“A writer is a world trapped in a person.” ―Victor Hugo
Lately I have been doing a lot of world creation. Everyone goes about this completely differently. The way that is right for you, is the right way-for you. I am not here to tell anyone how or what to do I am here to show you what I do and offer it as an alternative or a starting block.
Depending on the setting I will either start with research or a map. If I am creating a world from scratch as I am with Dragur, my RPG idea, I start with the map. There is going to need to be research as well; but the map is the impetus for the action in this case. The amount of resources available and what those resources are drive the story. Even if the map is largely in my head at first, it is the map that creates the world. With "Live," my settings vary and I am looking at a very character driven story line, the map is there but research is needed to flesh it out. I already know that it will begin in Ancient Egypt and move through to a future life on Mars. I need to know what those worlds look like so that I can describe them to my reader and take them there. Tasting the sand and the salt of the sweat that a slave will drink to prevent dehydration while working copper mines in a desert, where he knows the names of the Gods, but not the name he was given years ago. All maps need research, all maps affect a story, it matters what the world looks and feels like to your characters; so it matters to the reader, as well.
When you are creating a map out of whole cloth as it were, you will need one of two things: 1. artistic skill or 2. a good program! There are a lot of great programs out there, I state again that I don't get paid by manufacturers I am just sharing the ones that work for me. A great free website resource is donjon world creator. If you have the ability to purchase one or more programs then go here, do not pass go, these guys are amazing! A good program will even save a good artist some time and trouble. I have also had fun in the past of simply taking a random world and creating a story that fits it. Even if you never do anything with the story it is a great exercise at world building. When you are setting your work on Earth you have the advantage of having a map already made, and the disadvantage of the possibility of making a mistake. For instance, did you know that Tucson, Arizona has a two month monsoon season, but is still considered a desert? These are the kinds of things you need to know about where you set your novel so that if someone is reading it from that part of the world they recognize their neighborhood.
World building isn't just about maps. When you are writing fiction you have the ability to create an entire world, even on Earth, and you will people this world with the creatures you create. Are they human or human like? What is precious to them, who or what do they compete with for resources? Do they see themselves the way others see them? How are the creatures in your galaxy governed or are they? Did I just say GALAXY?
Yes, I did. When you write a book, or create a game world, there is always the possibility of sequels or new modules, etc. We have even seen authors writing two unrelated series pull them together and show that they were in one universe the entire time; i.e. the Anne McCaffery Pern and Ship series. Even without that possibility, for me, knowing the world and the universe that my characters are born into helps me breathe life into those characters. If a dragon from a lush vegetative area were to come upon a plain how would it react to the sky? Would it have wings? Would it know how to fly if it does? Even if that dragon never sees a plain or the sky, knowing how it would react helps you make that character one that the reader cares about.
Things like a planet having more than one sun or moon are going to affect things like deities, cycles of seasons, the way the people approach math and the sciences. Are they able to see stars or is it constantly partially lit in their world. If you never see the stars are you driven to fly? Are you driven to get to the stars? Your characters, in this book, may never consider these things; I believe that it is your job to at least have a basic idea what the rules of your universe are. Do Newton's laws work or Asimov's law or even better yet gravity? We long to fly because we are held down. Would a creature who can't touch down without assistance dream of walking?
Build your foundation well and the story grows from the questions. Love what I am doing and want to see more? I am now on Patreon.
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