Most fantastical world12/19/2023 This detail influences more than you might expect, from the way your characters dress to the elements they face on a journey. What boundaries exist within your fantasy world? Are they physical or political? Are there neighboring lands? A lot of worldbuilders create a physical map, either for their own purposes or to share with readers. Landscape can create physical barriers, define limitations, and create challenges. The terrain of your fantasy world influences the way your characters work, recreate, travel, build, and more. When I say physical, I mean things like: Terrain But if you’re not sure what to do when you have your little napkin map in hand, start with the physical setting. Step 2: Build the Physical WorldĪgain, you can do these in whatever order allows you to figure out what you need to figure out. Go in with a map, even if it’s only a few lines drawn on a bar napkin. Just give yourself a vague sense of where you're headed so you don’t get caught up on details that aren’t relevant to your story. If you want to flesh out your story more or start developing characters before you start building the world, great! But it’s totally fine to let your world inspire your story and your story inspire your world simultaneously. Potential themes or conflicts you’d like to explore (Do you want a rebellion? A love story? Are you saying something about religion or personal responsibility?).Your tone and subgenre (Is this high fantasy? Urban fantasy? Are you going for a whimsical, optimistic tone like in My Neighbor Totoro? Or something more like Game of Thrones?).It doesn’t matter how fascinating and thrilling your pretend world is if it’s just meaningless fluff around your story.Īs you begin creating a fantasy world, try to at least know: That said, this list has to start somewhere, and story should be your number one consideration throughout this process. If you’re jazzed to start dreaming up a history for the extraterrestrial civilization you spontaneously imagined on your commute, do it! Follow the stoke and claim the vision. Let me introduce step one by saying that I actually believe the best way to start a creative project is to lean into whatever inspired you. And read articles like this one to learn more about how made-up realities can perpetuate stereotypes in our own world. If you’re inspired by other cultures, be mindful of how you use that inspiration.Īre you perpetuating stereotypes? Reimagining real-life communities as a fantasy race that feels less than human? Hijacking the lore or traditions of real cultures without understanding their context?Ĭonsider working with a cultural consultant if you plan to borrow from a real-world culture. Use it whenever you need to as you plan, write, and revise your novel.īut be aware that even fantasy worlds are interpreted through a real world lens. The whole entire world is always right here, ready to fuel your imagination. What do you love about those worlds? How can you make that magic your own? History can tell you what political or economic structures would fuel your central conflict.Īnd of course, you can always return to the fantasy worlds that drew you into the genre. There’s an entire globe’s worth of mythologies and folklore to inspire stories, characters, monsters, gods, and religious structures. You can adapt the flora and fauna of your fantasy world from real-life wonders like the aye-aye or corpse flower. You can research the geography of far-away countries or the terrain of other planets as you craft your landscapes. More likely, you are an actual human person and will get stuck from time to time. You might enter this process already bursting with ideas and ride the flow of creative genius all the way to your first draft. A Word on Inspirationīefore we dive into the step-by-step of how to create a fantasy world, let’s talk about inspiration. I’ll also share some tips for finding inspiration and suggestions for keeping your best ideas organized. This won’t cover every possible consideration, but it will help you stay focused on the key considerations that matter most. So, in the interest of making sure your fantasy world makes it beyond your worldbuilding bible and into the hands of readers, I present you with this simple guide to creating a fantasy world. You’ve got a brilliant fantasy novel in you and the world needs that book. …to become that writer who spends eight years worldbuilding and zero minutes writing an actual novel. And since the only limit is your vast imagination, it can be very easy to get lost on far flung shores… Yes, you’ve got a lot to hash out, from history and language to creatures and cosmos. Even truer if your ambition is to be the next Tolkien. This is especially true if you’re writing a second world fantasy where you have to create every single aspect of the world from scratch. If you’re asking how to create a fantasy world, you probably already know you’re looking at a pretty big job.
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