Hi, hello! Welcome to a bit of a mix of things: we’re talking about the cozy fantasy genre and some initial insight on my current “Whimsy WIP.” If you’re a newsletter subscriber, you’ve been getting some monthly updates here and there, but this is the first time I’m sharing about my current project here on the blog. So, I hope you’ve got a snack or a beverage on hand while we catch up.
But First, What’s Cozy Fantasy?
Whenever we talk about genre, it’s worth reminding everyone that genre is subjective; we do our best to categorize books in the library or bookstore, but sometimes stories transcend the genre or the definitions evolve over time. We all likely have different ideas of what “cozy” means. So based on my research, “cozy fantasy” is just another subgenre under fantasy: think contemporary fantasy, high fantasy, dark fantasy, romantasy, etc. I think most folks initially think of Hobbiton or Howl’s Moving Castle. We’ve got whimsy, yummy food, warmth, and comfort.
But “cozy” doesn’t always mean zero stakes, danger, violence, or trauma. I’d say there is more “plot armor” for our main characters or a happier ending to cozy stories. A good example is the Nancy Drew series. In this classic cozy mystery series, Nancy is a teen girl who solves crimes—often more than just petty theft—and puts herself into danger. Sure, her friends and boyfriend tag along, but her situations could be a lot more violent, dire, and traumatic if she were in a different subgenre. It’s also fun and whimsical that she’s a teen girl who gets to solve legit crimes and get taken seriously.
What makes a fantasy story cozy is usually a happier, hopeful ending or solution to a problem. When I think about the themes of cozy fantasy, I think of developing relationships that get us through tough times or just having a safe place to land. When a character is truly in a safe space, they’re able to treat and heal what has been hurt.
I Think I’ve Always Been a Cozy Fantasy Author
When I first learned about the term “cozy fantasy,” I immediately felt at home. Sure, I love a classic epic fantasy (I wrote that duology!), but I was happy to hear that there was some kind of storytelling that fell between complete escapism and total grisly, dense stuff. When I write, it’s to find solutions to real-world problems through the lens of fictional characters.
Cue the Ushallav’s Queen duology.
I tackled a ton of themes involving mental health, relationships, postpartum depression, parenthood, self-discovery, and more. This duology ended up being much cozier than I intended because I wanted to provide tension that was thornier than what I’m used to seeing. Like, there are really only two baddies, but for the most part, no one is really truly evil or good. It’s just complicated. And I was very intentional about putting on all the plot armor on the children. No children were harmed in this series!
Also, I’ve never really been a fan of killing off characters? Even if it’s technically necessary to the plot or drives up the stakes, I just didn’t enjoy it and rarely do it. I try to rough up my characters, but if they’re seriously injured, I ensure they take proper time to heal. Because ain’t no way someone’s just running full speed with a broken bone. With cozy stories, there is violence, but there’s usually more space and time to heal and recover.
So when other local authors started describing their experiences with writing cozy fantasy, I started seeing that this is really my sweet spot. And there’s something exciting about it! Finding the right (or better) words to describe your books is always satisfying.
Introducing: The Whimsy WIP
So here’s where we get to talk about the whimsical WIP. For the past year, I wanted to take my bookstore quest and turn it into something: a graphic novel, children’s book, or novel. I didn’t put any pressure on myself to even dive in this year, as my top priority was to enter my motherhood era.
Thanks to some local authors, I now have a regular writing group where I get to leave the house, work on some writing, and let the creativity flow. As of now, I have character profiles for the main characters and an outline! To me, that’s super exciting. I wasn’t sure when I would dive into writing, but here we are.
Right now, the basic plot is that my main character, a wizard, has studied everything she thinks she knows about magic. But as she opens herself up to different interpretations of magic, she sets herself on a quest to find spells across the realm. As she sheds her preconceived notions of what “good” and “bad” magic are, other wizards become curious and wary. This quest becomes unignorable and much more important than my MC realizes.
I was really inspired by cozy RPGs like the ones featured in the main photo: Stewpot, Wanderhome, and Koriko. So even though this won’t be a novelization of a D&D campaign, it’ll be fun for fans of RPGs.
Want to Create a Character for My Novel?
Have you ever wanted to see yourself in a fantasy book? Well, now you can! My upcoming WIP is based on my IRL bookstore quest, and I want to feature you in the story in some way. Now’s your chance to be an elf, wizard, fey, mermaid, witch, or whatever else you want to be. You can also help me brainstorm all kinds of fantastical bookshops for my character to visit.
If you’re ready to be a little creative and cozy yourself, please fill out this Google Form:
The form will guide you in what your character will look like, and answer questions you may have about different classes (roles) your character can take on. You can also create something totally out of the box, and I’ll handle the rest.
For fun, you can also click the image below to check out the Pinterest inspo board:
Further Reading & Resources
If you want to learn more about other examples of cozy fantasy (for all reading levels) or maybe you want to write one yourself, I recommend these articles:
- “What Cozy Fantasy Is and How to Write It” – Mythcreants
- “What is cozy fantasy?” – Sorcerer of Tea
- “What Counts as Cozy Fantasy?” – Book Riot
- “The Ultimate Guide to Cozy Fantasy | my must read cozy fantasy recs” – Ivy Wendy Martinez
All right! We covered a lot of ground today. What are your thoughts on cozy fantasy? And are you intrigued enough by my WIP to create a character with me? Looking forward to unveiling more as the story blossoms.
