Building Your World – Intro

As a speculative fiction writer, when do you encounter writer’s block the most?

If you’re like me, it often hits when:

• When I’m uncertain how the character will react to a certain situation.
• When I don’t have a clear picture of the world around me.
• When I am not engaged with the story or the events that happen.

There’s a common trend between these three blocks. And they all come down to one thing: I don’t know my setting well enough.

As every writer knows, Setting is the foundation for every piece of fiction. It shapes the characters, defines the conflict, and establishes the tension within the story. It’s practically a character itself, and really should be given the attention of one.

Setting is especially important for us. It’s what sets apart our genre from all others. If you don’t have a vivid setting that you, as the writer, are engaged with, then you’ll never capture your readers long enough to read past Chapter 1.

The following series of blogposts will discuss techniq ues on how to help you get a better picture of the direction you wish to take in creating your own fantasy / sci-fi world.

1. The fantasy concept (What makes your world stand out)
2. In the beginning (How did your world come to be?)
3. Birth of the land (Discovering geography)
4. The birth of mysterious creatures (Your world’s fauna and flora)
5. Development of race (From skin color to pointy ears)
6. The development of civilization (How countries grew to what they are now)
7. The evolution of supernatural (Guide to magic systems)
8. Characters and their world (How do characters relate to setting)
9. Integrating existing myth (Potential Subject)

If there are any other points in the list you’d like me to address, post a comment below. For more information about the kind of world-building tips we’re going to be covering, look up Charlie Jane Ander’s article, 7 Deadly Sins, of world building.