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Hello!
It’s good to see you back for Part 3 (of a 3 part series) on
Wordbuilding. If you managed to miss the
previous discussions, get your ass over to Part 1 and Part 2 right now, so all of this makes some sense! (In the spirit of
transparency, this post and series originally appeared on the now-defunct blog,
RoosterWords)
Worldbuilding:
Bane or Benign Exercise?
Writers love their worlds, especially those in
fantasy and science fiction. We have to-
we live in them for long periods, soaking in the essence and different flavors
we have derived of our own obsessive volition.
All of us must build these worlds, carefully, with great attention to
the details. For some writers, this is
the best part of the writing process…creating something out of nothing,
ignoring all laws of science, alchemy, and common sense. For others, worldbuilding is the
representation of long-running nightmares.
Where do you fit in?
The End?
You’ve come a long way. The map to your dream world is in your hand
(or on your desk, saved on your computer, whatever). You’re proud of it, and so you should
be. Characters have a place to go, and a
reason to go there. What’s left?
The painting needs a
finishing touch. Something to protect it
from the outside world and all its grubby fingers and damaging
wear-and-tear. A gloss or matte
finish. Maybe even some touchup paint in
a few key areas. Here are those five key
areas to look at when you’ve built your perfect world:
1.
Races/Civilizations: Yes, you’ve probably been over this
already. However, this is your last
chance before you begin drumming on your keyboard (writing with ink-stained
fingers?) to ensure all your chosen races and/or civilizations are accounted
for. Make sure each has a place on your
map, even if they aren’t quarantined there.
It’s also good to understand how each race will react to the others upon
meeting in the story. If they never do,
that’s fine; but understanding how they WOULD will allow you to reference the
reaction within your story.
2.
Changing World: Worlds change, even the real, solid earth we
live and breathe on. This is no less
true in fiction, especially in fantasy or sci-fi worlds where things have a
tendency of getting blown up in large chunks (read: continents). If this will happen in your story, make sure
you’ve got a way to acknowledge those changes on your map. While the reader doesn’t necessarily need to
know before it happens, the writer benefits greatly from the pre-determination.
3.
Series of Events: You should go back to your timeline and
check for any nuisances or events which now seem out of order. You know your world better now and there just
may be a contingency, which a fan will later exploit (publicly or
not). Take the time now and be sure you
know you history!
4.
Economic Oppression: One of the most difficult things I have had
the displeasure of discovering is the economics of my regions. Being that I work in fantasy, I have a hard
time believing all my cultures use the same monetary system. Creating an economy may come naturally for
you. If so, you just avoided hours of
wide-eyed, psychotic cussing. Y’know,
the kind where everybody within two miles of you is wondering what the hell
just happened? No? May just be my neurosis. The point is, to remain relatively
believable; you must have rich, poor, and middle “classes.” This goes a long way towards endowing each
person in your story with at least some character…based on their wealth.
5.
Start Writing: You’ve done it! Ain’t that masterpiece looking freakin’
awesome? All that’s left is, well,
everything else that goes into writing…writing, editing, reading, editing,
rewriting, editing, query, query, query, PUBLISH! Hey, you didn’t choose this profession
because it was easy or because it made sense, did you? Maybe that should have been your very first
question!
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| by hextupleyoodot @ http://www.deviantart.com/art/Embers-374439119 |
Download a copy of my “Story-Boarding Room” that I use for my own works.
How
do you feel about the Worldbuilding For Storytellers series?
How did I help you; and could you use more information to deepen your
understanding? Comment below so I can work to make your world perfect!
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