This last year, I have learned a lot from the people who help me edit my books. During the process, my world-building skills have improved. When I wrote the first draft of The Story, I was just working on getting the words on the page. But as I have gone through this process, I have learned that I have a lot of room for improvement, and that excites me! If you want to know how to world-build for your books, there are some great resources available on the internet. But I thought I would add to the list and share the top three things I learned in 2023 that I found most helpful regarding world-building.
Tip #1: Stay Calm
This might seem like a strange thing to learn when it comes to building a fantasy world. But when you sit down and see all the details you have to put together, it suddenly becomes something you desperately need in order to stay focused. Below are three things that helped me stay calm as I built the world of The Story.
Treat it like a puzzle. Get your edges set up first so you have a frame of reference for all your other details. This will help you know what you are working with and prevent you from getting completely lost. For me, these “edges” referred to getting the main timeline down. Getting the overall timeline of your world and the history it includes, all setup and on paper (or in Word), helped me see what the world looked like from a bird’s eye view, so to speak. Seeing this helped me know what I could and couldn’t have different characters do, as I had to check with my timeline of events to see if it caused conflict. While I am still learning, once I put together a timeline, my world-building became much easier to work on.
Start broad, then get detailed. Starting with the big things really helped me see what smaller details were needed. For example, I worked a lot on figuring out what the world looked like. This included drawing a large map so I knew where all the land masses were, even ones I have not yet included in books. Then, I began figuring out who and what lives on that land and where. Next, I began to design what each thing looks like (e.g., what the people and animals look like in each region) and so on. While I am still building my world as I go, working from broad to small has been extremely helpful. Having those big details in place helps me quickly identify where an idea might fit in. For example, I came up with an idea for an animal the other day, and because I had already worked out the general look and feel of the animals in each region of my map, I was quickly able to figure out where in my world that animal would live. Knowing this allows me to understand how to use it in future books, as I know where a character would need to be located before they would encounter that animal.
Take it one thing at a time. As you get into the smaller details, take it one thing, character, place, etc., at a time. This will help prevent feeling overwhelmed as you won’t need to simultaneously look at five different elements of your world. Take an hour, a day, etc., however long you have to dedicate to world-building one element and work on the details for that one thing before moving on to the next thing. For example, I am currently focusing on developing one country as it will be featured in a new series I am putting together. Within that country, I am currently working through how the government works. Recently, I completed the look of the country and what the terrain looks like.
Bonus tip! Breath! Remember to breathe while you work, drink water, and stretch. Sitting for long periods can stress the body and the mind. So, take care of yourself and have fun!
Tip #2: Touch on All Senses
With a degree in psychology, I come from a technical writing background. This background means that I often forget to factor in the descriptors that make words feel like something real when they are read in a book. I feel and see them in my mind, but I forget to put those feelings on the page. As I had people review and check my work, I saw that I needed to improve in this area and set out to fix it. I am still learning and developing the skill. But here are two things I learned to keep in mind while writing about my world.
What does it feel like, sound like, smell like, etc.? Asking these questions is a common piece of advice, but I have to remind myself to process it while I am writing the first draft rather than waiting to add it all in later (though some will be added if my editor feels I need more). As a result, each time I sit down to write something about my world, I ask myself what it feels like, sounds like, tastes like, and more. This puts me in the mindset to describe more than just what was there. For example, the country I am working on developing right now is located very south, resulting in it being covered in snow and ice for most of the year. So when I write a character walking through that land, I have to think about what it actually sounds like to walk in snow. Is there a difference between the snow in this country and the snow in other countries? Is it thicker? Is it powdery? What does it smell like? As I answer these questions, I often have a thesaurus to help me find words to describe how I imagine the snow. My editor has helped a lot with word choice as I tend to get words stuck in my mind and find myself unable to think of anything else. I have even started using Alexa to help me find synonyms and antonyms for words I think of while describing my world.
What does the reader need to know? Sometimes, this one gets me in trouble because I tend to hold back so I don’t overdo it (if I know it, sometimes I think everyone reading does, too). But this is an important question I asked myself to make sure I don’t add something that will get in the way. This is something my editor taught me. If the reader doesn’t need to know what something tastes like, I don’t describe it. But if the reader needs to know what the environment smells like, even if it is just to get them deeper into the scene, then I can add that.
Tip #3: Go Deep
As you flesh out each character’s details and background, go deep! This lesson is my favorite one I learned this last year. When I wrote the first draft of The Story, I wasn’t focused on going deep because I needed to get in the groove. However, as I had people read through my work, I saw consistent feedback that I needed more backstory on many of the characters. As a result, I have been learning a lot about how to flesh out a character’s backstory and other details. I have learned to ask more than just, Where did they come from? Or What was that land like? But also to think about things like, Did people get along? Was it a war-torn area? Did that character like living there? Did they prosper, or did they run away? What happened when they ran away? How did they feel? What did they wear? Did they have to learn to hunt? Did they already know how to hunt? Where did they sleep? There are so many things to ask, and I have learned to keep thinking of and taking note of details, even if I never plan on using them in a book! Here are three tips for going deep in your world-building.
Don’t procrastinate, but don’t overdo it. It can be helpful to make a list of the details you want to think of each day. Write them down, and when you decide on them, fill them into a record of some kind that you can reference when you need it. For me, this is the encyclopedia I mentioned earlier. That being said, keep it realistic. You won’t find every detail for a country in one day. This process takes a long time, and that is okay. Tolkien took twelve years to work through his worlds! So don’t overdo it each day; give yourself some time.
Take time off. Sometimes, details just won’t come, or it is hard to decide between two. For me, these kinds of problems usually mean I am tired. Thinking of all these little things is hard brain work, so remember to take a break, go for a walk, color, and then come back. Sometimes, taking a break does more good than working until you figure out all the details on your list for that day.
Take notes: I keep notes on my phone, and when I think of something, I write it down, even if it is just a little blip of information. This happens all the time, even when I am out shopping for groceries!
Bonus Questions: Here are some of the questions I have added to my list of things to know about a character:
Where are they from? What do they do for a living? All those things that you might fill out on a job application.
What do they look like to do in their spare time? What are their skills and hobbies?
How do they feel about life? What is their worldview?
What do they wear? Do they have a favorite shirt?
What are their idiosyncrasies? If you were playing poker with them, what tells would they have?
As you build your world, feel free to build more than you need. It is always better to have more as it prevents the struggle of encountering a detail and having to think of it while editing. If you have a list already, you can just refer to the list! However, don’t be afraid to think of things during the editing process if necessary! Just make sure it isn’t a panic move. And make sure you have fun! World-building should be fun. Find out how you like to do it and do it!
Photo Credit: Unsplash - Dariusz Sankowski
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