THE Writer's Guide

Part 12 "Tools to create Settings in Magical Worlds"

Settings in magical worlds AKA "World Building"

I hope you watched the 6 min video montage of fantasy worlds posted above.  It's phenomenal! I chose not to add any other videos for this section because this clip just had it all. 

World building is fun!!! Let's just get that out there. It's an amazing opportunity to be creative and imagine creatures, plants, foods, magic, powers, and go writer wild.

Whether you take your writers into outer space or into an underground world of gnomes, you'll want to create boundaries in your world that will help keep your readers from getting lost.

As with everything, reading books that utilize magical worlds will be essential.

I hope you've had a chance to review Part 11 "Vivid Settings" as it will be important to implement these ideas.

Here is an extensive (and maybe a little overwhelming) list of ideas to consider in creating your world. BUT, not everything will apply to your story, so skip those. Maybe in your next story, some of them will & so they're all good to keep in mind.

So, with your sketch pad or on your computer--jot some notes, ideas, pictures, or questions regarding the following:

TIME PERIOD: Is it the past, future or present with "secret worlds".

LOCATION: Consider drawing a map. Is there a center to the world? Are there layers? Planets? Triggers for time travel? Kingdoms? What kinds of plant life do you have in each area?

INHABITANTS; Humans and creatures? Who's smart? And who posses what kinds of powers? What is the social order of the inhabitants?

GOVERNMENT; Who is in charge? How did they get that power? How do they use it? For good? For evil? Is there a constant threat to the order of power?

CULTURE: How are men, women, children and any other creatures treated in your world? What determines who is weak and who is strong? Who is educated or ignorant? Do the poor have pathways to become rich? Is there more than one language? What clothes do they

HISTORY: What important historical events have led to the present situation? What wars, alliances and other situations are relevant?

TECHNOLOGY: Technologically, how does the fantasy world compare to our world? Is it more or less advanced, or does it have a mix of technologies? When creating a fantasy world, use small technological details where appropriate to create a strong sense of your fictional place as a distinctive land.

EDUCATION: What is the standard of living for average people? How educated do they tend to be? What does "educated" mean in this world?

MAGIC: Does magic exist in the world, and if so, how is it regarded, and who practices it? What are the rules of the magic?

VALUES: Is it power? Wealth? Kindness? The Elderly? Are men and women valued equally? Is there a religion(s) involved in setting the value system?

LIFE AND DEATH: Is to die in battle honorable? Expected? Is there an "after-life"? How is it achieved? A hell or heaven? Are there Gods that have influence or control?

NAMES: Make them have some connection to the character and the character's role in the story. A lot of characters with unusual names can muddy up the story.

As you can see, a fantasy world needs to marry imagination with reality. But in the end, it is the backdrop or 'stage' for your story. Imaginary worlds that are too involved and complicated can be frustrating for a reader.