Creating or escaping to fantasy worlds can be a fun thing to do when youre bored. I talked about plants in the post creating fantasy plants. Creating a fantasy world, from scratch, can be scads more overwhelming than even having to minutely research an existing historical period. Yes, it might seem kinda cheesywe already have the u. It was at this point in creating these rebel waves that i brought in the first of many. I spend so much time thinking about my fictional world that i dont write anything. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. It may not be easy, if you are a hardcore potter fan, but it certainly can be done, just as the lord of the rings inspired a wave of high fantasy books several decades ago, all of which had similarities as well as their own departures from tolkein. A characters world plays a huge part in forming who they are.
If youre also coming short on ideas, try searching through these writing prompts. Tips on how to build a fantasy world for your novel ny. Also, imagine how the inhabitants of the world look and behave, then develop an overall culture for your world. Well, this world im creating, my character wakes up and there is a complete destruction of everything he has ever known. Orcs and humans hit the pc scene in 1994, the world of azeroth was hardly the most complex of fantasy creations. Animals and plants slowly evolve to thrive in this dangerous world. How to build a fictional world kate messner youtube.
This includes creating characters, personifying things and ideas, and making people believe it. However, writing an original, distinct and credible fantasy novel is tricky. In other words, be careful that you dont get so bogged down in or fascinated with your worldbuilding that you neglect to actually write your book. Heres screen rant s take on the 12 best fantasy worlds ever created.
The book is well written, easy to understand, and pretty short and concise. You must keep track of all that you name and be sure that names are not similar, not only in writing but also in. I have frankensteined this together from a number of worldbuilding resources, taking the. For example, christian missionaries have traveled the world trying to spread their faith. Aug 30, 2018 find the perfect editor for your book. Create your world, and then push yourself to go deeper. These and other successful fantasy writers found the magic to create realistic fantasy worlds, but they didnt find it in a book of spells.
Creating a fantasy world worldbuilding book writing tips. Yes, fantasy worlds are fun because theyre not bound by our own laws of reality. May 20, 2015 making a fictional fantasy world seem and feel real is difficult. A key difference between creating an alternate reality and creating an imaginary world is the suspension of disbelief you can expect from your readers. Ive been thinking of imagining a world and am currently decided whether its gonna be science fiction, science fantasy or fantasy. Keep in mind this is a createdworld fantasy, not earth with earthly cultures, much less a regency romance. When you create a fantasy world it needs to be extensive enough to create a plausible setting and background for your story, but it cannot substitute for the actual writing of your book. These book genres are among the most important for worldbuilding. In book 1 of my merging world series, you learned about glowing plants. In other worlds, worldbuilding basics is one of its goals. Read 10 questions that will help you learn how to create a fantasy world. Tips on how to build a fantasy world for your novel ny book.
The imaginary worlds of fantasy and science fiction we examined above westeros and essos, the kingdoms of middleearth imagine an entirely new world, quite unrelated to our own. Whether a fantasy story includes the typical races of the genre e. Then, go to a dictionary and a thesaurus and look up those words. Book writing tips writing promps writing characters english writing writing words fiction writing writing resources writing help. Creating a fantasy world worldbuilding book writing. Your storys world will interact with and sometimes provoke the protagonist.
Jan 15, 2017 world building is an important component of fantasy writing because your fantasy world must be grounded in a history and abide by certain rules in order to persuade your readers to suspend their. Therefore, the horse is just a convenience, vs creating a completely unique ecosystem, usually a waste of time in many fantasies. We did two 25 greatest lists per day all throughout september of 2017, looking back at the. I dont read hardly any fantasy or science fiction, or really any books that take place in a madeup world.
Think about what you want to name, a landmass for instance. The reason some fantasy novelists and readers seem so obsessed with maps is because the act of physically mapping the world grounds it. I am very interested in the idea of the fantasy book. Creating a fantasy world which is believable and loved by your readers is possible. Before you write your next story, make sure to give your characters world the attention it deserves. To make your own fantasy world, start by thinking up a name for your world that reflects its inhabitants or culture.
This is one of the things i have the most trouble with in my own fantasy worlds, as i dont want them connected to earth most of the time but i do want to be able to understand how, say, a genderequal society would have developed if feminism in my world didnt happen like it did on earth. From narnia to neverland, literature is filled with fictional realms. An author creating his storys world has the power to develop it in every. For brian staveleys excellent fantasy debut, the emperors blades, heather saunders at tor wanted a twopage map that would match the feel of the book. Alan watts how to create a fantasy world movitation. Aug 23, 2019 considering these elements is crucial to creating an interesting, engaging and believable world in any genre, not just fantasy or science fiction. The series the art of world building might very well be the definitive resource to creating life, places, and everything a writer needs to flesh out a world. I dont buy the idea that a genderbiased world would become genderequal just because someone invents a spell that would let men get pregnant.
Rowling, who created the harry potter universe, which blends a realworld setting with magical elements. Your characters must remain true to those rules throughout your story. I believe it is one of the greatest benefits we can gain from creating fantasy or science fiction literature. Creating an imaginary world is one of the most complex types of worldbuilding. How to write a fantasy novel a research guide for students. Creating history, legends, and myths july, 2015 august 5, 2015 gabrielle massman just like in the real world, your fictional world needs to have stories which are integral parts of your characters thought processes and lives. Best fantasy world some worlds, despite the fact that they are penned, are just as real as this one. I say my world is us in the simple fact that this is how my main character will come to see the world he is living in. Creating life, the first in the series, is packed with tools, ideas and suggestions to help you populate a world. There is no denying that it requires careful consideration and planning. Alan watts how to create a fantasy world movitation video. She pulled elements from classic mythology, such as a phoenix and centaurs, and invented myths of her own, like the story of the elder wand. Nov 08, 20 learning how to create a fantasy world that feels real to readers is easy when you follow these five steps. Worldbuilding is an essential part of any work of fiction.
