40 Books In: What I Wish I Knew at the Start

In the exciting landscape of modern fantasy fiction, the role of fantasy creatures stands as a cornerstone of imagination and storytelling.

From the majestic dragons of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire to the decades of adoration for J.R.R. Tolkien's hobbits, these creatures serve as more than mere embellishments to the worlds they inhabit. They function as essential conduits for exploring complex themes, reflecting societal values, and igniting the imagination of readers.

The Freewrite team is full of fantasy readers (and writers!) so we wanted to unravel the trick to creating dynamic fantasy creatures that leave an impact on both the narratives they inhabit — and the audiences they enchant.

To delve into it, we spoke with E.K. Wiggins, a fantasy author, webtoon creator, and Freewriter writing about dragons in sunny Southern California...

Why do you think people are drawn to fantasy and, in particular, fantastical creatures?

I think it's simple: People want to escape reality and delve into worlds and stories that allow their imagination to run wild. The fact that fantasy (whether written, filmed, or drawn) is such a large part of today's culture means that anyone can find something that attracts them. Everyone can find something that transports them to wonderful worlds and takes their eyes — and minds — off life for a moment.

The same goes for fantasy creatures — the rules are boundless, new monsters are created all the time, and the old familiar ones remain classic.

People love believing in fantasy creatures because they’re not ordinary — they’re unique and unforgettable. And new fantasy keeps the genre fresh and thriving.

That's how I feel. For years, I could only write nonfiction for school. Why write nonfiction when we live in reality?

What's the most influential fantasy creature, in your opinion?

Dragons, hands down.

They’re so prominent in fantasy culture of decades past, yet they’re never boring because they’re constantly being recreated in original ways. With popular productions like House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, for example, these reptiles aren’t going away anytime soon (if ever!).

I think I’m mainly drawn to them because of how much you, as an artist or writer, can reinvent them while they still remain familiar.

And I love how many real-world legends describe and depict encounters with these beasts! There are even passages of Biblical scripture that describe dragons or dragon-like creatures. All of that adds a history and realism to dragons that other creatures can’t quite claim.

How has the dragon been depicted throughout history?

Dragons were common in written tales and verbal legends during the Renaissance period. In Europe (and the West) dragons were considered ruthless murderers and savage guardians of their possessions, taking exuberant control over their innocent prey and dealing harshly with the rebellious!

Many of these tales were of mighty warriors facing off against these brute monsters (e.g. the Beowulf manuscripts).

Conversely, in some Asian cultures, including China, dragons were seen as signs of luck and blessing. They often wielded powers used to benefit the human race and sometimes communicated with people. They were far more benevolent and kind than their Western counterparts!

The Beowulf manuscripts and the Bible depict and speak of dragons directly. Beowulf’s scaly opponent and Satan (depicted in the book of Revelation as a fiery red dragon with seven heads and ten horns!) are both historical examples of dragons written in text. Many more exist, as well as writings about wyrms and other dragon-like creatures.

Some fantasy creatures have cultural roots. How do you navigate those roots while creating something completely new?

Generally, if I create an original character that has a historical or cultural background, I immediately ask myself if anything about my character contradicts the creature’s roots. If it does, I ask myself if I supplied or created a solid backstory for the character that can "override" that history or is strong enough to be a worthy, sensical alternative.

It also depends on the culture and if I wanted to showcase it. In my opinion, this is sort of a "gray area" that could be endlessly debated…

I don’t think its the author’s duty to always pay homage to a character’s roots, unless it’s essential to understanding the story, is required for the plot, or if the author wants to honor the culture it came from.

There have been many times that creatures have been used in literature without any sort of acknowledgement to their origins, simply because there wasn’t enough time to incorporate it, or it wasn't relevant to the current story. It really depends on what the writer is writing and how the character is being used.

How do you create creatures that are believable when they are, by definition, completely unreal?

I begin by deciding what the creature is, in the most barebones way possible. Is it going to be a wyrm? Is it maybe an elf? Is it a dragon? Figure out what your foundation is and then build off of it.

