Today I want to share my process of building a fictional world. There are several methods writers use to create a world for their story, and one method might not work for everyone. If you are looking to world-build for a story or novel, I recommend you test some of them until you find the one that works for you. Mine began with a lot of daydreaming, and it took some time to form a cohesive system.
When I set out to write my series, the first thing I thought about was the fictional culture in which my characters lived. So, I grabbed a big notebook and some pens (I ended up needing several), and began writing what I thought this world would have.
Magic is a major theme in my series so I thought about the role it played in the everyday lives of the citizens. I had to decide what kind of magic the users were able to wield, for what purpose, and if it was an inherent skill that everyone had or only a select few. I chose a mix of elemental, healing, and prophetic magic. Once I created the system, I moved on to the another element.
Every culture has a distinct set of rules, beliefs, traditions, and even sayings. Even within a culture, there are variations, or those who go against the grain. Knowing this, I created a kingdom with nobility and ordinary civilians, as well as villains who don’t follow society’s norms. I needed to show there were some who knew their place in society, and others who struggled to fit in. Of course, there are always those who actively fight against it. Hence, a villain was born, as well as a backstory.
With a main theme and a lively culture, the rest kind of fell into place. Characters had a mind of their own, with different personalities and goals. My favorite part of world building was to use a little bit of truth from my own world and implant it into this one. It was fun to write fictional characters doing things in a similar way as I would, even though their world is vastly different than my own.
My notebook is full of anecdotes, random bits of fictitious history, and lots of names that didn’t end up working. There’s seasons and weather, food and drink, holidays and celebrations, love and even death. In the end, it all came together to form the kingdom my characters call home.
So, whether you scribble in a notebook or use a computer-based writing tool, world building is an important part of writing a story.
Jennifer Roachford 