Your World, Your Rules: Why Writing Fantasy Beats Reality

After reading enough books, watching enough movies, and living on Earth for a while, you’ve probably noticed that most stories are basically the same.

The princess might not wear a gown and sit in a tower—she might even fight the dragon herself—but whether independent or not, she’s still looking for love. And the hero might have a regular job in IT, but he’s still out on an adventure to prove his worth. At the heart of it all are basic human motivations: love, revenge, the drive for status.

So if we’re always writing about the same things—a princess setting out to defeat the evil witch (though why does everyone insist on bothering the lady in the woods who’s just trying to enjoy some peace and quiet?)—does the setting really matter? Would it make a difference if the princess fought her battles in an office instead of an enchanted forest?

Apparently, it does. Just look at the popularity of Game of Thrones (basically the War of the Roses plus dragons) and other fantasy epics.

Even if your story is “just” a love story—a tale we’ve all heard in a hundred variations—the setting and distinct traits of your characters are what keep readers turning pages.

And no matter how old you are, everything’s better with dragons.

So next time you’re trying to decide between the realistic world or the fantasy realm for your novel’s setting, consider this:

Skip the Research

Using our familiar little world as the setting for your book—even if you’re sticking to modern times and places you know, but even more so if you’re venturing into 17th century Bulgaria—means signing up for a lot of research.

Because your characters are running around in real places, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of those places to make them feel believable. That means knowing the culture, the professions, the customs, the local slang, and even the events that might influence your character’s lives.

It might sound romantic to have your protagonists meet in a quaint cafe in Paris—but unless you know the tiny details, the ones only locals would know (like the hobo who shouts the same thing every morning outside the subway station), your story risks feeling flat or fake.

So what do you do if you grew up in Saskatchewan, know nothing about anywhere else, yet really don’t want your story to take place in Saskatchewan?

Fantasy to the rescue.

With fantasy, you get to be the architect of the world. You decide who lives there, how they speak, what social norms they follow (or break) and what they like to do on a Friday night.

Sure, creating a magical ecosystem comes with its own challenges—but if you ask me, it’s easier (and a lot more fun) than digging through hours of research. And the best part? No one can tell you you’re wrong—it’s your world after all.

Escaping the Mundane

Sure, you could write about an accountant who lives in Toronto and crochets bunnies on the GO train during his morning commute, navigating quirky little incidents along the way. But… why? Why tell the story of the places you already see, the routines you already live?

That’s not to say ordinary lives can’t be worth writing about—sometimes there’s beauty in the simple, everyday things. But for the most part, the mundane is just that: mundane.

Fantasy, on the other hand, lets you traverse paths you’d never walk in real life. You can invent creatures you’d never encounter (or wouldn’t want to). You can send your characters on wild, impossible adventures that defy the limits of the real world.

Writing fantasy can be your private little portal to wonderland—a magic mushroom with a trip you get to control and exit at will. It’s your way to live outside the lines of the ordinary.

Choose From an Infinite Pool

There are plenty of things that can happen in our world. Even two people working the same job, living on the same street, and walking the same breed of dog every morning will (and probably do) live very different lives. But there’s still a limit.

Our world is clearly defined by what’s possible and what isn’t. We’re bound by physical laws, social norms, and the constraints of reality.

Say you wanted that accountant from earlier—the one in modern-day Toronto—to become a renowned alchemist. That’s a hard sell. Same goes for him flying around on a dragon, taking revenge on the other accountants who once mocked him, NeverEnding Story style. It’s just not happening in this reality.

But in fantasy, there are no limits beyond the ones you create. Sure, your world needs inner consistency—even magic requires rules to govern it—but you get to define those rules.

What can and can’t happen is entirely up to you. The possibilities are infinite.

Conclusion

While there’s plenty to explore in the material world, writing fantasy gives you something even more powerful: the chance to create the knowledge you need, rather than dig through someone else’s. It lets you skip the role of the researcher and become the architect. You get to escape the mundane, rewrite the rules, and decide exactly what’s possible on your characters’ magical journeys.

And honestly—doesn’t that sound a lot more exciting?

Now close this tab (but if you found this article useful, maybe consider subscribing), and go conjure some literary magic!