How to Make Sure Your Fantasy World Makes Sense

Welcome back to Ask Rachel, a blog column dedicated to answering your writing questions. Send your questions to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in upcoming blog posts!

This week’s student writes:

Dear Rachel,

I’m writing a fantasy novel, but I’m struggling with making it feel real. I want my world to feel immersive and believable, but I also don’t want to lose the wonder and excitement of fantasy. How do I keep things grounded while still making the story feel magical?

(Anonymous)

Great question! Finding the perfect balance between fantasy and realism is what makes a world truly come alive. Readers want to be transported to an exciting, magical place—but they also want to connect with the story on a deeper level. If the world feels too far removed from reality, it can be hard to stay emotionally invested. If it’s too grounded, it might lose that spark of wonder that makes fantasy so compelling.

If you haven’t grabbed The Ultimate Worldbuilding Manual yet, it’s packed with tools to help you craft a rich, immersive world—grab your copy here before you dive back into writing!

Now, let’s break down exactly how to balance fantasy and realism in your storytelling.

While I love it when a fantasy narrative takes a turn towards the weird, sometimes worldbuilding can go a little too off the rails. When this happens, it can alienate your reader and throw them into a realm of uncertainty, which quickly becomes the real of DNF (did not finish, if you're not into the lingo). So - how can you make sure you create something unique and awesome, without confusing your reader to the point they put the book back on the shelf? The secret, my friend, is like everything else in life: you must strike a balance between fantastical elements and realism. 

One of the greatest challenges in fantasy writing is finding that perfect balance. While the allure of magic and mythical creatures is what draws readers to the genre, grounding your story in a sense of reality is what keeps them engaged and invested. If you’re struggling to strike this balance, you’re not alone. Here are some tips to help you create a believable yet magical world that will captivate your readers.

Establish Clear Rules for Your Fantasy Elements

As a writer, I hate rules. Any time anyone tells me that I have to write a certain word count, or use certain elements, or give me any type of writing restrictions at all, I get angry - like throw chairs around the kitchen angry. So I know how much it stinks to be told that there have to be rules in your writing. Hear me out, though: rules are what make your story stand out. 

Anyone can break rules. I do it, you do it, Shakespeare did it - some rules are meant to be broken. But it takes a more skilled writer to create a set of rules and actually stick to them. 

I use this example a lot, but think of a recent blockbuster movie or book you've read that contained super-high-stakes battles. Did you feel at all concerned about the battle? Or the plight of the characters? If you didn't, it's probably because the writer didn't respect the rules of their own world. Because of this, you don't respect them either - and when you don't respect the rules, you probably don't worry when an "impossible" situation arises (because you've been shown that nothing is actually impossible). Although it may be fun to have epic-fantasy-showdowns, having rules, and then real-life consequences to those rules, will increase the integrity in your storytelling and ultimately increase the depth of your worldbuilding.

Even in a world where anything is possible, there need to be rules. Establishing a clear set of guidelines for how magic works, what creatures exist, and how your world operates can help maintain consistency. This doesn't mean you have to explain everything, but knowing the limits and possibilities within your world can prevent plot holes and enhance believability.

Anchor Your World in Relatable Human Experiences

I love the fantastical - I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't specialize in writing fantastical stories. However, a touch of realism in fantasy reduces the risk of alienating your reader and shows them that you understand who they are and what they want. Even if your subscribe to the write only for yourself ideology (I do, so it's okay) showing your readers that you at least know they exist will keep them coming back. 

Say what you will about Harry Potter, but this is something that J. K. Rowling mastered when she launched us into a world of witches and wizards. By grounding the beginning and the end of every installment of her series in a world we, the reader, recognize, she established trust with us just enough to lead us into the unknown. Because she showed me something I could understand in the first few chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I felt comfortable exploring the world she presented afterwards. 

To balance your fantasy elements with realism, it's a good idea to have your own "muggle" concept: something familiar, something normal, and something that humanizes an otherwise strange world to your audience. Treat your reader like a skittish cat: lovely, adorable, loyal - but needing to be won over before we take them on a wild ride.

