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World building is a key task for science fiction and fantasy writers and is essential for creating the context of your story.
It’s an intricate task because it encompasses so much more than the physical setting of your story.
It covers everything within the world you have created – history, geography (location), economy, ecology, tradition...the list is endless.
Add to that the fact that, within the context of your story the fictional setting you develop needs to be entirely plausible, and we begin to see that the process is neither simple nor something you can simply skim over.
Your constructed world should be conveyed in a way that the reader can visualise it, and be drawn into it, but your book should never be centred around this world.
Your plot is what moves the narrative forward, and I personally don’t think that your world building should ever overshadow your plot.
While readers need to have a clear visual in their heads, they do not want to be bored by tedious overly-descriptive text or overwhelmed by unnecessary information that detracts from the actual story. When it comes to world building, less is more.
Finding a balance is difficult, but not impossible. My personal process tends to fall into what some would call “lazy” world building, in that I decide on the very basic fundamentals of my imaginary world and then I build as I go along.
The only downside to this method is that there may be a bit of revision required once the novel is completed.
The reason that I use this method is quite simply that when an original story comes to me, I am compelled to start writing. I cannot contain myself and spend a day, weeks or (gasp) months plotting.
I do make sure that I have a clear idea of the physical setting, back story and the cultural, political and social structure of the characters.
The minor details such as food, flora, fauna, wardrobe, etc come later because they are not going to change anything, although they are by no means less important than the broader aspects.
They are there in order to validate and contribute to the authenticity of the constructed world.
When I create my speculative world, I like to invoke a very strong sense of place.
I give the reader a very clear concise explanation of both the “time” and “place”. The Legacy is set in post-apocalyptic America after the nuclear devastation of a speculative World War 3 that occurs in 2016.
There are two very different, clearly defined ‘worlds’ within the story. First, we have the “barren lands” known as the Rebeldom.
These are the wastelands that exist outside of the boundary fences, characterised by no electricity, little running water, minimal food supply. There has been no maintenance and much of the Rebeldom is dilapidated and in a state of depressing ruin.
Then there is the stark contrast of the opulence of the New United States of America (NUSA), which is the complete opposite of the Rebeldom. Within NUSA’s boundary fences, technology has advanced and rebuilding taken place, so that the setting is a pre-war environment, much like the real world we are living in today.
The beauty of these two worlds is that they are geographically very close – the only thing physically separating the two are the boundary fences - and yet they could not be more different.
There is also irony in the fact that the Rebeldom is home to the main characters who, despite its bleak, depressing physical attributes, would rather be out there enduring the hardship, than living within the luxurious but stiflingly oppressive environment of NUSA.
As mentioned, I did tweak the imaginary setting slightly on completion of The Legacy, with particular emphasis on continuity. My main concerns were that the created world needed to be coherent and consistent over the course of three full-length novels.
Moving into book 2 (The Legion) and book 3 (The Legend) was easier, as the scene had already been set. I could embellish and enhance the dystopian world I had created without fear of overwhelming the reader, as they were already familiar with it.
I am sure that I will continue to learn and grow as a writer with every new book, and I look forward to building new worlds, which will support new stories and offer my readers pure escapist fantasy that they can immerse themselves in.
For more information about The Legacy, you can visit the official website here; and for more information about Melissa, you can check out her website.
You can also purchase a copy of the book on Kalahari.com.
It’s an intricate task because it encompasses so much more than the physical setting of your story.
It covers everything within the world you have created – history, geography (location), economy, ecology, tradition...the list is endless.
Add to that the fact that, within the context of your story the fictional setting you develop needs to be entirely plausible, and we begin to see that the process is neither simple nor something you can simply skim over.
Your constructed world should be conveyed in a way that the reader can visualise it, and be drawn into it, but your book should never be centred around this world.
Your plot is what moves the narrative forward, and I personally don’t think that your world building should ever overshadow your plot.
While readers need to have a clear visual in their heads, they do not want to be bored by tedious overly-descriptive text or overwhelmed by unnecessary information that detracts from the actual story. When it comes to world building, less is more.
Finding a balance is difficult, but not impossible. My personal process tends to fall into what some would call “lazy” world building, in that I decide on the very basic fundamentals of my imaginary world and then I build as I go along.
The only downside to this method is that there may be a bit of revision required once the novel is completed.
The reason that I use this method is quite simply that when an original story comes to me, I am compelled to start writing. I cannot contain myself and spend a day, weeks or (gasp) months plotting.
I do make sure that I have a clear idea of the physical setting, back story and the cultural, political and social structure of the characters.
The minor details such as food, flora, fauna, wardrobe, etc come later because they are not going to change anything, although they are by no means less important than the broader aspects.
They are there in order to validate and contribute to the authenticity of the constructed world.
When I create my speculative world, I like to invoke a very strong sense of place.
I give the reader a very clear concise explanation of both the “time” and “place”. The Legacy is set in post-apocalyptic America after the nuclear devastation of a speculative World War 3 that occurs in 2016.
There are two very different, clearly defined ‘worlds’ within the story. First, we have the “barren lands” known as the Rebeldom.
These are the wastelands that exist outside of the boundary fences, characterised by no electricity, little running water, minimal food supply. There has been no maintenance and much of the Rebeldom is dilapidated and in a state of depressing ruin.
Then there is the stark contrast of the opulence of the New United States of America (NUSA), which is the complete opposite of the Rebeldom. Within NUSA’s boundary fences, technology has advanced and rebuilding taken place, so that the setting is a pre-war environment, much like the real world we are living in today.
The beauty of these two worlds is that they are geographically very close – the only thing physically separating the two are the boundary fences - and yet they could not be more different.
There is also irony in the fact that the Rebeldom is home to the main characters who, despite its bleak, depressing physical attributes, would rather be out there enduring the hardship, than living within the luxurious but stiflingly oppressive environment of NUSA.
As mentioned, I did tweak the imaginary setting slightly on completion of The Legacy, with particular emphasis on continuity. My main concerns were that the created world needed to be coherent and consistent over the course of three full-length novels.
Moving into book 2 (The Legion) and book 3 (The Legend) was easier, as the scene had already been set. I could embellish and enhance the dystopian world I had created without fear of overwhelming the reader, as they were already familiar with it.
I am sure that I will continue to learn and grow as a writer with every new book, and I look forward to building new worlds, which will support new stories and offer my readers pure escapist fantasy that they can immerse themselves in.
For more information about The Legacy, you can visit the official website here; and for more information about Melissa, you can check out her website.
You can also purchase a copy of the book on Kalahari.com.
