WDU Annual Science Fiction & Fantasy Virtual Conference

The 3 Keys to Successful Portal Fantasies

Portal fantasies are both evergreen and surging in popularity. The classic trope of people traveling from one universe to another is rich with possibility, and every generation has their iconic portal fantasy, from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to Every Heart a Doorway. One aspect of portal fantasies that attracts authors in the SFF genres is its simplicity: The fundamental mechanic of a portal fantasy instantly injects tension, mystery, and adventure into your plot while leaving you free to do the fun work of building a fictional universe from the ground up. But as sturdy as they are, even portal fantasies can go very, very wrong—here are the three keys to writing a successful one.