A fantasy author is someone who creates stories that take place in fantastical settings and feature invented creatures, supernatural beings, and so on. The author can choose to write in a broad category of fantasy or a more narrow sub-genre, such as superhero fantasy, mythic fantasy, or dark fantasy. The fantasy author’s medium of choice varies as well; he or she may write a novel, a short story, a series of stories or books, or even poetry. To be considered a fantasy writer, the author must include the common themes of fantasy writing.
Occasionally, a fantasy author will combine genres; for example, fantasy may be combined with horror or science fiction. A fantasy author will typically avoid doing so because these other genres are related but distinct. Other authors may attempt to combine genres to create a more compelling story that takes advantage of all of each genre’s strengths. Dark fantasy can straddle the line between pure fantasy and horror, while superhero fantasy frequently incorporates science fiction. Because these genres appeal to a wide range of readers, some authors may choose to write exclusively in them.
A novel is a long work with a word count of at least 65,000 words. A fantasy author may choose to write novels exclusively, in which case he or she may choose to write a novel series, which is a collection of books dealing with the same characters, places, events, and so on. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the most famous series ever written. It is a trilogy about hobbits and one hobbit’s quest to rid the world of evil by destroying a cursed ring. Another well-known series by J.K. Rowling is the Harry Potter series, which follows a young wizard named Harry Potter as he battles an evil wizard named Voldemort.
Other authors may prefer to write short stories rather than longer novels. Short stories are typically under 10,000 words long and feature shorter episodes and less developed characters. This type of writing can be extremely challenging because the writer must develop a story and characters in far less time than a novelist. A short story writer, like a novelist, can write a series of stories that are related in some way, or he or she can write individual stories that are unrelated.