Next, visualize what the creature looks like, how its body is shaped, what unique features it has, and what its face would look like if you stared right into its eyes. Once I’ve visualized it, I’ll usually draw a sketch to solidify the creature’s design.

But don't just write or draw your fantasy creatures (or any sort of characters!) — envision them.

Anyone can take a mental picture of a fantasy creature and write a description of it (like an overweight bridge troll or a talking tabby cat). As writers, our job is not to simply write out a character study for the reader. A writer’s job is to make the creature real.

In order to do that, you have to know how the creature feels, thinks, and interacts. It has to have a personality. I start by imagining this creature’s demeanor, attitude, and character traits.

Ask yourself how they would react to you, your emotions, and your personality — and how their personality would complement or crash with yours. Imagine spending a day to get to know them! Or pretend to interview them.

In other words: it’s not always about what the creature is and how it looks, but who they are!

I guess the true trick to creating awesome, seemingly real creatures is pretty easy: pretend they’re real.

What are you working on right now?

I’m currently working on several different projects, including my first young adult dystopian sci-fi The Exodus Chronicles. This is the first novel I wrote entirely on my Traveler!

Traveler is my go-to. From the car to the folding tray on an airplane, Traveler has literally traveled with me everywhere! I’ve written one and a half manuscripts (almost 140,000 words) on it!

My second project is writing and overseeing the production of my webtoon, “Neko-Neko is a Cat Doll!” Writing a webtoon is very interesting because you have to visualize all the characters, emotions, scenes, and dialogue in every panel concisely (almost like the director of a movie).

My final project is writing the second book in my YA fantasy series Dragod Origins, which I published in December 2023. My world-building for the book took over five years alone, and writing the book took three.

Writing is my diehard hobby, and I aspire to be a hybrid novelist (both traditionally and self-publishing my books) and a serialized webtoon/manga writer.

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E.K. Wiggins is a fantasy and webtoon author living and working in sunny San Juan Capistrano, California. His love of fantasy creatures — especially dragons — inspired him to create the original storyline and drawings for a series called Dragon Quest, which eventually lead to the inception of the first Dragod Origins book, released in 2023.

When not writing, he loves biking, listening to music, and playing the piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, ukulele, melodica, and concertina accordion.

Learn more about E.K.'s fantasy universe at his website or follow his indie imprint, Shadow Beast Publishing, on Instagram or Facebook. You can also sign up for his monthly email newsletter here.

By Benjamin Westland

We've all been there — staring at a blank document, not knowing where or how to start.

Ideas bounce around in my head all day long, but as soon as I sit down in front of my draft, they just won't come out because I can't decide on one of the many things in my head.

Embrace randomness as a creative partner and you'll find that, with the right approach and attitude, that uncertainty is an opportunity for exciting twists and fresh ideas in your writing.

I want to show you a tool that has helped me find a way out of these blocked situations and also improve as a writer. All you need are three six-sided dice and some paper. (Of course, if you’re on the move and don’t have any dice with you, any dice-rolling app on your phone will work.)

Writing with dice can help you make unexpected choices in your writing process that can take your creativity in new directions.

Remember, you don't have to write the perfect story in your first draft. It's about capturing ideas before they're gone. So let go of perfectionism and enjoy the creative process.

Meet The Oracle

This approach is based on the idea that we can ask an “oracle” our questions to steer our writing in interesting and inspiring directions. Just as our friends or partners sometimes offer to do when bribed with coffee and cake. In this instance, however, the oracle is the dice.

The dice take on the role of the oracle, answering our questions and relieving us of the burden of thinking too long about a decision.

“But what questions should I ask, and what do I gain from a generic yes/no answer?” you may ask.

The short answer is: it depends…

It depends on the context in which you ask the questions.

It could be anything from the genre, basic considerations about how you want to tell the story, the characters involved, or the tropes and ideas you want to incorporate. Maybe even the different storylines and how they develop.

