10 Fantasy Writing Lessons We Can Learn from 'Game of Thrones'

Game of Thrones is HBO's most watched show, and it has only become more and more popular over the years. Based on the series of books by George R.R. Martin, titled A Song of Ice and Fire, the very last episode is looming.

Here are a series of 10 tips for anyone who is a fan of the show and wants some tips to write, as inspired by interviews from George R.R. Martin and the show:

(None of these tips are inspired by the books, as they go into a lot more detail and there are different things we can learn from them—watch this space for some book-inspired tips at a later date.)

1. Don't be afraid to mix genres.

Viewers of the show will know that although season one started as a seemingly normal medieval period drama, it quickly became a fantasy epic combine with science fiction, when we were introduced to Dany's dragons and the zombie-like White Walker army.

To someone who hasn't watched the show, it might be difficult to picture how this would work. However, viewers of the show remain entertained.

This is proof that it is possible to mix genres, as long as it fits to the story. Adding aliens may have been a bit insane, but the White Walkers are believable in the story.

2. Know all the key details of future chapters/books in advance.

The reason why Game of Thrones has such an impact is because it foreshadows things in earlier episodes which give hints to certain events or a character's demise. If you know what you want to happen in your story, alike to Martin and the show writers, you can plant the seeds early on and keep people guessing.

It is also this foreshadowing which has stimulated such a response from the Game of Thrones communities with theories and predictions.

3. Create twists and cliff hangers.

On top of having little pieces foreshadowed, having shocking scenes out of the blue will stun an audience.

The Red Wedding is an example of this, as it wasn't foreshadowed heavily, but the audience knew that Robb Stark had crossed Walder Frey. The scene starts normally as if all had been forgiven... up until the moment which makes the Red Wedding one of the most iconic episodes in Game of Thrones.

4. There is no good versus evil.

George R.R. Martin often speaks about the moral compass of his characters, claiming that too often characters are either good or evil. A lot of his characters are in a morally grey area where they may make evil decisions, but for the right reasons.

Examples of this are:

When Dany refuses to pay for the Unsullied and unleashes Drogon on Astapor. A lot of fans loved this moment where Dany reveals she speaks Valyrian to the master of Astapor who is trying to sell her the army of Unsullied. However, is it morally right for her to agree to a trade which she then goes back on, to then allow her dragon to burn this man to death, and then go on a rampage of the city—allowing slaves and Unsullied to kill any master? Hmm.

Another example is when Cersei uses wildfire to blow up the Great Sept of Baelor. Many fans cheered to see the High Sparrow and his minions of the Faith Militant destroyed by the explosion. But again, is it morally right for Cersei to have solved her problems by blowing them up? Even if it means ridding King's Landing of an extremist religion which was targeting the royal family?

5. Kill favourite/unexpected characters—if the opportunity arises.

Game of Thrones is known for its shock factor with its events, but another shock which often happens is the death of a well-loved character.

The death of Ned Stark took fans by surprise with many confused that the franchise had just beheaded the main character who they were convinced would sit on the Iron Throne.

Fans had similar reactions to characters such as Oberyn Martell.

Taking risks and doing unexpected things can fit really well with the right story—like in Game of Thrones.

6. Significant actions must have a consequence.

Big deaths and events must have some kind of consequence or effect on characters/the story.

An example of this is Arya's kill list—it is proof that even if the consequences do not come immediately, they should still be remembered to reappear later in the story.

The saying "the North remembers" also shows that there are consequences.

7. Be inspired, but don't copy.

Alike to Tolkien, Martin created a whole new world for his fantasy saga to be created in.

In interviews, he encourages writers to take influence from what he and other authors have done, but not to directly copy their work.

It can be hard to create a world with all new place names, but a way to create names for places is to study the names in our own world, and in Martin's, and see where he found his influences from. If you are basing your world on Spanish history, don't give it a name inspired by an English town.

And with drawing up a map, consider the size and space of where you want these places to be, the climate, etc. You might have to crack out a geography book for this one!

8. Truth and Realism

Game of Thrones is very well-known for its huge battle scenes. However, more often than not, we see at least one character reflect on the losses suffered. This can be seen after the Battle of Oxcross, where Robb's allies defeat a Lannister army. This is where he meets Talisa and she poses the question to him about the human loss of battle.

This adds a level of realism which is often overlooked elsewhere, where battles are portrayed as noble causes, where all the main characters seem to escape without a scratch.

Martin also creates characters with realistic motives and aims. It is realistic for Sansa to grow up wishing to wed a prince, and it is realistic for her family to want revenge on the Lannister's after Joffrey beheaded Ned.

Martin also exposes all of the bad sides of people: Their greed, thirst for power, and lust—to name a few.

It seems ironic to say "make it real" when discussing fantasy writing, but it does make the difference because people will not enjoy it if it doesn't make sense.

9. Reduce waffle and tighten up your writing.

Martin discussed his process for editing once in an interview, stating that his process was to cut out anything that was too drawn out. He hated cutting dialogue or action scenes, but agrees it is sometimes necessary to look back over work to make it more concise.

10. Choose a point of view and stick to it.

In Martin's books, he follows the first person view of one character at a time. This is reflected in the show.

In an interview, he stated it is important to choose either first-person or third-person, and stick to that. Also, follow the main characters, as it is better to follow the story of Arya or Jon than some random fishmonger in King's Landing; this way you can build up the important characters and people will learn more about them.

With the first-person point of view, the reader only knows and sees what the character knows/sees and we get insight into their thoughts. Martin also suggests that the third-person is good to use. However, he suggests it is not favourable to take the stance of an omniscient narrator of the story, as this can often neglect the complexity of characters.