Jonathan Hare asked Jeff Wheeler:

Hi Jeff Wheeler! I'm an aspiring author, and I would like to ask you a few questions about writing my book. First, what would you name a fourteen-year-old boy who lives in medieval times? (He's my protagonist) Second, how would I make my antagonist a compelling, dangerous bad guy? Third, what elements of fantasy make a magical book to you?

Jeff Wheeler Hi Jonathan - interesting questions. Here are some thoughts. First, coming up with names can be challenging and fun. For inspiration on medieval era names, you can Google for this to get a lot of different names to choose from. If you're writing fantasy, you might want to consider coming up with your own names as part of your world-building. I love to zoom in on maps to find inspiration for names. Second, making antagonists compelling and dangerous is simply a matter of imagination. A villain believes they're the hero of their own story so you need to understand their motivation and what drives them. Making them sympathetic is more interesting than just making them pure evil. Third, I'll turn this question back on you. What makes a fantasy book magical to you? You might find that the feeling of "wonder" is something you should strive to capture. What causes that feeling within you?

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