All of this is the context in which we make narrative decisions. In this exercise, it’s what will inspire our questions.

When you want to know where the story might go based on what you already know, ask the oracle. Don’t overthink it. Instead, introduce chance and see what the oracle says. You never know when the story will take you in new directions.

How do I know what the oracle says…?

The general idea is quite simple: you formulate a question that can be answered yes or no, and roll the three six-sided dice. The oracle will answer with the results you see in the table below.

Add up the numbers on the dice and look up the oracle’s answer in the table.

In addition to clear yes/no answers, the Oracle can also give us more nuanced answers: a weakened form (10,11) and an intensified version (3-4, 17-18). 

Furthermore, if you have extra context from the story to add to the question, apply the modifiers in the below table to the sum of your dice.

Confusing? Let’s see how it works in writing a scene:

My Question: Is it raining when Isabel leaves the café? (It’s unlikely, it’s a hot day in the story.)

Result: The three dice show: 4, 4, 3 to equal 11. I subtract 1 for “unlikely.” My final answer is 10. (No, but…) 

This simple question alone created a better atmosphere in the scene — and it also gave me some ideas for a later scene in which the approaching summer storm influences the rest of the story.

Let's have a look at a longer example: how I use the oracle at the very start of drafting a story.

All I have prepared for this is the dice, my Freewrite, a stack of blank index cards, and a small hourglass.

I use the index cards for lists of things that are relevant to my ideas, sometimes prepared, sometimes made up as I write to let the dice make a decision. One of the lists I created before the first session was a collection of interesting genres that I liked for my next story.

I randomly drew three themes from that list: Victorian, Supernatural, and Soldier.

I already liked this combination, and the first ideas didn’t take long to come. I asked some oracle questions ("Is this set in Victorian times?”, “Is it a haunted house?”, etc.) to help me figure out the basic setting. What I learn is that we are not in Victorian times, but the story takes place in a Victorian villa that is said to be haunted. The villa has been converted into a hotel and has attracted many tourists since the bloody history of the house became known on the internet.

With a few more questions, I learn that the protagonists are guests at the hotel. One of the protagonists has been trying unsuccessfully for years to become famous as an influencer of supernatural phenomena — with little success. He has his best friend with him, who has just finished his studies and has been persuaded to go on a trip. He doesn't believe in ghosts.

That's enough information for me to work with for the setting. I take notes on an index card and ask the oracle where to start. Turns out the two friends have just arrived by train and are making their way through the old town to the villa.

I turn the hourglass and start to write.

The sand runs out as the two protagonists navigate through the hustle and bustle of the town and get lost in the maze of winding streets. The hourglass tells me it's time to interrupt my writing with a random event. I use a combination of oracle questions and spontaneous lists of possibilities that come to mind. Again, I let the dice decide which option to choose.

I find that my protagonists are approached by a merchant and lured into his shop. There, they discover an old object that seems to magically attract them. Cool! The scene has gained a bit more flavor thanks to this visit. I also wonder what the object has to do with anything. I turn the hourglass again and keep writing to find out.

The dance between predictability and spontaneity is fascinating, and I hope this has given you a small, helpful insight into the oracle approach.

My recommendation is to choose an existing project first and use the oracle at specific points in the writing process. The advantage to this is that you will already know more about the context, and it may be easier to make your first lists of ideas or to know when or how to ask the oracle questions.

If you prefer to start from scratch, take a writing prompt of your choice and brainstorm with the oracle to find a starting point for the first scene.

Happy writing!

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Ben Westland is a freelance ghostwriter, editor, and author of interactive fiction, bringing a diverse background in computer science, product development, and organizational change. Ben holds a doctoral degree and has authored two scholarly works on knowledge management, as well as various interactive narratives that employ storytelling to enhance organizational training.

Ben is one of the editors of inspiration.garden, an inspirational creativity magazine, and has recently launched storyhaven.online to publish his serial fiction as he explores new narrative forms.

Having lived and researched in Spain and Japan, Ben now draws on his experience to create immersive stories and help others find their creative voice.