NECROCITY TIMES - Issue #1 - HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

DEADLines - Building a Paranormal World

Hi, folks! It's the Faceless Screaming Horror From Your Basement here again with another scrumptious recipe!

Today we're going to talk about world building in your paranormal stories and how to write your differently living characters with the respect they deserve! Because let's be honest, the consequences will be dire if you don't. Haha!

So, Faceless Screaming Horror From My Basement, you ask. What exactly is world building? You're full of good questions, Meat! Like, "How do I eat with no face?" You don't want to know! Haha.

Simply put, worldbuilding is... building your world! It encompasses your setting, your characters, and the systems of power in place in your societies. Rules of magic? World building. Deciding if the werewolves are allied with or against the vampires in the war against demons? World building. Figuring out if the vampire court is a constitutional or an absolute monarchy? World building.

In the WPRS, most paranormal stories, as opposed to, say, Urban Fantasy stories, have what's known as a masquerade. That just means that us extranormal folks aren't out to the public... yet. Paranormal stories are typically set in our world instead of a fantasy world or another planet (which tends to move in the direction of sci-fi). Urban Fantasy stories tend to take place in large cities (like the name suggests), and generally have a lifted masquerade, which means humans and the supernatural coexist peacefully... most of the time.

Since paranormal stories are set in our world, and the masquerade is still in place, the world building is generally less strenuous than world building for a fantasy story, but you can get as complex as you like-- as long as your readers don't get lost along the way.

Really, the most important part of paranormal is us. You know. The extranormal. Sorry, Meat, we're just not that into you. The grunt work of world building in paranormal is integrating us into your societies without blowing our cover, which means you need an explanation for why your kind haven't figured us out yet.

Here, I know your Meat brains get overloaded easily, so here's a list:

1) The Masquerade. AKA, the excuse. Depending on which time period your story is set in, you may have to get creative with this. How do the extranormal among us interact with technology? Is there a secret society dedicated to keeping our identities under wraps? Are we just really good at playing dress-up? How have we stayed hidden for so long?

2) Us! This is the fun part! In paranormal, you can choose to focus on one group of extranormals (you speciest) or throw in the fantasy kitchen sink and talk about all of us... as long as you have a reasonable explanation, of course. Which leads me to my next point...

3) The How. In other words, how did we get here? You don't necessarily have to include this in the story, but you need to know the answer. It can be as simple as we exist as long as humans believe in us (silly humans, we don't care if you believe in us or not!), or perhaps we're descendants of a race from long ago. Maybe we're demons or angels or... Well, you get the idea. Give us an origin story, even if it doesn't make it into the final draft.

4) Interaction. How do we interact with humans and with others like us-- if there are others like us? Do we have civilizations and cultures of our own, or do we live separate and fragmented? Wolf packs are the most common societies in paranormal stories, but that doesn't mean you can't have vampire covens and ghost... huddles. Do we have our own law enforcement bodies that punish us if we step out of line and break our cover? Do we have leaders? How many, and how do they come to power? Is this a monarchy or a republic? Do we have hunters? Are you a hunter? (We don't take well to your kind around here.) How do we reproduce? What do we do if we're discovered?

5) Magic, if there is any. This also applies to the humans with magic. Some writers prefer their systems of magic to have rules, others don't. But whatever you decide to go with, STICK TO IT. If you establish a rule in chapter one, don't forget about it or disregard it in chapter eight. That's not to say that magic can't be fluid... but it should adhere to its own laws once you make them. What sorts of rules, you ask? Easy! What are the drawbacks to using magic? What types of magic are there? Elemental, psionic, arcane? Do you need a staff or some sort of focus to use it, or can you summon it with just your will?

That's the big stuff (although there are certainly other things you could flesh out, if you so chose). But as much as I hate to admit it, there's a world that exists around us, too. Your story can be set in a location that's real or fictional, but it should also make sense. That means you should have some idea of who the Big Players are in your town, whether it's a metropolis or a farming village.

If you want to get REALLY technical with your fictional (or real!) townships, look at how real cities and suburbs developed. Look at their economies, political processes, and locations. You can use those things to weave your own history that rings true to reality.

And that's important to note: the more fantastic your world is, the more it should make sense. Humans can handle monsters and magic and mayhem as long as up is up and down is down. Reality is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense. So go wild, but make sure there are rules somewhere.

I've been dreading this part, but here we go: you also need to pay attention to how your human characters navigate this world. Presumably, your main character discovers us at some point (good for them...). How do they do it? How does it affect their life? What happens to humans who find us out? Are we related to humans (ghosts, vampires, werewolves) or are we something else entirely? How can your puny human body hope to survive this world? Do you hunt us? Do you wish to become one of us? Will anyone believe you if you tell them about us? Will you help us or hurt us? The choice is yours. Choose wisely.

Look at real human institutions dedicated to the paranormal. Ghost hunters and the like. What are their methods? Can you fictionalize them and apply them to your story? What's the mythos and lore behind the supernatural in human cultures? How do creatures like vampires differ from culture to culture? Be wary when discussing myths from a culture that's not your own. You don't want to anger us...

These questions are just a jumping off point to jog your puny Meat brain. Come up with your own questions, then answer them. Read paranormal books. Research the myths behind us in real life and decide which parts you want to keep and which parts you want to change. Here's a checklist, since I'm sure your minds are getting tired by now:

DO

-Look for real-world inspiration

-Create a system of rules and stick to it

-Consider pros and cons. What are the drawbacks of being a creature of the night? The advantages?

-Get creative. Paranormal is a big genre. There's nothing new under the sun, but everyone likes a good remix

-Read your favorite paranormal stories. What makes them compelling?

DON'T

-Rely on cliches and stereotypes. Like I said, paranormal is big and it's been around for awhile. Do your research. What's fresh and what's dead meat? What do readers want to see more or less of?

-Change the rules with no explanation. If lycanthropy has no cure in book one, it shouldn't have a cure in book two unless you explain it very thoroughly. Again: the more fantastic the world, the more realistic the rules

-Overload the reader with info-dumping. Your readers don't have to know every zoning law in Smallville. Sneak information in when it's relevant, and try to show where you can instead of relying on telling

-Forget to give us nuance. We might be monsters, but we're monsters with feelings, dammit! We have our own goals and motivations

-Neglect the humans. Remember, as interesting as our world is, it only exists within the framework of human society. Don't forget about human characters and human culture

And that's all of my lesson for today! Go on, craft your own recipes. Don't forget the appetizer this time or I'll add your fingers to my guacamole dip.

Bon appetit!