The Worldbuilder Diaries: My approach to dragons

Love them or loathe them, dragons (and their kin) are a fixture in the fantasy genre. From ancient myths to Tolkien to modern authors, dragons are a recurring theme and something I think many people are fascinated with.

I’m guilty of that fascination myself, and I’ve written my share of dragons as a result (along with some similar reptilian species that, while not dragons in the traditional sense, could be their distant relatives.) Today’s post is all about my dragons and how I go about adding them to my stories.

The personalities of dragons

I’ve never liked the idea of dragons as brutish monsters whose sole purpose is to destroy human civilization and terrorize the world. While I understand the appeal of a “merely human” protagonist sent to slay an overpowered, bloodthirsty creature and save the world, that’s not my cup of tea.

I like my dragons to have intelligence, and with that comes complex societies and relationships not so different than those of my human characters. They just happen to be bigger, stronger, and sometimes more magically-inclined. The book I’m currently drafting explores inter-clan politics between the dragons of the Mage War Chronicles series, along with some of the back story of why those dragons ultimately left their world (as mentioned in the related Caein Legacy series, which most of you are more familiar with.)

Given all of that, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that each of my dragons has their own unique personality. Zayneldarion is the well-meaning father, still considered very young by dragon standards, who makes some unfortunate mistakes—but given his circumstance when he’s introduced, it’s no surprise they occurred. Caelmarion is the older, wiser mentor-figure in the Caein Legacy, though in the Mage War Chronicles, he’s only a youngling and has a lot to learn. Ikessalion is the oldest dragon character I’ve ever written, and he’s been a blast to work on. Ike is cantankerous and curmudgeonly and he doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks of him, but he’s old enough to understand what drives those around him and offers sage advice—if they take the time to listen. And finally, there’s Tagrin, who inhabits the Fontayne Company books. He’s an inventor and engineer with a curious mind and a voracious appetite for both gourmet food and obscure knowledge.

My potentially controversial takes on dragon biology

My dragons have four legs and two wings. There, I said it.

There was some discussion a couple years ago about why this was “biologically wrong,” and “didn’t fit the design of other creatures other than insects,” which I found both humorous and exasperating.

Dragons are mythical creatures and real-world biology doesn’t necessarily need to apply to every aspect of their design. And on the other point of discussion, there are numerous examples of other fantasy creatures with four appendages plus wings. Angels, gryphons, fairies, and pegasus, just to name a few (none of those are insects, by the way.)

The other big point of contention seems to be about fire-breathing. My dragons don’t breathe fire because I felt they were powerful enough without it. I also felt that I’d need to explain how breathing fire worked, and that would have involved diving into some chemistry/biochemistry that I simply didn’t have the patience for. (Not to mention explaining how my dragons were still capable of speech after spewing fire from their throats. I imagine that would ruin the vocal cords pretty quick!)

While we’re on the subject of biology, my dragons don’t lay eggs to reproduce either. But this isn’t without precedent in the real world: Some snake species give live birth, like the anaconda. I figured with as large as dragons typically are, it made more sense to have them reproduce this way too (while this isn’t mentioned in any of my published books, it will come up in the Mage War Chronicles. Specifically in book 6, if anyone’s keeping track out there.)

Why I’ve been thinking about dragons lately

I’m currently writing book 6 in The Mage War Chronicles, which features Ikessalion as the main character. On top of that, I’m participating in a TBRCon panel on July 30. (I’ll put panel info at the end of this post for those interested.)

And I just like dragons. I write about them. I read about them. I even have a small one as a pet (while I know he’s technically a lizard, he’s called a bearded dragon, so he counts.)

For me, dragons are fun. They represent something mysterious and powerful, and provide an escape from reality when I really need one.

TBRCon 2026: From Tolkien to Yarros: The Evolution of Dragons

It will be live on July 30 at 3pm MDT/5pm EDT on the FanFiAddict YouTube channel as part of this year’s TBRCon. The panel will be moderated by Neil Williams (who you may know as Neil the Book Guy on socials), and I’m lucky to be part of it. Scott Palmer, Jordan Loyal Short, S.A. Klopfenstein, and Kerstin Espinosa Rosero will also be there.

And if you can’t watch live, it will be recorded and available on YouTube afterwards. Full details of the event, along with panel schedules can be found at FanFiAddict.com/TBRCon2026/