History SoYouWantTo / WriteADarkFantasy

Why write such a thing, you ask? Well, don't look at us, it's you who just came in here. Some authors do it, for lack of a better word, naturally, when they suffer CreatorBreakdown. Others do it as an exploration of some world-building concept. Others yet do it tongue-in-cheek, piling misfortune upon misfortune upon his or her characters as a sort of a meta-BlackComedy. If you belong to the first two, you probably don't really need any of our lessons. Nevertheless, we'll try to provide you with a quick round-up of things that a writer of Dark Fantasy may consider.

* As mentioned almost the point of parody, HumansAreTheRealMonsters is a very common theme in these works. Ultimately, they should still have some darkness about them, [[GreyAndGreyMorality as should all species]], but how about having them somewhere north of the lowest moral denominator? Alternately, go ahead and try to anwser the question of ''why'' humans are such bastards, as opposed to just stating it as such. Perhaps they were DrivenToVillainy by desperation, or [[HumansAreCthulhu perhaps there's just something off about them compared to the other races]].

** It's Also notable for being one with a pretty good sense of humor... Pitch black humor, of course.

* Instead of a protagonist who's a KnightInSourArmor, an AntiHero [[NinetiesAntiHero of the particularly edgy kind]], how about a comically buffoonish, HeroicComedicSociopath? A brute who ''thinks'' he's in a high or heroic fantasy, built like a brick wall, and with an ''alleged'' heart purer than cream... It's just that every time he tries to act like he's in a high or heroic fantasy, he inadvertently makes the world ''worse''.

* Instead of a protagonist who's a KnightInSourArmor, an AntiHero [[90sAntiHero of the particularly edgy kind]], how about a comically buffoonish, HeroicComedicSociopath? A brute who ''thinks'' he's in a high or heroic fantasy, built like a brick wall, and with an ''alleged'' heart purer than cream... It's just that every time he tries to act like he's in a high or heroic fantasy, he inadvertently makes the world ''worse''.

* ''TabletopGame/{{FATAL}}'' relies too much on shock value, and just ends up as disgusting rather than dark.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' is an interesting case study, despite [[ScienceFantasy not really counting]] as fantasy: at a certain point, the writers piled so much teenage-boy-edginess onto it, that nobody could take it seriously any longer. The term "grimdark" was coined from the game's tagline to make fun of this tendency. Luckily for the game, somebody finally got the clue and since then the setting is depicted with a bit more nuance to it.
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* Make sure you don't overdo it. Sure, a hapless wench once in a while is to be expected, but don't spend too much time on the lovingly detailed description, and resist the temptation to insert gratuitous {{Gorn}} or [[GratuitousRape rape scenes]] for the sake of shock value. It's one thing to write a bad story, entirely another to deal with accusations of creepy fetishes or extremist politics. Just think twice before you do that. And, God-Emperor help us, we ''do'' hope these weren't your actual beliefs or fetishes. (See also: SoYouWantTo/AvoidUnfortunateImplications)

** It's Also notable for being one with a pretty good sense of humor...Pitch black humor, of course.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy. That's probably the most important thing to watch out for in Dark Fantasy. No matter how good you are at making the audience depressed, make sure that they still care about your character. That is, don't invoke dark elements pointlessly, and don't make the characters the reader is supposed to root for too unlikable (and, presumably, [[DracoInLeatherPants vice versa]]). You don't need to give {{Hope Spot}}s to keep the audience to the end -- sometime they're aware from start that your character won't make it, yet they will continue the story since they want to know how it will end. Angst is to be expected, but try not to put it on [[DeusAngstMachina too thick]].

* The ''Franchise/DarkSouls'' game series takes a lot of inspiration from ''Berserk'' above, and features truly horrific monsters, seemingly-benevolent religions with hidden dark sides, plenty of tragic backstories for both characters and monsters alike.

* Who are the gods of this CrapsackWorld? Do they exist at all? Are they [[JerkassGods assholes of the highest calibre]] only interested in [[PassThePopcorn sitting back and watching humanity fail]]? Maybe the [[VillainsActHeroesReact only active god]] is the [[GodOfEvil one trying to destroy everything]] with TheLegionsOfHell. Going even further, there could be [[DevilButNoGod Devils but No Gods]].

* Let's start with world building details. For example, let's assume it's a StandardFantasySetting. Will the FiveRaces be present? If they are present, then how corrupted/evil will each race be? The answer is that, likely, their darker side will be brought to light. [[OurElvesAreDifferent Standard tropes of the Elves]] allow them to be portrayed as [[ScrewYouElves absolute asses]] rather easily - and going further, we get at [[TheFairFolk their original depiction]], where they can easily become just plain inhuman. Or you can turn them on their heads, make the Elves {{enslaved|Elves}} or wiped out. Dwarves' love of gold means they're greedy and couldn't care less about everyone else. Hobbits, even if they are still the merry small folk, are probably keeping a monumental collection of skeletons in their closets... if they're not being enslaved in various horrible ways. Still, it's pretty likely that HumansAreTheRealMonsters.

