Hello, fellow writer!
If you're here, you probably share my passion for cruel worlds, tormented antiheroes, and terrifying creatures. And maybe, like me, you've found yourself staring at a blank page, wondering:"How the hell do you write dark fantasy without spiraling into eternal despair?"
I believe fantasy is one of the hardest genres to write, and dark fantasy? Even worse. So, let's take a deep dive into the dark side of storytelling—without completely losing our minds.
A Brief Introduction to Dark Fantasy
Dark fantasy is a subgenre that blends traditional fantasy elements with dark atmospheres, horror influences, and grim themes. It stands out for its mature tone, often decaying settings, and morally ambiguous characters. If you want to write dark fantasy, it's important to understand what defines it.
Core Characteristics:
🔹 Dark and pessimistic tones – Gritty, violent worlds, often devoid of hope.
🔹 Anti-heroic protagonists – Tormented, morally grey, or outright corrupted characters.
🔹 Horror influences – Monstrous creatures, dark magic, eerie atmospheres.
🔹 No clear good vs. evil – Morality is blurred, and the protagonist isn't always a "good guy."
Classic Dark Fantasy Books
📖 Elric of Melniboné – Michael Moorcock→ The albino prince Elric, cursed by his demonic sword Stormbringer, is the archetype of the tragic hero.
📖 The Black Company – Glen Cook→ A mercenary group tells the story of war from the perspective of those who fight for gold, not honor.
📖 Corum, Hawkmoon, and other sagas by Moorcock→ All explore decadent worlds and tragic figures similar to Elric.
Modern Dark Fantasy
📖 The First Law Trilogy – Joe Abercrombie→ Cynicism, violence, and unforgettable characters like the torturer Glokta and the barbarian Logen Ninefingers.
📖 The Broken Empire Trilogy – Mark Lawrence→ Jorg Ancrath is a ruthless and amoral protagonist in a medieval post-apocalyptic world.
📖 The Witcher Series – Andrzej Sapkowski→ Geralt of Rivia hunts monsters in a world where humans are often worse than the creatures he slays.
📖 Malazan Book of the Fallen – Steven Erikson→ A complex series featuring indifferent gods, devastating wars, and a breathtaking mythology.
Writing Dark Fantasy: Build a World That Feels Used and Abused
I think we can all agree on one thing: dark fantasy worlds are not idyllic places where flowers smell like lavender. Hell no. Here, everything is decayed, dirty, broken, and falling apart. Crumbling cities, cursed forests, and castles on the verge of collapse are all solid choices. If you can think of something worse—even better.
💡 Practical tip: Imagine you're an architect with a passion for the macabre. Every detail should evoke a sense of oppression and decay. And remember: magic exists, but it always comes with a price. Something like:"Sure, you can resurrect your beloved, but now they have empty eyes and only speak in rhyme."
Or take that scene from Baldur’s Gate, where a certain airheaded woman wants a hag to bring her husband back to life. Naturally, it goes horribly wrong.
Dark Fantasy Characters? The Grayer, the Better
Forget perfect heroes and spotless princesses. In dark fantasy, protagonists are usually a mix of "I’ve done terrible things" and "Maybe I can redeem myself… or maybe not."
Example: Geralt of Rivia is a monster hunter, but he spends half his time complaining about his job and the other half drinking. And we love him for it (okay, also because we picture Henry Cavill).
💡 Practical tip: Give your characters a dark past, a visible flaw, and an ambiguous motivation.Something like: "I want to save the world, but only because I hate everyone and need to prove I'm better than them."
Dark Atmospheres: More Goth, Less Rainbows
Dark fantasy thrives on atmosphere. Mist that never lifts, blood-red moons, and winds whispering unspeakable things.
💡 Practical tip: Use evocative descriptions, but don’t overdo it. You don’t need to spend three pages explaining how dark the darkness is. A simple line like:"The torchlight flickered, as if terrified or soaked in the cavern’s icy dread."…does the trick.
🔥 Bonus: Use sensory details—they’re even more crucial in this genre. The stench of mold, distant footsteps, the metallic taste of blood. The more your readers feel your world, the deeper they’ll be drawn into it.
Dark Themes: Time to Geek Out on Human Nature
Dark fantasy is perfect for exploring deep themes like power, vengeance, loss, and madness. But be careful—don’t turn your story into either a philosophy lecture or a succubus-filled BDSM novel.
💡 Practical tip: Ask uncomfortable questions.
"What truly makes someone evil?"
"How far can redemption go?"
"Why do all these characters have issues with their parents?"
Example: In The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, no one is purely good or evil. They're just people trying to survive in a world that sucks.
Dark fantasy lets you explore the darkest corners of imagination. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries, but remember to balance the darkness with a gripping plot and well-developed characters. And most importantly—have fun! Writing dark fantasy can be as cathartic as screaming into a pillow… but with more style.
Now, let’s get to the real powerhouse:
Magic Systems in Dark Fantasy: Power, Price, and Madness
If there’s one thing that makes dark fantasy so intriguing, it’s the way it handles magic. No glowing wands or spells that fix everything in a snap. Here, magic is powerful, yes—but it always has a cost. And that cost is usually high, painful, and deeply unsettling.
If You Want to Write Dark Fantasy, Magic Must Have a Cost
In dark fantasy, magic isn’t a free gift. It’s a power that comes at a price—whether it’s physical, mental, or even spiritual.
📖 Classic examples:
In The Witcher, using magic drains sorcerers’ and witches’ life energy, leaving them exhausted or even dead.
In The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, channeling the One Power risks driving the wielder insane or corrupting them.
💡 Practical tip: Think about what price magic demands in your world.
Blood?
Memories?
Years of life?
Or something subtler, like the gradual loss of humanity?
Magic is Dark and Dangerous
In dark fantasy, magic is never purely “good.” Even when used with the best intentions, it can have unpredictable and terrible consequences.
📖 Example: In The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, mages are mysterious and often terrifying figures, whose power is tied to ancient and destructive forces.
💡 Practical tip: Play with ambiguity. Magic might corrupt its user, attract malevolent creatures, or even distort reality in horrific ways.
Writing Dark Fantasy: Set Clear (But Not Too Clear) Magic Rules
A well-built magic system has rules, but in dark fantasy, those rules can be fluid, mysterious, or even dangerous to break.
📖 Example: In The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, magic is tied to powerful divine and ancient forces, and using it without knowledge can lead to catastrophe.
💡 Practical tip: Define the limits of magic in your world, but leave room for mystery. Readers love gradually discovering how things work—especially if breaking the rules comes with unexpected consequences.
Magic as a Metaphor
In dark fantasy, magic can be a way to explore deep themes like power, corruption, madness, or sacrifice.
📖 Example: In The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (though not strictly dark fantasy), magic and science intertwine to explore themes of freedom, authority, and identity.
💡 Practical tip: Think about what magic represents in your world. Is it a symbol of power? Of forbidden knowledge? Of losing control? Use it to deepen your story’s themes.
Experiment with Unconventional Sources of Magic
Magic in dark fantasy doesn’t have to come from ancient books or spoken incantations. It can be linked to unusual and unsettling elements.
💀 Ideas:
Magic could be fueled by pain or suffering.
It might be tied to pacts with dark entities or cruel gods.
Or maybe it's an innate power that only manifests in moments of extreme despair.
💡 Practical tip: Get creative! The more unique your magic’s source and cost, the more memorable your system will be.
Magic in dark fantasy is an opportunity to add depth, tension, and mystery to your story. Remember: magic is never free, and often, the price it demands is what makes the story truly dark and compelling.
At This Point, Maybe We’re Actually Losing Our Minds
Writing dark fantasy is an ambitious and fearless endeavor. But with the right tools (and a lot of practice), you can create stories that leave an unforgettable mark on readers.
Final Tips:
✍ If you’ve already started writing dark fantasy and feel stuck, outline your chapters.I usually sketch out summaries of upcoming chapters so I don’t go insane if I need to change something.
🎬 Or think about the grand finale.I believe having the climactic scene in mind already solves a lot of problems!
📖 Fun fact: The fourth book in my Chronicles of the Continent series is definitely the one that earns the title of dark fantasy.
Happy writing!
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