The first page of a fantasy novel carries an impossible weight.
There's a deep-seated fear that if you don't immediately explain the thousand-year history of the Elven wars or the nuances of your magic system, the reader will be lost. This pressure turns many writers into historians, carefully laying out facts and timelines.
But a reader's primary need on page one isn't for information; it's for immersion. Before they can care about your world's history, they must first feel grounded in a single, compelling moment. The goal isn't to build an encyclopedia; it's to light a single candle in the dark.
The Tale Tinkerer
The first page of a fantasy novel carries an impossible weight.
There's a deep-seated fear that if you don't immediately explain the thousand-year history of the Elven wars or the nuances of your magic system, the reader will be lost. This pressure turns many writers into historians, carefully laying out facts and timelines.
But a reader's primary need on page one isn't for information; it's for immersion. Before they can care about your world's history, they must first feel grounded in a single, compelling moment. The goal isn't to build an encyclopedia; it's to light a single candle in the dark.
1 week ago | [YT] | 57