r/fantasywriters

Working on a sci-fi universe (novel finished, trailer in progress) and wanted to run the core technology past people who think seriously about this stuff, separate from the plot.

The starting point: a scientist named Apar builds nanobots that enter the bloodstream and carry out a genetic "instruction." In my novels, I have tried and used 4 versions of these bots.

Version 1. Instant healing, repairing damaged tissue, fatal wounds gone in seconds.

Version 2. Healing upgraded to fixing genetic defects and DNA repair. Built to fix, not to change.

From there the same tech splits into two very different directions, and this is really what I want to ask about:

Version 3. Forward-push evolution. Instead of repairing an organism back to normal, push it past its natural limits. Accelerate mutation, strength, adaptation, indefinitely. Take a species that missed its evolutionary window, and push it into becoming the apex predator of its own lineage.

Version 4. Reverse evolution. Instead of moving forward, wind an organism's code backward. Undo evolutionary changes, resurface traits and forms that a species left behind millions of years ago.

In the story, someone with real power gets hold of an early version and wants to use the forward-push side on humans directly. The pitch is that it could genuinely end death and disease, permanently, framed as a gift to the species. Apar, who built this to heal people, refuses to let it go there, due to the risks.

I've worked out where that refusal leads in my own plot, but the question I actually want to put to this sub is separate from it: if nanobots like these could enter the bloodstream and rewrite genetics by unlocking dormant pathways, where does that actually end? What's the real range of what something like this could do and what would stop it?

I'm writing a short story about a world where, when something really bad happens to someone, there's a slight chance they'll turn into a Terror, a monster that's a twisted version of a human. This phenomenon is pretty rare and only started recently, so people still don't take it seriously. Most of the story is told from the perspective of a man who discovers his wife is cheating on him and becomes a Terror. I want to add a bit from the perspective of the woman who cheated.

To clarify, it would be relatively short, just so the reader can understand, at least partially, her actions (even though she cheated on him, she tries to prevent her husband from becoming a Terror, risking her life in the process). So I thought of presenting only the conversation that convinced the wife to cheat, and later, how she experiences, from her perspective, the husband (that she still loves) becoming a monster because of her.

The idea is that it's a combination of self-sabotage (she doesn't believe she deserves to be with him), the fact that they've been together since high school (she doesn't know who she is without him), and a toxic friend who convinces her to cheat. I have thought about the kinds of arguments a manipulative person might use, but I have a hard time understanding this way of thinking, and as a result, I'm not sure what arguments she could bring to such a situation.

​

This is going to be long I got a few here.

I myself am disabled and know a lot of disability representation in media tends to be lacking. So I'm hoping I've not done that. So here's what I have tried here

Oh - Bit of context for the story, or none of this will make any sense:

14 year old human adopted by aliens. The aliens are a cast based species (think like ants) and come in a wide variety of sizes and body types. They also have a sense that we don't have that acts as a 3d radar which can be widened and shortened at will but different individuals have different sized 'bubbles' of awareness. This essentially let's them 'see' behind them, but not through things.

First I'll discuss our human protagonist. He's disabled both by human standards and by the standards of the people he's living and growing up with. He's on the autism spectrum (like me, though I didn't just copy paste my own 'quirks') and among aliens who average height in the 25ft range and weigh a rough average of 5 tons, naturally he can neither reach, nor lift anything. He also lacks their 'finials' ear like organs on the sides of their heads used in visually communicating emotions, hearing and sensing surroundings. So he's given what in effect looks like a power rangers suit with mobile kitty ears to act as a mobility aid and communication aid. It's only mildly successful in the first one, but very good at the second one.

The second character I'd like to discuss is one of the Aliens. This one is blind, though not completely. And I really want to avoid a Daredevil/Toph comparison here. Even if all 3 effectively have an ability that 'let's them see' I think I've written this fairly well. I bring up the other two specifically because of the amount of complaints I've seen about them. Daredevil especially. The sense ability is something EVERY member of this species has. And it has limited range. They still need to cross check it with their vision in order to double check their surroundings. Being blind absolutely can - and is - incredibly difficult to manage. They do wear glasses Geordi La Forge style. But these really only help in picking out 1 colour and it's faint. Without the glasses, they just detect darkness and light. And their vision is steadily getting worse over time. They will eventually go completely blind. And being 5 tons surrounded by very squishy humans, is anxiety inducing. They were initially injured by an explosion.