Best fantasy world goodreads meet your next favorite book. There are high fantasy worlds like middleearth or westeros, where everything is vaguely medieval and vaguely european but also sometimes there are dragons. However unlike the first two, fantasy is very hard to make immersive for example like the elder scrolls and dragon age. Look at how the pronunciation is spelled, even the etymology the origin of that word. Naming a fantasy world mythic scribes writing forums. Considering these elements is crucial to creating an interesting, engaging and believable world in any genre, not just fantasy or science fiction. Before you start your story, getting a cup of coffee, and getting your laptop out to start writing, you need to do one important step.
Make sure your fictional world offers a strong sense of place. Creating a fictional world can be a challenge, since you may not be sure where to begin. Creating your fantasy world means building a world based upon reality and making sure that your reader knows the rules of that world. But you still need some laws of reality, even if you made them up. Dec 05, 2012 an ongoing trend for fiction and fantasy novels is having a map for the reader to follow along with, just after the title page in the book. Fantasy stories sometimes have a priest who has powers either received directly or. Jul 16, 2015 whether a fantasy story includes the typical races of the genre e. In fantasy, your world becomes just as important as any other character. Worldbuilding is the process of constructing a reasonably believable fictional place or universe. Its most often utilised in fantasy and science fiction, where a writer conjures up from scratch every detail of a world. There are also some books ive read and enjoyed over the years that may be of interest. The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of tolkien and howard, to the sciencefiction universes of burroughs and asimov, to the tabletop realm of gygax and barker, and beyond.
When you think about the names in a new world, one thing has to be taken into account from the beginning. Book writing tips writing promps writing characters english writing writing words fiction writing writing resources writing help writing skills. It is also very helpful for the author and the development of their fictional world. I decided to go with the physical copy of the book because i like having writing resources that i can hold and make notes in. This most commonly happens in the fantasy and scifi genres, but the truth is, creating a reasonably believable time and place is necessary for any kind of fiction.
World building is an important component of fantasy writing because your fantasy world must be grounded in a history and abide by certain rules in order to persuade your readers to suspend their. Make sure you also address the rules, laws, and taboos of the world. Learning how to create a fantasy world that feels real to readers is easy when you follow these five steps. Next, decide what the environment looks like, including the weather, terrain, and the wildlife that lives there. By book 4, new species of plants and animals appear all the time. For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike. You could have characters wanting to spread their religion across galaxies. When i first started writing my young adult fantasy novel, mer, i was like a map seems way too difficult. Decide how different inhabitants of your fictional world speak. Great authors can create a living, breathing environment for their stories.
Creating a fantasy world involves more than magic and mythical creatures. Writing good science fiction or fantasy requires strong worldbuilding skills. But if youre trying to write a book or a tv show or a dungeons and. Read 10 questions that will help you learn how to create a fantasy. George lucass star wars is set in a world outside of our universe where aliens interact with humans and where advanced technology mixes with ancient tradition. Worldbuilding is a term youll hear from a lot of writers especially when youre talking about the science fiction and fantasy genres. Creating a history of ideas for your world, part 1. Start by detailing the setting the environment of the world. Jul 04, 2019 to make your own fantasy world, start by thinking up a name for your world that reflects its inhabitants or culture. You may be creating a fictional world for a novel or for a series of books set in the same world. Aug 01, 2019 how to world build for sciencefiction and fantasy specifically. September 2017 was syfys 25th anniversary, and to mark the occasion we celebrated the previous 25 years of all science fiction, fantasy, and horror, a time that has seen the genres we love conquer the world of pop culture.
Jun 28, 2017 writing good science fiction or fantasy requires strong worldbuilding skills. Creating a solid, believable physical world is the first step. But williamsons book offers solid guidance, topshelf suggestions for brainstorming, and a great list of questions that rivals even my goto resource, patricia c. Its the very essence of any good fantasy or science fiction story, and the basis. If youve ever read a book and walked away with that feelingthen this list is for you.
People would need time to adjust to the magic, if absolutely nothing else. An ongoing trend for fiction and fantasy novels is having a map for the reader to follow along with, just after the title page in the book. Rowling created an entire magical world, set within our own, each with its own government and laws. Broadly speaking, your book will either take place in our world or belong to. Magical realism, contemporary, dark, and paranormal romance all have a place in the fantasy genre. Your imaginary world should have some sort of theme, like animals for example. Author kate messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world. From the halls of hogwarts, to the starship enterprise, to the seven kingdoms of westeros, a captivating and unique world is what sets the sff genre apart from the other genres.
World building is an important component of fantasy writing because your fantasy world must be grounded in a history and abide by certain rules in order to persuade your readers to suspend their disbelief when you bring in magic, fantastical beasts and other implausible elements. A lot of this is simple and obvious and you can punch me for even listing them. Creating fantasy names for characters although there are many aspects of your characters personality that you must create during your character development process, giving your character a powerful name is one of the very first ones you should tackle. The world and its story were little more than an excuse to lead armies in an epic clash for dominance. Wikipedia is a critical source for writing fantasy timelines, as the links above prove. So you want to make an imaginary world, not in your head but in a book. Fantasy stories sometimes have a priest who has powers either received directly or indirectly from a god or gods. I, for one, am excited that youre writing a fantasy this world needs more otherworldliness. How to world build for sciencefiction and fantasy specifically. And, of course, if youre writing a fantasy without magic, you cant use this solution. Over 300,000 authors trust the professionals on reedsy, come meet them. Every one of your favorite books, movies and tv shows involves building a world.