Worldbuilding, Part 2 - How to start

 

We've talked briefly about how it can be important and helpful to take the time and create the world your story will take place in before you actually begin writing that story. But how to go about this? What steps can you take so you aren't just throwing a bunch of random ideas together? How to make it cohesive, so the world is part of the story and not just the stage it's set on?

Here are two bigger approaches:

1. Start with your main character and use him/her/it as the starting block. If you have a main character in mind already, then you likely have started imagining a backstory for them. So let your imagination branch out beyond them. Do they have scars from a war? Why was this war fought, and with who? With what kinds of magic or technology? Or what kind of clothing does your main character wear? What materials is it made out of? Is it a current fashion, or does it represent a particular economic status? These simple questions can exponentially spread until you're thinking about issues you might never have considered before.

2. Start with a major plot point. With a story in mind, you can pick a specific item or event and build off it. Are your characters fighting an evil overlord? What kind of power does he/she/it hold over the land, and what is the source of it? Does their spaceship get crippled in hyperspace? What level of technology must they have developed to get to this point? Why were they in hyperspace in the first place? War? Business? Are there aliens around or onboard, and what are they like? Again, a single question about their situation can branch your thoughts out to a hundred other issues that need answering. 

And here are a few "Do's" to keep in mind, or to jolt your creative process as you work to build this world:

Do think about how geography affects your story. In a sense, this is building "from the ground up." Are there rivers and lakes, or any sort of water source at all? Is the story set in a desert, a frozen mountain range, or perhaps in an aerial mining platform? Each of these locations and their unique geographical and environmental characteristics will drastically change things about what clothing, equipment and way of living your characters (and readers) experience.

Do consider the world's history, or timeline. Past events determine where our own world is today, and the way people interact with each other in major and minor ways. The same is true for your fantasy or science fiction world. What have past wars and natural disasters done to this place? Are there areas devoid of life because of a magical explosion? Are there old bloodfeuds being passed down from generation to generation? Sketch out a timeline of at least 10 major events in this world's history, even if none of them end up playing an important part in the current story. 

Do draw a few maps. Or a lot of maps, if you find you enjoy it. Even if these are crayon scribbles on a napkin, maps can break open the visual element of storytelling for you as the writer. Where are cities in relation to one another? Are there any outlying kingdoms that might become a threat? Is there an abandoned mine shaft a few miles out of town where your characters might get trapped inside? Having a visual reference to where the action is taking place can be enormously helpful. Maps don't have to be to scale or graphed out to the inch.

Do have magic or technology as something of consequence. What do I mean by that? In my opinion, magic should never be as easy as rubbing a lamp for three wishes. And a technologically advanced society shouldn't be able to topple an opposing space empire with a few blasts from a laser cannon. The use of magic and/or technology should come with a price, and should affect all areas and aspects of your world. More on this in a later article. 

Do remain flexible. The same as in the Snowflake Process of drafting your plot, never feel that your world is etched ten-feet deep in a steel plate. You are "god" here, remember? You can make changes and evolve things further as inspiration continues to work its magic. Need a city shifted south, or want to change a religion so it worships death instead of life? You have that freedom. Never box yourself in. Worldbuilding is just another method to give a story more depth and complexity, not stifle your creativity.

These are a few ways and suggestions to start the worldbuilding process. The next article in this series will focus on things to avoid, followed by a good list of links and resources to help you along.