March Theme: Worldbuilding
I fully intended to make this month’s theme be on summaries, but I did not do the research and summaries are one of my weak points. Instead I went with worldbuilding. Worldbuilding is the art of building a world in which your stories happen. It doesn’t matter what type of fiction story you are writing. Even real life stories take a bit of worldbuilding. Though, as a primarily fantasy writer, I do this a lot I am far from an expert. I strongly suggest, you do your own research on techniques and tips in order to build your world.
Week 1: What is Worldbuilding
Week 2: What Makes Your World?
Week 3: Who inhabits Your World?
Who Inhabits Your World?
You know, of course, that you have got to know your main character inside and out.
We’re not talking about the main character here.
What we are talking about is the type of people/species that are in your world. Does your world have goblins, fairies, dragons, walking mushroom people, talking blue hedgehogs, etc.? What do these societies have in common? What makes them unique? Who are their enemies? Are they at war?
You also want to think about the history behind the peoples of your world—both the main character’s people and the people of the village/country/planet surrounding them. Go beyond the things that only affect your character (though you need to think about that too). What affects the nation as a whole? How did the nation come to be? Does that have bearing on your character?
It’s also fun to go into the culture of each of these people. What kind of art and architecture do they have? Do they live underground? In trees?
Real life stories can have a wealth of cultural references. Irish, Italian, Native American—all sorts of cultures are there for you to research and discover. You may also find something that will affect your story or your character.
A fantasy world can also learn (and steal ) something from real life cultures. Do the research and see what you can discover. Why did Europe “develop” while the Native Americans of America remained the same? How did the “development” or lack thereof help and hurt their cultures? How did that affect their interaction? How can you use that in your story? Questions like those can make your world complex and interesting.
Your history and culture can be a wealth of fascination. Have fun with it.