At its core, every great story is about characters and their journeys. Focus on relatable human emotions and experiences. Whether your characters are dealing with love, loss, ambition, or fear, these universal themes can ground your story. When readers see themselves in your characters, even the most fantastical elements will feel more real.

Create Logical Consequences for Fantasy Elements

Remember the rules we discussed earlier in this blog post? This is where the rules you've created really pay off. A great example of rules and logical consequences for our fantasy elements can be found in Christopher Paolini's Eragon. It's been an age since I've read the series, an in complete honesty I didn't like it. Why didn't I like it? Because of the exact thing I'm about to preach to you: the consequences in the story were real. 

When characters use magic in Paolini's world, they have to give up something to exercise it (their own energy, power, life-force, whatever you want to call it). Magic is costly and so is using magic incorrectly. So although I didn't like it, I recognized the importance of what Paolini did and why - and that stuck with me, even after a decade (it's really been that long, yikes!). 

Have your characters break rules - but remind your audience why those rules exist. Characters that use too much magic, in this instance, should come close to death (or whatever the situation requires). If something is stated over and over again in your narrative as being a rule, don't let your character break it without some serious damage. 

On that note, an example of where this is done poorly is (cue the internal crying) Star Wars. Like any Star Wars movie. And before you drag me through the mud on this one, I'll have you know I'm probably one of biggest Star Wars fans this side of the fantasy realm - but even I have to be truthful with myself and say that the rules in this universe SUCK. 

S-U-C-K.

There are no rules for using the force (space magic) and no consequences for when things go over the top. People die and don't stay dead. Things are flipped around and changed and forgotten and re-written and it just boggles my mind how anyone over at Disney approves of these things with even a shred of integrity, because no storyteller worth their salt can honestly publish this mess with a straight face. 

So - master the art of cult following like Star Wars. But leave their sucky rule-breaking behind. 

Every action should have a consequence, and this is especially true for fantastical elements. If magic exists, consider its impact on society, politics, and daily life. How does it shape the economy? What are the ethical implications? By exploring the logical consequences of your fantasy elements, you can add depth and realism to your world.

Use Sensory Details to Bring Your World to Life

Engage your readers’ senses by incorporating vivid descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. Sensory details can make your world feel more immediate and real. Describe the feel of a dragon’s scales, the smell of a potion, or the taste of an enchanted fruit. These small touches can immerse readers in your world.

A theme of this blog post and, hopefully, the rest of the blog, is that using known elements to introduce the unknown will keep your reader grounded in what they know (interested) and build enough credibility with you, the author, to trust you to take them into the unknown. You're probably tired of me telling you this but sometimes it takes multiple tries to get the point across. 

I used the example of the scaly cat in a previous blog post, but I'm going to be a complete hypocrite and give you the opposite advice here. That being: before you go too off the rails with the weird, make sure there is at least something familiar I, the reader, can clearly visualize. If you start your narrative with a scaly cat, then have a fluffy one come along at some point just so I can get a sense of what is normal within the world and not be completed scared away. 

Maintain Internal Consistency

I'm going to harp on this one again, but here it is: Consistency is key to believability. Once you establish the rules and nature of your fantasy elements, stick to them. If characters can fly using a particular spell, ensure that spell works the same way every time. Inconsistencies can pull readers out of the story and undermine the reality you’re trying to create.

While you definitely can have characters that break the rules, act out of character, or surprise your audience (and you should), these things usually happen in the setup of the story - rarely in the moment. The setup is what allows you to "break the rules" without actually breaking the narrative, and that will keep you looking credible in the eyes of your reader. 

Although breaking the rules may look like it's inconsistent, when you have consistency in the type of narrative you're writing, breaking the rules this way will actually be a welcome and consistent surprise. For example - in  A Peculiar Peril, by Jeff Vandermeer, I fully expected every strange thing to happen in that book, but only because Vandermeer set it up that way. This book is delightfully strange and wild, and when I gave it to my mother to read, she promptly returned it back to me because it was "too weird" (no worries, I just think it wasn't her cup of tea). The only reason I held onto the story with my little ADHD brain, however, was because in the very first chapter, several events unfold that basically tell you, expect this story to be a weird one. Trust nothing. 

