It’s no question that the popularity in science fiction and fantasy novels has skyrocketed in recent years, especially in the Young Adult genre. There is nothing better than diving headfirst into a fantastical world, full of rich details and vivid characters. But, how do you create an immersive world of your own?
Worldbuilding can be a very intimidating feat as it is multi-faceted and if there are any holes in your world, your readers will find them.
I’m going to dive into some guidelines that I feel are important for any writer attempting to fashion themselves a unique universe. This list is not all inclusive. As I was writing this post, I thought of so many other things that I could address, hence the reason I’d like to design an e-course for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing (coming soonish).
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Rules: Establish rules for your world and then don’t break them. If there’s magic, technology, or even some type of science, clearly establish the boundaries. Everything you add to your world needs to make sense and once you establish something one way, don’t change it later in your book or series just to fit your plot.
Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself when planning out your magic system:
- Who has the magic? Is it a group of chosen few, larger groups of select people, or does everyone have magical abilities? How are those with powers viewed?
- How is it wielded? Can people cast spells with magic wands or do they use their hands? Is it more of a “green” magic where users create potions and call upon spirits?
Write it Down and Draw it out: Even if you’re not the artistic sort, I highly recommend drawing a map of your world. Especially if your characters are travelling, it will make planning easier for you if you have a visual to look at while you outline your story. I’m always a fan of maps in books, especially fantasy ones. I also recommend writing down all your rules as you structure your world. Don’t depend on remembering everything as you come up with it – write it down and as you go along, you may come across inconsistencies in your rules or it may even spark something new that you hadn’t thought of.
Think of Every Detail: Even if you don’t ever address it in your book, your readers are going to want to know everything. How long has the debate of how students at Hogwarts before indoor plumbing went to the bathroom been going on? You need to think of every minute detail: what do people do for work, what is their currency called, who is in charge, how is power distributed, etc. Think of every aspect in your world and try to find small ways to address it in your story without it being a complete information dump. Your readers are going to want to know everything about your world, including the history of it, so find subtle ways to tie in everything.
Research, Research, Research: Victoria Aveyard, the author of the popular Red Queen series, has been talking about her latest project on Instagram. She mentioned recently how she spent one whole afternoon (thereabouts) researching castles. Unfortunately the video isn’t there for me to refer to as it was on her Instagram stories, but she talked about how she looked up different styles of castles since she wanted her main castle to be built on the foundation of an old castle, and the new castle was to have elements of different design styles.
Research is a good way to make your world very rich and alive. Create mood boards for different characters, cities, and buildings to help fuel your worldbuilding. Instagram and Pinterest are a good place to find great pictures for your inspiration. Plan out your world, make it alive in your mind, and it’ll come to life on the page.
I hope these guidelines help give you a better idea on how to tackle worldbuilding. It can be intimidating, but don’t be afraid! It can be freeing designing a world entirely of your making.