-publishing works, here is a helpful guide.

Truth is…

The truth is that you don’t really NEED any of these tools but they sure do come in handy! It’s hard to create something from nothing and these tools help you bring your writing to life by giving you visuals to go off of. It’s easier to write about something you can see.

I hope you found this list helpful, hell, I even found some helpful resources while I was researching for this post.

Happy writing!

If you found this blog post helpful please feel free to comment or share! Thanks for reading.

-The Writer’s Ritual