A good fantasy world will have a history that’s every bit as interesting as the one we have here on Earth Prime. The line between historical fiction and fantasy is somewhat blurred, and with good reason. So how can you go about this? Steal from the past Writers should have a solid grasp on the history of their world, regardless of genre. That might be a very broad statement - but it contains a kernel of truth. Maps not always necessary, but they’re useful for defining a sense of distance and space - and they can help you visualize your world as you’re building it.Ĭivilizations are defined by their history. Lots of fantasy readers like referring to a physical map whenever the characters are going somewhere new.
For historical fantasies, while some amount of historical license is accepted (and encouraged), your readers will notice something’s wrong if your book has Atilla the Hun kidnapping Florence Nightingale without the help of a time machine. It might require a decent chunk of research. You’re constrained by historical specifics, technology, and politics. “Real world” fantasy requires just as much preparation. Within “real world” fantasy, you’re going to have two broad subgenres: alternate history fantasy (which we’ll get into later) and historical fantasy. Is this a planet just like Earth? Or a desert planet of some sort?.Are there more than one sentient species?.What are the characters like in this world?.Every aspect of your world requires attention: If you’re writing “second world” fantasy, you, the worldbuilder, have the responsibility of giving your location a sense of history and geography. Feist’s Riftwar cycle are classic examples of “second world” fantasy: those writers have the freedom to do whatever they want with their books, untethered by historical paths or rules. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Raymond E. That’s another way of saying that it’s an entirely fictional place. Tell us about your book, and we'll give you a writing playlistīroadly speaking, the setting of your story will either be in our world or belong to what’s called “second world” fantasy. Have you ever told yourself that you'd definitely do some writing, just after you tidy the kitchen or hoover the bedroom? Over-planning is the same thing, but with creating character bios and crypto-cartography in place of domestic chores. The danger of planning is over-planning: a common problem where writers become so engrossed in worldbuilding that they constantly find reasons to delay writing the book itself. When you already know where your cities are, what kind of people and creatures your protagonist might meet on their travels, and how your world works, you'll have an easier time focusing on your actual story. Planning and outlining your world can help give you a solid ground from the get-go.
Naturally, each approach has its advantages and pitfalls. The other kind of writer is often described as a “pantser” who “flies by the seat of their pants.” Planners sit down and work all the details out beforehand, determining the geography and history of their world before starting the first draft. There are two basic types of authors when it comes to worldbuilding: those who plan and those who make it up as they go along.