So - when the rest of the plot unfolded and the huge, cataclysmic ending took place, I was not only ready for it but thrilled when it showed up. Even if the story isn't your cup of tea, this is a masterful example of how consistency is maintained in a fantasy narrative, balancing the realism of the piece (and when you read it, you'll balk that this is the one I went with) without losing the fantastic elements we all hold so dear. 

Develop a Rich Backstory

A well-developed backstory can add layers of depth and realism to your fantasy world. Consider the history, mythology, and lore of your setting. What major events shaped the world? What legends do the inhabitants believe in? A rich backstory can provide context for your characters’ actions and the state of the world.

Now - before you roll your eyes at me and say, this is so stinkin' obvious, why did you even bother writing it? There is another point that must be made: while rich backstories are fun and easy to develop, an often missed aspect of said backstories are the tiny ways they are expressed through the characters and the world itself. When we know each little detail of the characters and worlds we create, even if those details are never expressly stated in the narrative, they somehow work their way out as inferences - which is powerful (and makes you look really heckin' smart!)

A writing coach I used to know once gave me an exercise, and now I'll give it to you: make a list of ten secrets about your characters and world that the no one will ever know. Not just any secrets, either - these need to be juicy, life-changing secrets that, if they got out, will change everything. Now, go write your book and try your best to keep your secrets to yourself. 

I promise you, you won't be able to - and you'll find yourself with a backstory unlike all the rest. 

What's Next?

If you're struggling with any part of the writing process, or if you're looking to dig even deeper into your novel, then there's something you need to grab. It's called The Ultimate Worldbuilding Manual, and it walks you through each part of worldbuilding, to an extensive degree. 

Here's exactly what's inside: 

• Geography, Weather, and Landscapes: Shape your world’s physical environment, from towering mountains and vast oceans to unpredictable weather patterns and unique biomes.
• Political Systems, Hierarchies, and Power Structures: Define the ruling systems of your world, whether monarchies, democracies, or shadowy organizations controlling everything behind the scenes.
• Societies and Cultures (Belief Systems, Traditions, Languages): Develop deep and immersive cultures, complete with traditions, languages, and belief systems that shape everyday life.
• Technology or Magic Systems: Determine whether your world thrives on cutting-edge technology, intricate magic, or a fusion of both, ensuring internal logic and balance.
• Economics and Trade Worksheet: Create a functional economy, from currency and trade routes to resource distribution and black markets.
• Magic System Builder: Craft a compelling and balanced magic system with clear rules, costs, and limitations to keep it engaging and believable.
• History & Mythology Builder (Bonus): Build a rich historical and mythological backdrop, from ancient wars to divine interventions, that shapes the present world.
• Flora & Fauna Guide (Bonus): Develop unique ecosystems, complete with plants, animals, and mythical creatures that feel authentic to your world’s climate and geography.
• Cultural Aesthetics & Architecture Guide (Bonus): Define the artistic and architectural styles of different civilizations, making cities and settlements feel visually distinct and immersive.
• Laws, Justice & Crime Systems (Bonus): Establish the legal systems of your world, detailing crime, punishment, law enforcement, and underground organizations.
• Religion & Spirituality Workbook (Bonus): Create belief systems, gods, rituals, and religious conflicts that shape morality, traditions, and societal norms.

If you've worked with any of my guides before, then you probably know about my question-and-answer method. This is the method I use for all of my writing projects, and the key piece that works so well is that it asks open ended questions to spark your creativity - 

Meaning that it works well for every project, regardless of genre, style, or even if you've used the guide before. 

(So you can use this over and over and over). 

Click here to take the next step on your book writing journey. I'm cheering for you! 

Happy Writing! 

Rachel