The one element that distinguishes science fiction and fantasy from the other flavors of adventure fiction is world building. If you’re a new SFF writer, learning how to craft vivid secondary worlds is a crucial skill. And mastering it takes finesse as well as creativity. But it’s not as daunting as some aspiring authors fear.
So let’s explore the delicate art of world building for works of speculative fiction.
Related: Secondary World Religions
A compelling strange attractor is the keystone of every engaging fantasy world. That’s the speculative concept that makes your world different from reality and other fictive settings. Finding your strange attractor is as easy as asking yourself “What if?”
- What if every use of magic consumed some of your world’s limited oxygen?
- How about a post-scarcity economy that runs on algae?
- Or a generational curse that makes flavors sapient?
Related: Cult of Worlds
No judgment in the brainstorming phase. Let your imagination run wild!. Come up with several strange attractors—not two or three; but five or more. Because that’s when your best ideas tend to shake out. Write all of them down, and choose the three best of the bunch. These are the verbal portals that will transport readers from our world into yours.
Now, that’s not to say you should pull random concepts out of thin air. All of the strange attractors you pick have to work with the world and each other logically. Because internal consistency is key, and that means you have to draw up some rules.
Related: Genre vs Setting
No matter if it works according to the laws of physics or mystic principles, your world must be governed by a consistent set of rules. You can’t have a boxing match without a ring, a football game without a field, or skydiving without gravity. So decide from the outset: Is your magic transcendent and arcane or sufficiently advanced tech with hard limits? Is faster-than-light space travel possible? By setting up these rules, you create a reliable framework that keeps readers immersed and interested.
Don’t cut corners when it comes geography, either. Settings can be characters in their own right, impacting the characters and plot in subtle yet profound ways. Think, for instance, about how geography affects trade, international relations, and economics. Odds are you’ll find some solid plot hooks.
Related: Secrets of Seven Point Plot Structure
Establishing your world’s physical laws and layout is vital, because downstream from there, you will find its societies and cultures. More to the point, that’s where you, the author, will build them. Let’s get into the how.
Your world’s cultures and societies are what breathe life into it. Dive deep into the faiths, traditions, and social hierarchies that inform your characters’ lives. Consider how these elements influence their outlooks and motives. Whether you’re building a galactic empire or an elven kingdom, your world will only feel as real as its cultures.
Related: How Does Your Magic Work?
Always keep in mind that no civilization is static. They all grow and change—and rise and fall—over time. Change is the engine that drives real history and your lore. So a deep, layered history adds authenticity to your world. Come up with an epoch-spanning timeline, noting seminal events that altered the course of history. In-universe myths, legends, and folk tales not only deepen your world, they establish internal continuity.
Never forget: History shapes the present, so the past should echo throughout your story. Which is where you characters come in. Your world’s residents are windows through which readers experience your creation. Their hopes, fears, and conflicts drive your stories and enrich your setting. Each character’s motivations should be influenced by the world around him. A gangster rising through a cyberpunk underworld will have a different arc than a sorcerer seeking wisdom in a haunted forest.
Related: Mecha, Characters, and Mecha Characters
At the start of this post, we talked about founding your world on strange attractors. While originality is vital, striking a balance between the known and the novel is indispensable. Orient your readers by adding a touch of mystery to everyday activities. Appeal to universal needs like fitting in, finding one’s calling, and gaining recognition. This familiar-exotic dichotomy creates that coveted sense of wonder and keeps readers invested in your tale.
Building a believable secondary world is a fundamental storytelling task that takes close attention to detail and a brimming well of creativity. Keep in mind that world building isn’t reducible to drawing maps. Like all the parts of your story, it’s all about forming an emotional connection with your readers. By interweaving original ideas, principles, geography, societies, lore, and characters, you’ll build a lived-in world. And your readers will want to keep coming back for a visit.
Turn your 3-star writing into 5-star writing
I’ve helped dozens of author clients find the right words and present the right elements in the right order to take their books from good to great.
So let’s work together. Get in touch now to get your best book ASAP!
Get get FREE books and first looks at my exciting new projects monthly! Join my elite neopatrons to read my new dark fantasy novel The Burned Book as I write it!
Join on Patreon or SubscribeStar now.
My secret is to keep worldbuilding forever and never start writing.
Free edit: Not sure “secret” is the word you want, there.
I know it’s a problem, alright. XD
Randy Ellefson has some great world building books on Amazon for a reasonable price. “Creating Places” has been my favorite so far. It guides you through mapping out even the tiniest details, but is also with the understanding that not everything needs to be explained, or at least just enough to give your readers context or interest.
I wouldn’t doubt if some fledgling writers feel intimidated about the current world building climate where fandoms expect answers for every little thing otherwise they’ll tear it up with theories. Perhaps its a side effect of the information age or a growing thirst for us to understand the history (past, present, future) since irl, activists are trying to erase or revise it.
I see the key takeaways here are to:
1) write down all your ideas, be as free and detailed as possible
2) take your best handfull of ideas which effect the world on the macroscale and build a story around those. The microscale ideas like relatable human experiences is a given and immune to the chopping block.
The importance of writing everything down can’t be overstated. Every writer worth his salt has a pocket notebook at all times.