World-Building 101: Easy Tips for Beginners
Ready to get started building your WOrld?
What’s in a world? Dreaming up a world for your novel might feel like standing at the bottom of a mountain and looking up. It can be terrifying figuring out where to start and the road ahead seems arduous. Don’t fret, you are not alone. Every writer must build the world of their novel to some extent, even those who are not writing speculative fiction.
World-building doesn’t just apply to fantasy and science fiction novels.
With that being said, many writers have details of the world they would like to build floating around in their head. Some of these are important to get started and others are better saved for your revisions. However, I like to think of the inspiration as free gifts from the universe. Even if you don’t use them in this novel, it’s important to jot them down because you never know when they might come in handy for the next one. Once you have a place to keep track of all your ideas, it’s time to figure out what information you have to know in order to get started building your world.
Why does World-Building Matter?
World-building is about more than just creating a fantastical setting for your story to exist within (although it is partially that too). World-building sets the ground work for your reader. What is ground work?
Groundwork (noun) - the mood and/or vibe of your story as it creates an experience for your reader. Crafted by selecting just the right amount of information for your reader in any given scene.
Groundwork is a delicate balance. Lay too much ground work and your reader will be overwhelmed by details that are not important to the story. Too little and your reader will be unable to tell up from down within the manuscript. A good rule of thumb is to only give the reader information on a “need-to-know” basis. This ensures that your world-building is delicately interwoven into the plot rather than dumped on the reader in a scene that rips them from the story. The information that you choose to give your reader matters in that it tells them what is important for them at that moment. Sticking to this rule when building your world will make sure that you don’t go off on a random tangent for three pages about your protagonist’s education at the magical academy that doesn’t actually happen in your book.
But I am not writing Speculative Fiction!
World-building is about more than just science fiction and fantasy novels. Writing a romance that takes place in a quaint, small town? Designing or selecting that small town is world-building. Is your character a lawyer at a fictional law firm? Dreaming up that law firm is part of your groundwork.
Even though every writer needs to set the scene for their novel through world-building, not all novels require the same extent or depth of detail when it comes to planning. Novels set in our world come with a standard default setting if you will that writers can tweak to their own benefit. If you are designing your own fictional world like a far off intergalactic space station, then there is a bit more work to be done in creating a setting that is both immersive and complete for the reader.
Where to start World-Building?
So where do you start? Well, I would consider the places that have the most direct impact on your plot. These can be the political system, geographic locations, societies and structures that your protagonist is a part of and that influence their view of their world. It could also be their culture, their family unit, their job, or the climate of your world. In reality, it doesn’t matter where you start as long as it is specific and relevant to the plot of your story or your protagonist.
For example, if you are writing an eerie crime thriller about a rebel detective, some of the most important elements of the world-building will be related to the detective’s life. Where does she work? Is there a sense of justice in the system or is it unfair? What is going on in her local environment? All of these items set the stage for the story, but they are specific to your detective and your plot. The reader doesn’t need to know about the detective’s favorite restaurant unless it is relevant and you, as the writer, do not need this information to start writing your first draft. Small details like this can be interwoven during revisions, but do not need to be a part of initial world-building efforts.
How to lay the Ground work:
You only need the most important details of your story before you begin your first draft. Avoid the temptation to get lost in the details prior to starting. By being selective in your world-building, you will ensure that you stay focused on the details that are the most important rather than feeling paralyzed by all the elements of your ground work. This is a little different for every book. For example, if you are writing a witchy magic story, you might need to know how that magic system works before you get started. You might not need to know your protagonist’s exact lineage back five generations to write a solid first draft.
Figure out the most important aspects of your novel that you need in order to get started.
Pull out your favorite world-building checklist (I like this one from World Anvil) and identify five to seven elements that are the most important and relevant to your story. Start brainstorming! Take note of any miscellaneous ideas that come up, but don’t chase the rabbit. Stay focused on the ideas that are critical to determine prior to starting your novel. Everything else can be formulated during revisions.
Start drafting!
Once you have the minimum information required to get started, it’s time to break out the typewriter, sheet of paper or computer and start writing. This is the most important step because writers often wait until they have all their ideas finalized before moving on to drafting. Don’t fall into this trap! As soon as you have enough of they key details in place, it’s time to get started.
As you come across items that you need to move the plot forward, pause.
It is likely that you stumble upon information that you need to continue drafting. When you reach these hurdles, you have two choices: create the answer to your world-building quandary or put a placeholder in until you are ready to craft the details. Sometimes to answer comes to forth naturally as your writer providing effortless groundwork, but other times you might find your self with writer’s block. Don’t let the details delay your progress. Use a placeholder like [Details TK] or Details to Come that can be easily found via CTRL + F later in your revision process.
When you return for revisions, iron out small details.
I always recommend taking at least two weeks off before you return to your first draft for edits. As creatives, the art sometimes holds such a powerful place in our own minds that is difficult to see its flaws. When you return to your story with fresh eyes, the holes in your world-building will become glaringly apparent. This will be the perfect time to narrow in on the finer details and make sure that you are giving the reader the right amount of information to understand your story.
That’s all for now! For more writing tips and tricks, feel free to reach out to me or learn more on my instagram below:
