How to Guide the Destiny of Your Fantasy Characters

Destiny is a crucial ingredient to any protagonist in a fantasy novel. It is something the writer can play with. Writers do this because it allows them to see the big picture. How will this character change at the end of the fantasy story? How will he react to the failures and successes along the way? These questions and more should define the destiny of a fantasy character. This article will guide you along the way.

For example, think of the "Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars" movies. Each character toys with going down an evil path. They are tempted by everything: Frodo the ring, Luke Skywalker the dark side. Each of these temptations impacts their destiny. Frodo almost goes down the road of evil. Skywalker realizes his father was turned by it, and knows he cannot follow in those footsteps. A writer should consider studying these films just for the elements of destiny that are played with.

Destiny allows the character to change. It is Frodo's destiny to destroy the ring. He changes along the journey. Skywalker turns from an outback farm boy to a hero on the galactic scale. Both of these stories are so powerful because they allow for growth the character.

Writers can play with destiny. Darth Vader was destined to be the "chosen one" but took the power when he wanted control. Fans hoped that Anakin Skywalker would not turn, even though they knew he would. The "Stars Wars" films 1-3 played upon what the audience already knew about the destiny of Anakin.

Consider allowing for growth in your fantasy character. Give hints to the readers as to what the destiny will be, but leave enough questions for them to keep reading. If one protagonist is about to turn evil, there needs to be a definable reason. Anakin Skywalker did not want to lose his love, so he turned to the dark side. He was a good man before he turned, but the reasons for his change were laid out before the movie audience.

The big picture for the character needs to be on the author's mind. By allowing for the destiny of a fantasy character to enfold slowly, the writer can find the process more enjoyable-and do the same for the audience.