Next is a bit of a two-for-one. One of the Aliens has a alien medical condition. Overactive Engine Disorder and it's degenerative because of course. It's unique to the Chaser Caste. Chasers have an organ in their bodies designed, essentially to juice them up and make them "GO-GO-GO!" So they can run down anything they need to. No getting tired. Problems arise if they constantly trigger this system, flooding their bodies with this hormone. And they get stuck in "GO-GO-GO!" Mode. And it comes with a whole host of problems. Immune system compromised, hormonal issues, lack of focus/hyper focus, anemia. And it only gets worse over time until the complications stack and stack. And they eventually don't make it. This species are a bit like horses, they only enter REM sleep for like, an hour a week. Those with O.E.D, just can't. So they need to either risk it with a drug, or risk it with exhaustion (which will only worsen the condition) every time they try to sleep. I say it's a Two-for-one, because there's 2 characters in the story who have this. One is considerably more advanced than the other. Both are constantly like hummingbirds on espresso and the older of the two regularly overheats.

This next one is a quadruple amputee. But using their own cells to regrow limbs (which is a medical procedure though not common, prosthetics would typically be the choice of most medics, but for religious reasons this individual wished to go through limb regrowth) had new limbs grown, then surgically reattached. The process was excruciating and even though it worked, the new limbs ache at the attachment sites. Plus there's the psychological angle of "these aren't the originals"... And the religious trauma as to why they went through with this procedure in the first place. But they didn't come out just 4 limbs intact. They used to fly. Their wings were damaged beyond repair. But because the wings were still there, they elected not to replace them. Naturally this led to some VERY dangerous muscle memory for a while afterwards. And anyone who knew them prior to the incident would (besides the wings) immediately know something awful had happened. They bleached from the trauma. They were initially black and they're white when they first appear in the story. I wanted to really emphasise here the CHOICE of the individual involved. THEY chose the procedure they wanted. Not what was 'simpler' but what they felt was right for them. And especially not what an able-bodied person would assume they'd want. A breif explanation of their religious beliefs since this is already long: they're from a sect that believes the deceased should be intact (or as intact as possible) and buried either where they die or with material from that spot. In order to make it easier for loved ones to better commune with their soul after their death. Regrowing lost limbs, well it's still me so still counts. Essentially the logic here. And it's not everyones logic but it is this characters logic.

Next is just, generally scars and facial differences. 'Hero' 'Villain' doesn't matter so many characters have scars from their varied, hard lives. The alien that adopts our human protagonist has claw marks across their face and it looks grizzly. Doesn't lesson the kind eyes that gaze down at you. From a face 33ft up. It's actually more telling if one of these characters doesn't have a scar of any kind now that I think about it...

Sorry for the wall of text, just wanted to do my due diligence thank you for your time I'll be happy to answer any questions

I'm working on my fantasy story and I need inspiration on how to tackle the action & fight scenes. As someone who's more inspired by manga/comics than prose, I know how I would want the scene illustrated. I can see how I want the characters framed, how their movement is captured, even how the powers look on panel, but I'm struggling with capturing that same energy when it's written out.

Just translating the imagery in my head into words isn't working. It doesn't capture the frenetic pace I'm going for, where someone can parry and counter an attack, then launch a new attack on another person before anyone else can react.

So if you have a favorite action scene, especially if it involves special powers/magic being freely wielded (shonen manga style), I'd love to read it.

I'm still working on the basics, bit this is what I got so far: the princess lives under the cruel reign of her grandfather and when her brother is killed, she is forced into a quick marriage so that there is a male heir. She doesn't like this and makes a plan to join a fighting arena masked, reveal herself when she wins and so proving to the king (a warlord so he values physical prowess) that she's capable of ruling alone. There is also a civil rebellion on the rise who are fed up with the cruel king and send an assassin disguised as a concubine into the palace (who is the eventual love interest) who is supposed to kill the princess. There is also supposed to be a pivotal moment where she's unmasked in the arena too early and the crowd screams for her death and she's trapped in there with a bunch of wild animals or something.

