One of the most iconic fantasy stories written in the past century is without a doubt the universally loved Harry Potter series, written by the rags to riches British author J.K. Rowling. The series, which focuses on the misadventures of a young wizard named Harry Potter, is beloved by millions for its relatable, charming atmosphere and characters. Throughout every incarnation of the series, the audience is allowed to grow up with the complex characters and better understand what it means to be an adult by witnessing the actions that further develops the storyline. Even over twenty years after the first book's release, Harry Potter remains a fantasy staple for all ages. This love has translated itself into eight excellently directed live action films, a theme park attraction at Universal Studios, and a very eccentric fan base that holds on to the books' legacy through simple acts such as fan fiction. Anyone, a child, a teenager, and even an adult, can enjoy the fruits of J.K. Rowling's loving labor. Heck, even your own cat might sit still on your bed just to hear the story for themselves. It is a fantasy series anyone can enjoy.
It is through J.K. Rowling's example with the Harry Potter series that we can see there is a missing trend in most modern fantasy novels. That trend is the idea of reaching a universal audience, something sadly a lot of fantasy novels have not taken advantage of. Current fantasy book series such as Beautiful Creatures or The Vampire Diaries do not follow this helpful trend, crutching themselves with a limited young adult audience. The themes in these novel series, heartfelt romance, crazy supernatural occurrences, and a teenage main cast, could all with a bit of work be adjusted so they can be enjoyed by the left out younger and older audiences. Expanding their audience would mean a better chance of success with their stories, which would be written off less as just another supernatural romance novel. As long as some charm and a flexible main cast are incorporated, both series could succeed just as the Harry Potter novels had in the past.
One such example that would surprisingly work great with a more diverse audience is a simple storyline about vampires. While this would seem to be a horrible idea to try, especially for young children, considering the horror reputation vampires have, it actually has a great hand at play for a potential writer. To not scare the younger audience away too much, taking the more religious themes out of the equation and going for less bloodshed by removing the death sentence that is usually a stake to the heart is a strong start. Instead, keep some of the more neutral traits such as not being able to go out during the day or having an allergy to garlic. To keep the older audience interested, the cast could be diversified into a coven of vampires ranging from all kinds of different ages instead of being typically a teenager. To keep the teenage audience invested, the creation of a major threat to the cast such as an organization who believes falsely that all vampires are evil and dashing in at least one romantic couple should do the trick. As from where to continue for there, make the characters diverse in personality, create a relatable main topic, and figure out a creative setting where you want the story to take place. The rest is really up to you from there on. Despite the few adjustments created to allow a larger demographic of readers, the creativity and the fun of writing the novel can still remain. There is no rule saying the story has to follow a static format. Just have fun writing the novel!
Diversity in the audience allows for a higher chance of becoming a well known, established writer. Although skill and massive amounts of creativity are needed to achieve this goal, it is one that is much more worth it for both the author and the audience. Both will find enjoyment in following this type of writing format. It is these decisions that made Harry Potter so iconic, as well as other iconic novels. The Wizard of Oz, The Hobbit, and the Warriors series are just a few examples of this trend done right. So go ahead and try this technique out for yourself! There is no crime if you want to have an audience of only teens or only adults, as those types of stories can still find success if written well enough. The diversity ideal is a choice for those who want to try crafting a story that more individuals may stop and read if they do not want to try taking an immediate risk or feel a bit unconfident.