How to Write a Fantasy Novel that Sells: The Timeline

This is the 11th and final post in a series on how to write a fantasy novel that sells.

Well, over the past 10 days we’ve seen how you can go from the kernel of an idea to a full-fledged fantasy novel.  This final post will deal with your fantasy novel’s timeline, something that isn’t critical, but which can prove to be quite helpful.

Why Should My Fantasy Novel Have a Timeline?

I wrote The Jongurian Mission and the next two volumes in the series over the course of a year.  That was a short enough span of time that I could keep just about everything fresh in my head.  Still, there were times when I found myself forgetting when events had taken place in my fantasy world’s past.  This made it frustrating at times to move forward.

Here are a few reasons why you should have a fantasy novel timeline:

• Dialogue:  Most of the time when I was writing dialogue I’d reference things that happened in my world’s past.  Characters would be talking, and they’d say something like “…the Civil War five years ago.”  While editing, I’d sometimes see the Civil War as happening ten years ago, maybe even twenty!  I was forgetting details, and that’s when I could go back to the timeline and get the correct number.
  

• Appearance:  Most of my characters had a rich history, and they did things in the past that were talked of still.  Sometimes they’d have scars from battles or even deep psychological wounds.  Putting those injuries into context was always easier with a timeline.  I could say something like “the scar stretched across Mito’s throat when he talked.  Even though it’d been there for ten years the sight still wasn’t any easier to look at while Halam ate.”
  

• Context:  When your fantasy novel has a timeline you really have a rich context for your story.  You’ll also be able to see where your current writing will fit into that timeline, and how it’ll look.  You really need to think of your world as a real place, and with historians that’ll be studying your characters’ actions well into that world’s future.  In that regard you’re just taking care of this small section, and you want it to be accurate.
  

Here is what I did with my fantasy novel’s timeline:

Jonguria Timeline

• 655 – Current Imperial family comes to power
• 690 – East-West War begins
• 700 – East-West War ends
• 705 – Earthquakes in Pudong and fires in Pu’lao
• 720 – Current year

 
Adjuria Timeline

• 650 – King of Culdovia dies
• 651 – Regidia allies with Holstein, Myrmido, and Plainitia
• 651 – Regidian noble made king
• 652 – The royal court moved to Regidia
• 653 – Holstein mining rights diminished, those of Myrmido increased
• 654 – Taxes on Plainitian grain increased, those of Tillatia lowered
• 656 –
• Regidia sends army into Montino to increase mining in province
• Montino repels army, sends own troops into Regidia
• Regidia agrees to rescind claims to throne, restore Culdovian line
• 657 –
• Regidia makes military pact with Myrmido
• Myrmido invades Montino, but also attack Holstein
• Myrmido army defeated, Montino launches own attack
• Plainitia aids Montino attack, also sends troops into Regidia
• Culdovia sends troops into Regidia
• 658 –
• Myrmido and Regidia lay down arms, begin peace talks
• All province attend royal court in Culdovia to discuss terms
• 659 –
• Court agrees to split Myrmido and Plainitia provinces in half
• Holstein province to be split into three provinces
• Culdovia split in half, made into Culdovia and Duldovia
• Regidian rights at court eliminated, lead noble exiled to Desolatia
• 660 – Lesser noble from Culdovia appointed regent until new king decided upon
• 665 – Noble with ties in Culdovia and new province of Mercentia made king
• 690 – East-West War Begins
• 700 – East-West War Ends
• 708 – The year the Culdovian King died
• 709 – The royal court moved to Regidia
• 710 – Holstein mining rights infringed upon
• 711 – Plainitian taxes raised
• 713 – Regidia sends troops into Montino, Civil War begins
• 714 – Civil War ends with Regidia and Myrmido laying down arms
• 715 – Conspiring provinces split apart, now 14 provinces. 
• Regidian noble exiled. 
• Culdovian appointed to rule
• 720 – Current year

 
East-West War Timeline

• 685 – Sheffield resources dry-up, shipments to Jonguria lessen
• 686 – Trade goods sought by Adjuria drastically lessen in quantity
• 686 – Adjurians expel Jongurians from medical schools. 
• Jongurians expel Adjurians from military academies
• 687 – Jongurians accuse Adjurians of diplomatic espionage and execute diplomat
• Adjuria and Jonguria expel all foreigners from their countries
• 689 – Sinking of Adjurian and Jongurian fishing ships
• 690 – East-West War Begins
• 690 – Adjurian army lands at Baishur River
• 690 – Fadurk fortified
• 691 – Bindao falls to Adjurian army
• 691 – Jongurian navy attacks Adjurians on Baishur River from sea
• 691 – Jongurian armies move south to lay siege to Bindao
• 692 – Jongurian army lands in Ithmian province in Adjuria
• 692 – Jongurian army attacks Adjurians on Baishur River from land
• 692 – Jongurian army captures Fadurk
• 693 – Adjurian armies retake Fadurk, Jongurians entrench near coast
• 694 – Stalemate sets in
• 699 – Adjurian forces send armies overland and by sea to Waigo
• 699 – Adjurian armies defeated in attack on Waigo, retreat
• 700 – Adjurians sue for peace, terms are agreed upon at Nanbo Island
• 700 – Peace established

 
Adjurian Civil War Timeline

• 694 – East-West war stalemate begins
• 695 – Regidia begins to hatch plans to put themselves on the throne
• 696 – Regidia forms an alliance with Equinia, Allidia, Hotham, and Oschem
• 699 – ‘Breakout’ of the stalemate plan put into action, armies defeated at Waigo
• 699 – Culdovian king assassinated
• 700 – Twelve-year old heir becomes king, appointed a regent
• 700 – Peace treaty signed with Jonguria at Nanbo Island
• 701 – Regidians forcibly remove young king in coup, take throne for themselves
• 702 – Montino makes an alliance with Mercentia and Shefflin
• 702 – Duldovia and Fadurk garrison join with Montino alliance
• 703 – Loyal armies move south into Culdovia
• 703 – Conspiring provinces raise army, move toward Culdovia
• 703 – Battle of Baden takes place for five days, conspirators defeated
• 704 – Royal Court of the Provinces takes over the task of governing