8 Tips About World Building New Writers Should Know
Hey you! If you are reading this, you must be a writer who needs some tips on world building. And I am happy to help! Keep reading to learn of some world-build tips that will help you as a writer improve your stories and plot.
What Is World Building?
I am glad you asked. Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe. It is one of my favorite parts of story writing. The author creates a fantastic setting with coherent history, geography, and ecology, crucial for many science fiction and fantasy writers. I take my time to really plot and flesh out all the elements of worldbuilding.
Why Is World Building Important?
When you are a fantasy/sci-fi author, world-building is very important! As an author, you have to flesh out your world. The readers don’t know your world, and you have to introduce them to it.
“Worldbuilding is so important because it’s the creation of an environment where things happen in your story. It’s the environment where your characters live and interact. And it’s the first thing that your readers will see. ”
1. Research, Research, Research!
Before you can do anything, you must research! And this, in my opinion, is the essential part of world-building. I cannot stress this enough. Please, writers, do your research. Research can be from books, websites, authors, anything. The best way is to write or type out what fundamental elements are a part of your universe. Will there be magic? What difference races and species are there? What type of climate happens on the planet? Once you have your base, you can start researching.
Research is part of world-building; this takes the most time. And you can never do too much research. Trust. Me. On. This. One. I have the journals and PowerPoints to prove it. And readers will appreciate and fun and different details of your world-building.
2. Avoid The Plot Holes
Plot holes suck. For the reader and the writer. The best way to avoid them is to reread and note-taking in your previous work/manuscript and make notes on little things like the character’s culture or climate changes and how that impacts the story. If you keep track of what you have already noted, it is easier to avoid plot holes. And have other people like beta readers read over your work too.
3. Don’t Over Complicate
Now don’t get it twisted; you can have a complex world without making it complicated. When you start getting confuse your reader will also start getting confused too. When you start to complicate your world building it’s harder to be consistent and to thoroughly explain what is going on without being convoluted or risking plot holes.
4. Have Fun With It!
Baby steps, my dear. Relax!!! I know I said you need to do research, but I am not saying do it all at once. Go at your own pace. I believe in having a good fantasy and sci-fi book, and you have to have decent world-building. Not everyone will have a Lord of the Rings when it comes to world building. Just work on what interests you, if that’s developing the different countries/territories, working on the lore of cultures, the magic systems, etc. Do what excites you! If you start to be stressed or overwhelmed, take some time away from your work. World-building should be fun; it’s your imagination and creativity. Go crazy!
5. Be Consistent
This is a pet peeve of mine when writers are not consistent with their imaginative realm when I am reading. Why is the character fighting a snow dragon when you wrote they were in the desert? Being consistent helps you make your story flow. Consistency in world building creates discipline in your writing. Otherwise, you’re just doing random, incomplete ideas, getting no real answers to the questions in your written work.
6. Keep Your Notes
This is more for writers who want to do their work in a series. But making notes in work as you go helps keep you consistent and on track with your world-building. As I stated before, this can help you catch plot holes.
7. Help The Readers Understand How Things Function
Listen, you MUST explain your world-building to your readers! If you don’t, everything else you do will be pointless. How you visualize things will not be in the same way as they do. Now, if you have an older audience, don’t go treating them like idiots. Explain things that need explaining. For example, in my third book, The Lone Star Child, my character finds themselves in mountainous areas during the spring time. I make it clear in the story that the season is warmer, so the reader isn’t confused on why these characters aren’t wearing parkas and snow boots in the mountains.
8. How Does Your Worldbuilding Impact The Character?
Your world building is it only gets to set story but to integrate into the lives of your characters. How do your characters interact with the story setting? how does the word building and pack them or change their perspective, abilities, etc. For example one of my characters can’t be in the sun for too long so she has to live in very shaded areas.
I hope you were able to learn something from my tips! Share with those you thing will need them, and send me any of the tips you have as well.
