Have you ever sat down with a brilliant magical system, epic mythical creatures, and an enchanted world, only to feel your manuscript drifting without real direction?
You know your world has magic, but your story feels unfocused, bogged down, or lacking genuine momentum.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Many fantasy writers struggle to balance imaginative worldbuilding with story structure. In our previous discussion, we looked at why every novel requires a strong external plot. However, an external plot alone will not turn your draft into a true fantasy novel.
To create a book readers cannot put down, you must understand the second crucial story arc of your manuscript: the supernatural plot.
What Is the Supernatural Plot?
Kristina Stanley points out a foundational truth for speculative fiction: a story without an external plot is not a story, and a story without a supernatural plot is not a fantasy.
When we look at the supernatural in a fantasy novel, we are referring to magic systems, powers such as telekinesis or precognition, and mythical creatures like dragons, vampires, or fairies. Readers pick up fantasy books specifically to experience the protagonist grappling with and harnessing these forces.
In Secrets to Writing a Fantasy, K. Stanley and L. Cooke explain that whether your world relies on magic or fantastical beings, the supernatural must directly help or hinder the protagonist from reaching their story goal. Magic should have limitations and costs. It cannot exist simply as decorative background detail. It must drive the conflict.
The Five Supernatural Story Arc Scenes
Using The Fictionary Method, you can build a structurally sound supernatural plot by establishing five key story arc scenes that run alongside your external plot:
- Supernatural Inciting Incident: The protagonist gets an inkling that the supernatural exists or that they can influence it.
- Supernatural Plot Point 1: The protagonist fully believes in or uses the supernatural for the first time.
- Supernatural Middle Plot Point: The protagonist proactively uses the supernatural to drive the story forward.
- Supernatural Plot Point 2: The protagonist faces a major limitation of the supernatural or experiences a painful lesson about its boundaries.
- Supernatural Climax: The protagonist uses the supernatural in a final attempt to achieve their goal.
Creating Your Supernatural Skeleton Blurb
Before you outline or edit, summarize this plotline into a single sentence called a supernatural skeleton blurb. The structure follows a clear pattern:
The protagonist must use the supernatural, otherwise they will not achieve their supernatural story goal.
By defining your protagonist, the supernatural power or creature they must interact with, and the stakes on the line, you establish focus for every scene. When you weave these five supernatural scenes together with your external plot arc, your novel gains the deep structure found in commercially successful fantasy books.
Take Your Fantasy Writing to the Next Level
Ready to turn your imaginative magic into a commercially successful novel? Grab your copy of Secrets to Writing a Fantasy by K. Stanley and L. Cooke today. Discover how to apply The Fictionary Method, weave your story arcs, and write a fantasy novel that readers will love.
