The Process of Writing a Fantasy Novel

Writing Banished Creatures of the Arcana: A Dark Fantasy in the Making

I am currently in the midst of writing a dark fantasy novel. A story that has been living inside me in some form since childhood.

Dark fantasy has always fascinated me because it sits at the crossroads of two genres I love most: fantasy and horror. I want to weave the wonder of magic and myth with a sense of unease, suspense, and emotional depth. Rather than writing what already exists, I set out to create the kind of story I’ve always wished I could read, one that surprises, unsettles, and lingers with the reader long after the last page.

At the heart of the novel are dragons and unicorns. Ancient beings who once lived openly on Earth but were long ago banished from its surface. Now hidden in the depths of the oceans and the skies, they watch as humans damage the planet they once cherished.

As someone deeply connected to nature and influenced by my Indigenous background, this theme is personal. The novel carries both grief for the Earth and a quiet hope that transformation is still possible. The dragons and unicorns believe they could have cared for the world more gently than humans have.

Magic also plays a central role. Years ago, I created the Dragon Companions Tarot Deck, and that very deck now exists within the world of the novel as an ancient, fragmented artifact. The cards are scattered, powerful, and mysterious. The creatures seek them out, they awaken both revelation and chaos.

Tarot has always been fascinating to me. I love how it illuminates shadows, reveals hidden truths, and invites deeper self-awareness. In this novel, the cards are not just objects; they are vessels of memory, power, and consequence.

In many ways, this story began on an airplane window when I was six years old. Staring into the clouds, I desperately wanted to see a unicorn flying beside the plane. When I didn’t, I drew one and taped it to the window. Years later, I realized that this was my way of insisting that magic could still exist, even if it was unseen.

I have always been captivated by the idea that there might be creatures living alongside us that we simply haven’t discovered yet. Beings hidden in unexplored waters or high above the clouds. That curiosity forms the backbone of this world: dragons and unicorns are still here, watching us and our actions are pulling them back into the light.

This novel is intended to be the first in a series. The initial book centers primarily on the dragons and unicorns, with humans becoming more present as the story unfolds across future installments.

I also plan to create character-focused videos as I continue writing, so readers can gradually meet and connect with these beings before the book is even released.

I want this story to hold both beauty and darkness at once. I love the idea of light within the shadows, and meaning in discomfort.

This project has been decades in the making, and I am now well past the halfway point of the first novel. I expect it to be available in 2026 and I’m already feeling the pull toward Book Two.

For now, I’m grateful to anyone who follows along with this journey of creation, imagination, and transformation.

If you’d like to hear more about the inspiration, worldbuilding, and process behind this story, be sure to watch the full video this post is based on. And if you want updates about the novel, character reveals, and release news, sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a thing.