Of Worlds and Stories

What makes a story world worth it?

Many fictional stories have a world that is not ours. It may be called ‘earth’, belong to a star, &c., but it is not Earth. It might have dragons and fairies and unicorns (if I’m the first to tell you, I must grievously inform you that unicorns are but the figment of your imagination in this world), or perhaps spaceships and rockets and lasers and aliens. Fantasy and sci-fi bring out the dreamer in us – ‘what could other planets be like?’ However, sometimes that world just doesn't look different. Sure it’s got elves and magic, but why are they from a peninsula that looks suspiciously like Florida? Sure it’s got spaceships and rockets, but why does the moon landing team have the same speech as Neil Armstrong? An alternate world needs to feel real, and that means it needs to be different. Does your world feel flat? (Because really it should be round, but that’s beside the point) Do your character cross a river getting to the villain’s hideout and then go back the same way and ‘poof!’ there’s no river? Then what you need, what your story needs, is a world.

Worldbuilding (as it is called) can be as simple or as complex as the author wants it. You don’t need five thousand years of history prior to your novel, you don’t need to know the orbital route of your earth, you don’t need to understand the exact number of miles between your planet and its white dwarf star, or if it can even orbit a dwarf star at all! You don’t need any of those things. And yet, the stories feel complete with them. I can tell when a story’s world is well developed. The story doesn’t start with the novel; it simply begins where it begins, whether or not that’s when the story itself starts. The events in the novel might be caused by something that happened centuries ago (Lord of the Rings, anyone?) Your world needs to be real, and different. Everyone builds their world differently, so I won’t suggest how to do it, but everyone likes pointers (unless you don’t, in which case everyone but you does). So here’s what to build:

• ·         A map – every world should have a map, even if you never let anyone see it because it’s horrible. Even using Paint to give yourself a general idea of what goes where is better than nothing. Not only does a map keep you from losing your rivers and forests, but it also helps determine directions to the cities your hero might travel to. It can give you a mental picture of what goes where, and why. The shape of a country can give you enormous amounts of backstory: why is it so small? So large? And of course, knowing your world has more than just one or two countries makes it feel complete to you, as the author. You don’t need to plot out latitude and longitude and find the equator and all that unless you really want to. Chances are no one’s going to see these, unless you’re really good at drawing. The map is for you, the writer.
• ·         History – I’ve heard from writers who have planned the history of their world for five thousand years, with complex timelines to prove it. I've done it myself, in fact. As cool as that is, you don’t need five thousand years. It’s cool, but you don’t need it. Ask yourself ‘what happens before my novel?’ ‘What’s important?’ ‘What historical figures and wars and achievements affect my story?’ Plot them out. Give your story a simple timeline. Also, what kind of dating method is used? B.C. and A.D. are rather limited to our world. Some cataclysmic? Perhaps the conquering of a nation? Simple things, even without a dating system, can give your world depth.
• ·         Politics, Government, and laws – sound boring? For some people it might be. But we’re talking any amount of complexity. How many people write about the king’s daughter? Son? How many of those stories are flat, because there’s no interesting politics? How similar are all those governments? The laws? Give yourself and your world the permission to dabble in the boring, and it will make other things exciting.

            First, politics:

o   Who has power where? Which countries hate the hero’s native home? What undercurrents might affect your hero? Rebellions? Past offenses creating tension? Are assassins a threat?

Next, government:

o   Is it a monarchy? Oligarchy? Democracy? Tyrannical and hostile? Who’s who? What customs govern the succession of the throne? Do the people hate the government, or are they content?

And lastly, laws:

o   Are there strange laws? Are customs so strong they are enforced as law? Are they just? Cruel?

• ·         Religion – religion is everywhere, it makes up everything we do and say. Even atheists have religion – atheism. It’s their worldview, how they see the world and make decisions.  Your world will seem authentic if the people have something to believe. What kind of God(s) do they believe in? What sort of myths and legends do they tell around the campfire?
• ·         Culture/Societal norms – Every country has its own unique culture and society.  What makes yours so special? Every medieval world has a market with merchants and fishmongers and shops. What makes your world different? Is it a matriarchal or patriarchal society? Are certain types of people outcast? Are other elevated? What different classes and castes separate the people? Every sci-fi world has huge buildings and aliens and spaceships. What makes your world so special I want to read about it? Are certain species despised? Do people live in fear of the government or do they praise it? What about family? Are they closely knit, with dozens of extended relatives? Or perhaps they parents ship their children off to school so they can have easier lives? How does society function? What sort of moral and ethical codes do the people follow? Why?
• ·         Races/nationalities – this might seem a ridiculous one, but so many people have different races: elves, dwarves/dwarfs, dragons, fairies, etc. What makes your race unique? Everyone does dragons, why should I be more interested in your particular kind? Why are your elves so special? Or, if you’re the kind of person who makes your own race that’s not any of the usual, what makes them intriguing? How are they different from humans? How does this affect them? Are other races honored or discriminated against?

          And what about nationalities? Obviously, some people have darker skin, and some lighter. What does           this mean to them? How does it affect their social status?  Where do they come from?

• ·         Technology/Magic – Some worlds have magic, and some have technology. What kind is it? If you have a sci-fi world, what sort of technology do they have? Nuclear? Or perhaps they've gone all clean energy like solar or wind power? Or is it more steampunk, with steam and gauges and pistons? What sort of weapons does this create? Missiles, lasers, flak, full auto with tracking? Do some research.

         As for magic, what sort of magic is it? Who can wield it? Does it come at a cost? Are people born               with it, or is it teachable? Is it elemental (fire, earth, water, etc.), potion-based (elixirs, vials of liquid,             etc.), or something else? Are there ‘relics’ with power or can only people hold magic? What rules                 govern this magic?

It might seem like a lot, and it is. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into a world, and what I've suggested doesn't even scratch the surface – language, flora and fauna, number of moons and their affect, clothing, law enforcement, social relations, cities and towns, geography, architectural styles, natural resources, food, occupations, health, and more. However, if you spend a few minutes on those things I suggested, even just twenty minutes, your world will come alive. Apply them to your novel(s), and it will feel like you’re giving us a taste of what it’s like to live in your world.

~Shilim