Dragon Inspiration for Writers: 3 Epic Fantasy Authors Who Will Inspire Your Dragons

There are so many staples in the fantasy genre, and most of them are awesome! We love elves, dwarves, large-scale battles, and, of course, dragons. But what if we want to keep these favorites without letting them fall into the “it’s already been done” category? My advice to you is twofold. First, don’t worry about doing something no one else has done. Everything has been done before, and that is great. You just have to do your version of what everyone else has done. Second, instead of trying to be completely original, practice learning from the greats and then apply what you learn. In case you are on the hunt for some great examples of dragons in fiction, here are three authors who write dragons and write them well!

J. R. R. Tolkien – The Hobbit

The classic dragon is a gold-hoarding, territorial, winged lizard with flaming breath. Tolkien portrayed this archetype brilliantly with Smaug in The Hobbit. This classic dragon has inspired many dragon characters since. Sometimes, starting with the classics is a great foundation. If you want to learn from the master how to make this kind of classic dragon work, I recommend revisiting The Hobbit for some inspiration.

E. A. Winters – Blood and Flame Saga

If you are looking for something a little more unique, you might be able to get some fun ideas from the works of the wonderful E. A. Winters! Her dragons are classic in so many ways, but she changed things up just enough to make them stand out. Her dragons are telepathic, but only under certain circumstances. I don’t want to spoil anything (definitely recommend her books), but if you want to investigate stories that might stretch your idea of what you could change to make your dragon’s unique, the Blood and Flame Saga is great. Sometimes small things make a big impact!

Bradon Sanderson – Isles of the Emberdark and Tress of the Emerald Sea

If you want to make sure your dragons are just plain cool but follow a strict code that makes them stand out in the world you are building, check out Brandon Sanderson’s books Isles of the Emberdark and Tress of the Emerald Sea. While there are not a lot of dragons (in dragon form) on the page in these books, the books are great, and the dragons are an excellent example of taking this fictional creature and their culture to the next level without losing what makes dragons a fan favorite in fantasy.

Happy Reading

As always, have fun! This kind of research is a blast because you get to read books! Take note of what these authors do and see what you can learn from them. Reading is the best way to teach your brain to find your own path to uniqueness. But the greats can help point you in the right direction and spark creativity. Happy reading!