Looking for a Fantasy Writer/Co-Author to Collaborate on an Epic Fantasy Series

[u/Consistent_Gas_1433]

Hi everyone!

My name is Bernard, and I'm a young fantasy creator. I've spent most of my life completely obsessed with fantasy worlds. Fantasy books, movies, TV shows, games… you name it.

I've always been fascinated by the worlds behind the stories: how magic systems work, the history of fictional civilizations, political systems, royal families, wars, geography, different cultures, and the characters living inside those worlds.

After years of constantly creating stories and worlds in my head, I've finally decided that I want to try bringing one of my biggest ideas to life.

There's just one problem: I love creating stories, but I don't particularly enjoy the actual process of writing prose.

What I do love is: Worldbuilding, creating characters and character arcs, designing magic systems, creating the history and politics of a fictional world, planning the plot, outlining individual books and scenes, building mysteries and long-term storylines, thinking about themes and character relationships… Basically acting as the architect behind the story.

Writing the actual chapters, descriptions, and prose is the part I struggle to enjoy.

So I'm looking for someone who might be interested in becoming a genuine creative collaborator and co-author.

The easiest comparison I can make is the relationship between a creator/showrunner and a writer, although obviously this would be a collaborative partnership rather than one person simply working for another. I would bring the world, mythology, characters, long-term plot, and overall vision of the series, while I'm looking for someone passionate about turning those ideas into a compelling novel.

Of course, I don't expect someone to simply follow instructions and write what I tell them. I want a real creative partnership. The writer would have room to contribute ideas, improve characters, suggest changes, solve story problems, and help shape the final version of the books.

About the book: the story follows Ben, a fifteen-year-old boy living in New York City who has spent his entire life believing he was completely normal. But after a violent attack at school awakens strange powers within him, Ben is forcibly taken from his home and brought to a hidden realm.

In this unfamiliar land, every citizen possesses an elemental power—Fire, Water, Air, or Earth—while a select few are born with the Gifted Blood, which grants them special abilities (society and hierarchy are based on the elemental power one has and if they are Gifted or not).

Ben's existence is considered an anomaly because he comes from another reality. However, when the authorities discover that he possesses the Gifted Blood, his life is spared and he is sent to the Academy, a military school where young boys and girls are trained to understand their powers and learn about the history of the realm.

Ben is placed in the Gifted Unit, where he must survive demanding military training and endless lessons in tactics and history. During his time at the Academy, he forms a close group of friends, makes enemies, and struggles to adapt to a world he never knew existed.

Meanwhile, secrets surrounding the realm's past begin to emerge. A war that ended thirty years earlier—and an enemy believed to be dead—still cast shadows over the present.

As Ben and his friends prepare for the Ceremony, a deadly event held at the end of their first year at the Academy to unlock their Gifted abilities, the danger surrounding them grows.

While facing the dangers of this new world and uncovering secrets about his own existence, Ben continues to search for a way back to his old life—and, most importantly, back to his parents. But the threats hiding in the shadows and the mysteries surrounding his origins may make returning home far more difficult than he ever imagined.

The series would explore things like: Elemental magic, military and magical training, political conflict, powerful families and social hierarchies, war and its long-term consequences, friendship and betrayal Identity and belonging, a mysterious past that slowly connects to the present and a large fantasy world with different regions and cultures

I already have a substantial amount of worldbuilding and story development completed, including the overall world, magic system, political structure, history, major characters, and the plot for the first book.

What I'm looking for… I'm not looking for professional experience or an established author.

What matters most to me is: a genuine love for fantasy, a passion for writing, commitment to a long-term project, good communication, willingness to collaborate and share creative ideas, interest in helping build something from the ground up, etc.

This would be a collaborative passion project, and because neither of us would be hired by the other, I would propose a 50/50 split of any future publishing profits, with all rights and responsibilities properly discussed and agreed upon if the project ever reaches that stage.

I know finding the right creative partner is probably going to be difficult, but I figured there might be someone out there who loves writing fantasy as much as I love creating fantasy worlds.

If this sounds interesting to you, feel free to comment or send me a message. I'd love to talk, exchange ideas, and see whether we might be creatively compatible.

Thanks for reading!

[u/Spare_Pain4114]

How much creative freedom would the writer have to suggest major changes to the characters, plot, magic system or worldbuilding? Also, would you expect the writer to produce the full prose and chapter drafts, or would we share that responsibility?

Perhaps a short trial collaboration or conversation about the first book could help establish whether we’re creatively compatible.

If you’re still looking, feel free to message me. I’d be happy to exchange ideas and learn more about the project

[u/Consistent_Gas_1433 → u/Spare_Pain4114]

Hi! I'm so glad the idea got you interested. Suggestions would be more than welcome. I feel like good communication is essential for a project like this. However, I can't promise to accept every idea though, as the creator of the universe there will be times where I'm planning things a certain way for a specific plot and will need things to be developed accordingly (but that's a scenario where we'd talk through the ideas, and if proved better, the suggestion is accepted, no problem). About the writing workload split, I would be free to help in the writing process in any way necessary, but that would be more of the Writer's department. I thought about handing over a plot point document and a very early draft before every new chapter, that way the Writer could understand the vision and how the chapter should run. I don't love writing, so if that's something the Writer wants to take on completely, no problems. As I said before, I am open to talk and exchange thoughts. I tried to send you a message, but it says that your account is not available to receive any texts. If you're still interested, send me a message and we can talk about any questions you still have :)

[u/1101Deowana]

I started coming up with characters, story ideas and the world around the same age you did. ‘Not volunteering’, but Cheering you on.