What I still need is a motive for both of them. I thought maybe that she's known for being as cruel and violent or even more so than the king and the rebels is afraid she'll be even worse when she gets power. I could handwave the crowd screaming for her death for the same reason, but why does the owner of the arena allow it? Another factor in the story is a count who killed the princess' father and brother so that his son, who is to marry the princess, is put on the throne.

Hi! This is my first time finding this subreddit so please be kind if I’m asking something that’s been explained a million times that I missed. I have a story in mind where my main character has her voice magically suppressed (her body is magically turned to look human as well.) She’s a mythical creature whose culture is literally entirely about their voice. I want her to spend the majority of the story being non-speaking, where she signs to communicate and uses instruments to conjure facsimiles of her magic instead- think kind of like a bard in D&D. I want to portray her, and eventually a community of beings that are non-speaking or deaf, as realistically as possible. I have done research on the deaf and non-speaking communities and don’t want to marginalize anyone, so I have tried to make an authentic character with realistic setbacks and challenges without turning into a victim to be pitied.

My problem comes in to this: her overarching story is her trying to regain her true form. How do I balance her trying to reconnect with her true self without marginalizing non-speaking people? It feels disingenuous if she gets the magical removed from her and it’s just like, voila she can sing and now all her problems are solved! But at the same time, I feel like the metaphorical implications of her staying magically cuffed feels very… anti-feminist in a way? Because I want there to be a romance with a human male, keeping her human form and its inability to use her voice feels like she’s sacrificing a part of herself for a man- or at least to fit in better in his culture.

So really, any and all help is truly appreciated

Edit: I want to clarify that her voice and her true form were maliciously and intentionally taken from her without her consent

Writers, what scene are you avoiding writing right now? 👀✍️

Every book has that ONE scene that lives rent free in your head but refuses to make it onto the page. 😭

The heartbreaking betrayal?

The confession?

The final battle?

The death scene?

The moment that changes everything?

Tell me what you’re writing (genre included 👀) and what scene your characters are currently waiting on you to finish.

I need more books to add to my future TBR 📚✨

Seriously… drop them. 👇🏽

Tell me about your fantasy worlds, messy characters, forbidden romances, villains you secretly love, plot twists you can’t wait for readers to discover, and the scenes that made you say “how am I supposed to write this??” 😭

I love hearing what other writers are creating — finished book, messy first draft, random idea living in your notes app… it counts. 💕

Let’s find some new stories and hype each other up.

I have tried and been brainstorming this idea, and thought of this. In my story, one of my POV characters starts as the third son of a Duke and spends his time partying and drinking. The love of his life is a beautiful courtesan, but events in the first book, with the capture of one of his brothers and war erupting, he has to help his nephew and sister, the mother of the king, rule. It's here, in a war against the old king's bastard daughter (who would be a better ruler than his nephew), that he discovers a skill for ruling and comes to love being in power. I want this love for power and his lover to be the reason he craves power, and how it leads to him killing his nephew, father and eldest brother. I want him to start so well loved but descend into the blackest of villains who would murder children and burn the kingdom to be king of the ashes

 Act I Kyle Krane.

-Aw, come on man! Why won’t you give me that bounty? I asked, clearly frustrated.
-Because,  you need a team of four to claim it.
-WHY?! I asked again, frustrated even more.
-So people like you won’t claim every single one. He responded, finally giving me the reason.
-So you’re saying I'm too good for my job? I asked mockingly.
-No… ah! just go to hell!
-We could help!
Some random girl offering me help? Normally I wouldn't even consider it, but well I don't have much of a choice. I went up to her table, she was sitting with 2 other guys playing cards. I think it was some kind of poker, I don't know… She had a white hoodie and a damaged scarf. She was wearing a weird wooden mask with a scar on it and blank dark eyeholes. On her belt there were two daggers. She looked like an assassin, maybe I could use her. There was a tank too, he looked very solid. Strong armor, massive hammer under his hands. Yeah he could be a help. Then there was this guy, he was giving out cards. I don’t know much about him, but that's a complete team of four. I guess that means I get the job after all
-You think you have what it takes to be a bounty hunter? To fight mythical creatures? I asked
-Do you? Tank responded with his deep voice
-Hey bar-man give me that bounty I have the team! I screamed excitedly.
-Alright boys! I started my speech.
-Ahem…! The assassin girl looked at me like I committed a crime.
-And ladies. It’s gonna be a tough mission so i don’t want anybody backing down alright? Let’s start with your names and a little something about you. I’ll start. My name is Kyle Krane, and I’m a bounty hunter. I hunt mythical creatures. -I said trying to get to know them
-I guess i’ll go next. The girl calmly said. I’m an assassin. I also hunt, but people, for money.
My name’s Ashley, Ashley Ravenwood.
-Wait aren’t you the girl whose parents died from the hands of a bloody murderer in the Ironwalls? I asked curious.
-Yes, I don’t wanna talk about it
-I’m a tank, the name is Thorne Kade… - Said very calmly
-That’s it, nothing else you wanna tell? - I asked, trying to get him to open a bit more.
-I’m Kael Virelli. I used to work at a circus place in the Adzaran Empire. But Well… Let’s just say I got fired.
-Alright, So the bounty is a classic skinwalker, it lives in the forest north-west from here. I presented the bounty to my companions.
-I’m sorry. What's a skinwalker? Ashley asked looking at me like she didn’t just ask the dumbest question in the world.
-A skinwalker is a witch that can morph into other creatures using its skin and rituals. I answered her as fast as I could.
-Well let’s get going before it’s too late, Oh and I shotgun the kill. Said our tank.

