4 Tips for Writing Cozy Fantasy

Cozy fantasy has always been around, but has grown in popularity over the past few years and established itself as one of the most beloved corners of the bookshop. It was never a genre that I intentionally set out to write within, but instead one that I stumbled into and have been lucky enough to stay a while.

(My Unconventional Publishing Story.)

When I think back on how I came to find myself here, it makes perfect sense. I’m a cozy person by nature, and coziness is a way of life that I’m always actively seeking. At any given time, you’ll find me with a cup of coffee in hand, a blanket around my shoulders, and a very dribbly cat on my lap, while I channel my lifelong love for 90s witches into my cozy, comforting stories.

Now that I’m in the depths of writing my fourth(?!) cozy fantasy book, I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve which definitely help to pull the feeling of cozy fantasy to the forefront of a book, and point a reader towards that particular *feeling* of coziness that we all crave so much, to escape from real life for an hour or two.

Part of the joy of picking up a cozy fantasy book is that you’re going to be welcomed into a place that you’ll soon wish was real; a location that you’ll find yourself longing for after the book is finished. For Rewitched, I began with a bookshop that sells sweet treats, flowers, and stationery. For Uncharmed, my main character works in a bakery where her recipes are all enchanted with comforting concoctions. In Disenchanted, it’s a small town museum that we’re holed up in with two best friends, surrounded by dusty research and forgotten cups of coffee.

I find it helpful to pair the location with my character—these places were natural choices to reflect the traits of my main witches, whether they were shy and bookish, sugary sweet people pleasers, or trying to hide from their past.

When I’m right at the starting line, I pretty much envision my dream Sunday afternoon and where that might be spent. Maybe a pub with low lighting and roast potatoes, or a curiosity shop full of strange corners. Wherever you choose, it should be a place that evokes a feeling of safety, softness, and slow pace. While the story itself will speed up and the stakes may build, this location acts as the sanctuary that the characters (and readers) can return to and catch their breath.

You cannot underestimate how important the little things are in the world of cozy storytelling. While high stakes fantasy shines with impressively vast world-building and complex back stories, cozy fantasy is widely agreed to come down to a vibe more than anything else.

That said, you can’t rely solely on these vibes. Cozy fantasy is not just a written Pinterest board—there still has to be a narrative that serves a purpose, and the stakes of a cozy fantasy story can be a fine line to tread. While my books are zoomed in on one specific witch and her quiet, domestic life, there is always a slightly darker, good/evil storyline bubbling in the background. In the cozy fantasy realm, almost every scene can take a few extra mentions of crunchy leaves, fluffy blankets, and cups of tea for balance.

Sprinkle as much coziness as possible, wherever possible. If your characters have just tackled a tricky conversation or a dramatic moment, balance it with a scene of extra caffeine and contemplation. And when you think you’ve mentioned just enough candles, cold weather, or piled bookshelves, add another few for good measure. It’s all about capturing the peaceful warmth in this tiny little corner of the world that we’ve arrived in.

Similarly, the scale of magic itself can be pulled back to something much more microscopic than you would find in high fantasy. If high fantasy is about the world at large and complex magical systems that have to make scientific sense, cozy fantasy simply puts us in front of one specific window, of one specific house, of one specific magical being and lets us in on their everyday routine.

It’s here where I take a lot of inspo from my favorite 90s witches, because the nostalgic ‘point and sparkle’ approach to magic can go a long way to creating that cozy element of the story. The magic is usually a metaphor for something else, like hope or confidence, rather than a huge, intimidating power.

The domesticity of this genre adds to a lot of the charm, so don’t skim over these moments. Some of the feedback I hear the most is from readers enjoying the much smaller glimmers of magic use and how relatable they feel, with witches turning to their powers to help out with the mundane, like blowdrying their hair to perpetually reheating their neglected coffee. There’s something very special in the smaller, most genuine, and realistic moments of cozy fantasy.

People have mixed feelings about tropes these days and authors being too reliant on their use, but found family surely has to be the exception to that rule where cozy fantasy is concerned. I might be a little biased (because it’s one of my absolute favorites as a reader and a writer) but it’s somewhat of a necessary requirement within this world. Almost every main character in the cozy fantasy genre needs to be welcomed and understood in a way that they never have been before. They are often an outsider in some respect, and that requires a rag-tag bunch of endearing misfits to show them that they’re absolutely wonderful, just as they are.

If the purpose of cozy fantasy had to be summed up in one word, I think ‘healing’ or ‘hope’ might be the top choice. There’s something about the idea of finally finding your people, and being unquestionably welcomed, accepted, and understood by them, that almost every reader wishes for and relates to, no matter their age. Perhaps that is the very crux of coziness itself.

And the addition of a cat to that family certainly never hurts—I think the cats on my book covers are responsible for half the sales!

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