World-building is the element that sets the sci-fi and fantasy subsets of adventure fiction apart from other genres. If you’re a budding SFF author, it’s am indispensable craft. And mastering it requires finesse and ingenuity. Yet it’s not as daunting as some new writers fear.
Today, let’s explore the intricate art of building speculative fiction worlds.
An engaging concept is the foundation of any memorable world. Take a step back and ask yourself “What if?”
What if magic was powered by music, or if advanced technology was based on fungus? Let your imagination run wild – no judgment at this step. Come up with a number of strange attractors; not just a couple, but five, six, or more. Write them down, and pick your best two or three ideas. These are the points of departure from our world that will draw readers into yours.
That doesn’t mean you should pull random concepts out of a hat. Your primary world-divergent strange attractors have to interact logically. And that means you have to map out the rules.
Whether it’s governed by the laws of physics or the arcane principles of magic, every world operates under a set of rules. Define the boundaries of your universe. Is your magic mystical and transcendent or a system with built-in limitations? How does technology function? By establishing these rules, you create a consistent framework that keeps readers immersed and engaged.
And don’t skimp on geography. Landscapes can be characters in and of themselves, impacting the story and characters in profound ways.
Think about how geography affects trade routes, politics, and resource availability. Chances are, you’ll find some compelling story hooks.
And downstream from your world’s natural laws and geography, you will find its cultures and societal structures.
Or rather, that’s where you as the author will build them.
Let’s take a look at how.
Your world’s cultures and societies are its breath and life’s blood. Delve deep into the customs, religions, traditions, and class hierarchies that shape your characters’ lives. Consider how these elements influence their motivations and perspectives. Whether you’re building an intergalactic empire or an enchanted kingdom, your world will only feel as developed as its societies.
Of course, civilizations change – and even rise and fall – over time. That’s the engine which drives history and lore.
A deep and layered history adds authenticity to your world. Develop a timeline that spans generations, noting pivotal events that changed history. Legends, myths, and folklore can provide depth and a sense of continuity.
Remember, history shapes the present, so the echoes of past events should resonate throughout your story.
Which is where you characters come in.
Your world’s inhabitants are the windows through which readers experience your creation. Their goals, fears, and conflicts drive individual stories and breathe life into your setting.
Each character’s quest should be influenced by the world around him. A street urchin navigating a dystopian megacity will have a different arc from a mage seeking enlightenment in an enchanted forest.
And like a good character arc, we’ve now come full circle. At the beginning of this post, we discussed founding your world on strange attractors. While originality is key, finding a balance between the familiar and the novel is essential.
Ground your readers by introducing the mysteries of your world through relatable pursuits. Appeal to universal touchstones like rites of passage, the desire to fit in, and loyalty to family. This duality creates a sense of wonder and keeps readers invested in your narrative.
Creating a compelling science fiction or fantasy world is a labor of love that demands meticulous attention to detail and healthy creativity. Remember that world building isn’t just about constructing landscapes. Like all story elements, it’s about forging an emotional connection with your readers.
By weaving together unique concepts, rules, geography. cultures, histories, and characters, you’ll craft a living, breathing world that readers will want to visit.
So fire up your imagination, and get building!
If you need inspiration, visit a thrilling post-future world where wars are fought with giant robots.
Read my hit mech adventure now:
“Come up with a number of strange attractors; not just a couple, but five, six, or more.”
This reminds me of a profs’ advice to students for writing papers where he compared it to thinking of places to hide drugs from police. Namely, reject the first ten ideas you come up with because if you thought of it, so has someone else. 😀
Not sure if you saw the thumbnail but Razorfist made a video about global religion with Pope Francis holding a hammer and sickle. I know Danny’s unhinged anti-Catholic rhetoric so I didn’t bother watching. Some people just don’t get it, unfortunately.
I respect Razorfist for what he’s been doing in the arts, but I take his political stuff with a grain of salt.
Creating Places by Randy Ellefson was a fantastic read for me. It lays out all major details of world building in a simple way and even gives you some tips on how to manage it all. We want a believable world that is filled with the fantastic – for sake of argument bc I love the ratio – use the 80-20 rule with the 20% being what makes your world fantastic (magic, creatures, etc).
Reading that book alone got the cogs turning on how I can better create my worlds and universes.
Another thing to keep in mind is that world-building doesn’t have to explain darn near everything in your universe. Rather, enough to get the story going and then some. This will help writers avoid the infamous trap in which they get caught up in the minutiae of their world which turned out to be irrelevant to the story.
That’s important advice for avoiding infodumps. Speculative fiction authors should keep in mind they’re writing stories, not travelogues or atlases.