What are your thoughts on third person omniscient POV?

I feel like the omniscient narrator has very much fallen out of fashion at some point, and I think that's a real shame. There are so many classics that use it, but I personally don't know of a single book written in the past twenty years to have a third person omniscient POV. Is there a cultural reason for this, why authors and/or readers seem to prefer books where the story is told exclusively through a single character's eyes?

Maybe I'm just off base and there are a ton of omniscient narrator novels out there, but I'm personally not seeing them anywhere. So I'm curious what everyone else's thoughts on the omniscient POV is

I have thought about this ever since coming up with the idea for my story.

In a very short summary, their are three main factions, the SDF, Magrum, and Nippon. These aren't necessarily countries, more like organizations within their respective parts of the world.

Now my question is very simple, how do you even fight a mage. I would assume it depends on how magic works in your story, but then again its magic, would ordinary people even stand a chance. For some context, the SDF should be considered conventional in warfare means. They do have trump cards but their mostly take after the USA military. They'll have a form of modern weapons and other equipment, but could a conventional force as we know it take on a mage.

If you have any advice I would love to hear it, and if you need further context to give a better answer please ask, ill give as much as I can.

Edit: I can confidently say my question has been answered and I thank everyone for the quick responses, first time in this subreddit and it did not disappoint, I guess I was thinking about it to much really.

Hi everyone!

I’ve recently finished the latest draft of my adult fantasy novel, A Curse of Joy and Ruin (about 55,000 words), and I’m looking for a few beta readers willing to give honest feedback on the premise as well as the manuscript itself if anyone is interested.

Premise:
Vesper Ashdown is dying from the Wasting Smile, a magical curse that forces its victims to wear a joyful grin as it slowly kills them. Desperate for a cure, she enters the ancient Heptagram Trials, a deadly tournament where the winner earns a single wish from the sleeping god beneath the Spire. There, she discovers the immortal Sentinel overseeing the trials may be just as trapped as she is, and that the truth behind the trials could doom them all.

I’m mainly looking for feedback on:
Whether the story kept you engaged.
Pacing (especially the ending).
Characters and dialogue.
Any confusing or slow sections.
Overall enjoyment.

I’m happy to answer any questions!

Thanks for reading!

As the title suggests, I'm currently trying to work out how to handle flashbacks in my WIP, or whether to use them at all.

My current structure runs like this:

Prologue (present day) → Chapter 1 (set weeks in the past) → chapters then progress forward until they catch up to the prologue.

I liked this initially but I'm second guessing myself. My worry is that readers will spend the whole middle section thinking "when are we getting back to where we started?" rather than being invested in the story in front of them.

I've been doing some research, revisiting books I know handle non-linear structure well like The Lies of Locke Lamora, and I considered alternating timelines chapter by chapter, but I'm worried that might feel too jarring and not flow very well.

My latest idea looks more like this:

Prologue (present day) → Chapter 1 (continues from prologue) → Chapter 2 or 3 (protagonist meets someone new and recounts what happened) → story steps back several weeks → following chapters play out in the past → returns to present day to close everything out.

Hopefully that makes sense lol but I'm happy to clarify if not.