* Let's start with world building details. For example, let's assume it's a StandardFantasySetting. Will the FiveRaces be present? If they are present, then how corrupted/evil will each race be? The answer is that, likely, their darker side will be brought to light. [[OurElvesAreBetter Standard tropes of the Elves]] allow them to be portrayed as [[ScrewYouElves absolute asses]] rather easily - and going further, we get at [[TheFairFolk their original depiction]], where they can easily become just plain inhuman. Or you can turn them on their heads, make the Elves {{enslaved|Elves}} or wiped out. Dwarves' love of gold means they're greedy and couldn't care less about everyone else. Hobbits, even if they are still the merry small folk, are probably keeping a monumental collection of skeletons in their closets... if they're not being enslaved in various horrible ways. Still, it's pretty likely that HumansAreTheRealMonsters.

It's quite easy to look at the Tropes in {{Fantasy}} and twist them to suit the darker tone. Maybe a retelling of a classic fairy tale like Literature/{{Snow White|and the seven dwarfs}} or Literature/SleepingBeauty but adding a darker flavour to the tale? Some AlternateCharacterInterpretation can play into this, a previously good character could quite easily be twisted into a {{Chessmaster}} villain who is simply putting on a [[BitchInSheepsClothing cute and innocent act]] to [[BatmanGambit achieve their own ends]]. Putting focus on political elements within the fantasy world can also greatly fuel the GreyAndGrayMorality.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy. That's probably the most important thing to watch out for in Dark Fantasy. No matter how good you are at making the audience depressed, make sure that they still care about your character. That is, don't invoke dark elements pointlessly, and don't make the characters the reader is supposed to root for too unlikable (and, presumably, [[DracoInLeatherPants vice versa]]). You don't need to give {{Hope Spot}}s to keep the audience to the end -- sometime they're aware from start that your character won't make it, yet they will continue the story since they want to know how it will end. Angst is to be expected, but try not to put it on [[DeusAngstMachina too thick.

Unlike HighFantasy or HeroicFantasy, Dark Fantasy is based at the far end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism. It is often the product of standard fantasy meeting a [[CrapsackWorld craptastic world]] with extra suck stirred in, standard fantasy tropes are usually [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]], [[InvertedTrope inverted]] or [[GoneHorriblyRight played straight]] to the darkest tone possible. Dark fantasy may sometimes cross into ScienceFiction usually with a [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] style world like the kind seen in Orwellian-style fiction.

* Chances of success - it's rather safe to assume [[TheBadGuyWins the heroes rarely win]], or if they do, then [[PyrrhicVictory it’s usually at a high cost]] or because they are not saints themselves. Defeating the Great Evil once and for all would hardly make the story dark -- unless, of course, you aren't averse to [[EarnYourHappyEnding ending the story on an optimistic note.]] Just don't do it before you complete the story, or else we'd be left with a GenreShift.

* Let's start with world building details. For example, let's assume it's a StandardFantasySetting. Will the FiveRaces be present? If they are present, then how corrupted/evil will each race be? The answer is that, likely, their darker side will be brought to light. [[OurElvesAreBetter Standard tropes of the Elves]] allow them to be portrayed as [[ScrewYouElves absolute asses]] rather easily - and going further, we get at [[TheFairFolk their original depiction]], where they can easily become just plain inhuman. Or you can turn them on their heads, make the Elves [[EnslavedElves enslaved]] or wiped out. Dwarves' love of gold means they're greedy and couldn’t care less about everyone else. Hobbits, even if they are still the merry small folk, are probably keeping a monumental collection of skeletons in their closets... if they're not being enslaved in various horrible ways. Still, it's pretty likely that HumansAreTheRealMonsters.

* {{Narm}} is the general pitfall here. It’s easy to think something is being dark but actually will provoke laughter and eye rolling. The subtle approach tends to be the best when trying to avoid this.

* As mentioned almost the point of parody, HumansAreTheRealMonsters is a very common theme in these works. Ultimately, they should still have some darkness about them, [[GreyAndGreyMorality as should all species,]] but how about having them somewhere north of the lowest moral denominator? Alternately, go ahead and try to anwser the question of ''why'' humans are such bastards, as opposed to just stating it as such. Perhaps they were Driven toVillainy by desperation, or [[HumansAreCthulhu perhaps there's just something off about them compared to the other races.]]
!'''Writers’ Lounge'''

* The ''Franchise/CthulhuMythos'' is a great of this genre with [[EvilGod evil gods]] and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s galore. Whilst magic isn't present, it doesn't mean that the wrong word won't attract unwanted attention. As it is set in our world, it is however lacking in general nastiness.

* ''TabletopGame/{{FATAL}}'' relies too much on shock value, and just ends up as disgusting rather than dark.