Creating Fantasy Races that aren't just Humans in Costumes

Fantasy races should be more complex than elves hiding up in trees, grumpy dwarves, or human analogues. In this worldbuilding guide, we explore three techniques for creating fantasy peoples—elves, dwarves, or species of your own design—that feel genuinely non-human: drawing inspiration from the animal kingdom, leveraging life-stage variation, and rethinking basic needs. Build races your audience will never forget. Part of an ongoing fantasy worldbuilding series. 0:00 Introduction 1:33 What is a Fantasy Race? 3:56 How to make Fantasy Races non-Human 4:59 Animals as Inspiration 10:53 Life Stage Variation 15:47 Altering Basic Needs 19:17 Conclusion Poisons of the Second-Hand Tolkien: 3 Techniques to Reinvigorate Fantasy Races    • Poisons of the Second-Hand Tolkien:  3 Tec...   Worldbuilding Series    • A Practical Guide to Worldbuilding   Worldbuilding and Writing Resources https://jonathanoldenburg.com/writing... Check out my novel, “Tears from Iron” on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07... If you’re interested in more discussions of this variety, check out my Substack and you can always find more information about me and my writing projects at my website. And don’t forget to subscribe to this channel! https://jonathanoldenburg.com/ https://substack.com/@jonathanoldenburg Music by Geoff Hulten #youtube #worldbuilding #fantasy #fantasymap #elves #dwarves