I'd also love to hear how people feel about flashbacks in general. Do you love them, hate them, or does it entirely depend on how they're handled? Leave a comment and let me know!

The protagonist always gets the spotlight, but what does your antagonist want?

Think about your story from their perspective, thus making them the protagonist in this case.

• If we were to follow along with their POV, what insights would we learn?
• What is motivating them to act in your story? What exactly is their endgame?
• What reasons do they have for opposing the protagonist?
• How would the landscape of your story change should the antagonist get what they want?
• In addition, from the antagonist's POV, how do they view the protagonist?
• Could they have achieved their goal another way? I.e., actually talked it out, tried diplomacy & or communication with opposing groups (the protagonist), actually underwent some form of self-sacrifice, to get what they want, rather than cut straight down the path of least resistance and just start blowing things up or having little to no regard to their own actions?

Hi everyone!

I've been working on the mythology for my fantasy world, Eithal, and I have spent the past several weeks revising and restructuring my major pantheon. I've combined deities, removed others entirely, and redefined their roles to make them feel more interconnected while still representing distinct foundational principles within the setting.

Before I continue, I'd really appreciate some outside perspectives from a writing standpoint.

Using the summaries below:

1. Which deity immediately stands out to you the most (either positively or negatively), and why?
2. Which deity feels the least memorable or could use more development?
3. If these deities appeared throughout a novel, would they feel like they belonged to the same mythology while still having distinct identities?

I'm not looking for line edits or naming suggestions as much as I am for overall impressions. If something immediately grabs your attention—or if something feels too similar to another deity—I would really appreciate knowing why.

Also, for context, these are only the major deities. A separate group of Ascendants oversees more specialized aspects of civilization, culture, and daily life.

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

The Major Pantheon:
Pax – Goddess of Equilibrium

Pax is the first pantheon and stands for balance, harmony, and peace. She does not rule by force, but instead helps the other gods work together. She believes that nothing lasting can be made without balance. Her teachings focus on unity, justice, and the need for opposing forces to keep the world in balance.

Corr – Goddess of Acceptance

Corr appeared with the world's first death and became its gentle caretaker, not its creator. She teaches that death is not to be feared, but is the natural end of a good life. People see her as a kind guide who makes sure no soul faces the end alone.

Tianus – God of Creation

Tianus is the divine craftsman who made Forge, the first dragon. He thinks real skill comes from patience, curiosity, and a commitment to always getting better, not from perfection. For him, every act of creation, whether making a sword, painting, or building a home, is a way to show devotion.

Fila – Goddess of Nature

Fila cares for life and helps the world's ecosystems grow, change, and thrive. She does not control every creature, but instead lays the foundations of life and enjoys it when nature surprises her. She believes in adaptation, diversity, and keeping the natural world in balance.

Emberus – God of Earth

Emberus rules over mountains, stone, minerals, and the lasting foundations of the world. While Fila cares for living things, Emberus gives the strength and stability they need to grow. He stands for resilience, patience, and endurance.

Fiona – Goddess of Waters

Fiona rules over the oceans, rivers, lakes, and all the currents that link the world. She watches over the waters and the life within them. She stands for movement, renewal, and the always-changing nature of the seas.

Ovidius – God of Insight

Ovidius keeps knowledge safe, inspires discovery, and teaches that wisdom comes from asking good questions, not just knowing all the answers. He is the keeper of a great library and thinks knowledge should be shared, not kept to oneself.

The Ascendants, my sepantheon, focus on specific aspects of civilization and culture, such as music, dreams, hunting, protection, secrets, fertility, and related areas. My aim is for the major pantheon to stand for the basic principles that underpin the world.

Greetings, fellow readers and writers!

As someone who genuinely enjoys hearing different perspectives, I’d love to hear your rants and complaints today! :D

What do you absolutely hate reading in modern fantasy? Or honestly, any genre at all. What instantly pulls you out of a story? What makes you cringe, roll your eyes, or want to launch the book across the room?

For me, a story quickly loses its charm when a female character is introduced with the body description of a goddess… but the personality of a lampshade. It irritates me enough to drop the book, depending on how bad it gets. Women are much more than their physical appearance. Of course, descriptions are fine! But there’s a line between appreciation and objectification.

Anyway, do not hold back your rage. Be brutality honest and spill the tea! ☕📚