Get Real... Really

One thing that I have noticed in several stories nowadays is how unrealistic things can become. Even if you have a fantasy story, you still have to keep things realistic.

For example, I know of a story where a boy has never ridden a horse in real life but when he goes to the fantasy realm he automatically can leap on and off horses like a pro. That is not realistic at all. Another example from a different story is a boy who has never picked up a sword before and after a few months of practice is considered an expert. Let's be frank: these things do not happen in real life and thus do not happen in a fantasy world. Even if you have a natural aptitude for something, it takes a long time to develop that skill.

Staying real doesn't just apply to your character's skills or whatnot. Here are some other examples.

- If your character(s) do a lot of traveling, make sure they're going at expected speeds. Even if they have high endurance, they're not going to run a hundred miles in a day (unless you're Leto Atreides).

- If your character has been wounded, make sure he has plenty of recovery time. One normally doesn't get stabbed in the arm and then the next day use it in a major battle. If you want to be realistic, he's going to be in a lot of pain and won't be able to use his arm for a while.

I can't think of any other examples at the moment, but do remember this: keep things realistic in your story, fantasy or not.