10 Tips on Building A Fantasy World
1. Invent your own language, with its own pronunciation and spelling. You could start with how you want it to be spoken, or you could start with a simple substitution cipher and decide the pronunciation from there. (That's what I'm doing with the Pindutian language in my novel-in-progress The Swordsman Who Couldn't Lift a Spear.)
2. Draw a map! (If you don't like to draw, you could skip to Tip #3 or just visualize the topography.) After all, "location, location, location." Do you want a mountainous island, a landlocked desert, a grassy peninsula? A combination of all sorts of types of land?
3. Populate your land with people. What kind of people live in your world? (If you want a world filled with only the surreal, skip to Tip #4.) Have they adapted to live in this environment? What kind of homes do they live in? What do they do for work or for fun?
4. Now, put some fantastical creatures into your world. RECOMMENDATION: Think outside the box! Think about it: will your readers be more interested to read about a world full of elves, or a world full of furry chickens? Okay, just an example ... but still, be creative!
5. Dream up something that physically sets your world apart from the real one besides the strange creatures in it. Do the trees belch? Do flowers grow the second you plant seeds?
6. Dream up something that socially sets your world apart from the real one. Are there strange laws? Do people interact differently? How? What about dialect? Also, what makes their culture different?
7. Get into the specifics of culture. What kind of music is popular in your fantasy world? Are there unique instruments in it? What books do your characters read? What kind of stories and legends do they tell? What kind of traditions do they have? Do they have religion? If so, what is their religion like?
8. Write an encyclopedia. This may sound difficult, but it doesn't have to be long. Include information about the language, creatures, culture, laws, people, and while you're at it, throw in that map. Maybe if your book becomes popular, you could publish the encyclopedia!
9. Don't get discouraged. Problems enhance creativity! If you can't come up with a good, creative language, or you're struggling with creating original fantasy creatures, try combining already-existing creatures or languages. Maybe that will inspire you. Or, if you're getting bored, re-read the Lord of the Rings for the third or fourth or fifth time and think about how cool it would be to build your own world like that. Get yourself psyched up!
10. Your fantasy world is very important, but don't forget about your characters and plot. There's hidden treasure waiting to be found, or a hero waiting patiently to fight a dragon. Also, think about how your world affects the plot. Will your characters have to fight those furry chickens?
BONUS TIP: Have fun!!! World-building is possibly one of the most enjoyable parts of writing fantasy (which is why many people tend to get carried away, so see Tip #10).
2. Draw a map! (If you don't like to draw, you could skip to Tip #3 or just visualize the topography.) After all, "location, location, location." Do you want a mountainous island, a landlocked desert, a grassy peninsula? A combination of all sorts of types of land?
3. Populate your land with people. What kind of people live in your world? (If you want a world filled with only the surreal, skip to Tip #4.) Have they adapted to live in this environment? What kind of homes do they live in? What do they do for work or for fun?
4. Now, put some fantastical creatures into your world. RECOMMENDATION: Think outside the box! Think about it: will your readers be more interested to read about a world full of elves, or a world full of furry chickens? Okay, just an example ... but still, be creative!
5. Dream up something that physically sets your world apart from the real one besides the strange creatures in it. Do the trees belch? Do flowers grow the second you plant seeds?
6. Dream up something that socially sets your world apart from the real one. Are there strange laws? Do people interact differently? How? What about dialect? Also, what makes their culture different?
7. Get into the specifics of culture. What kind of music is popular in your fantasy world? Are there unique instruments in it? What books do your characters read? What kind of stories and legends do they tell? What kind of traditions do they have? Do they have religion? If so, what is their religion like?
8. Write an encyclopedia. This may sound difficult, but it doesn't have to be long. Include information about the language, creatures, culture, laws, people, and while you're at it, throw in that map. Maybe if your book becomes popular, you could publish the encyclopedia!
9. Don't get discouraged. Problems enhance creativity! If you can't come up with a good, creative language, or you're struggling with creating original fantasy creatures, try combining already-existing creatures or languages. Maybe that will inspire you. Or, if you're getting bored, re-read the Lord of the Rings for the third or fourth or fifth time and think about how cool it would be to build your own world like that. Get yourself psyched up!
10. Your fantasy world is very important, but don't forget about your characters and plot. There's hidden treasure waiting to be found, or a hero waiting patiently to fight a dragon. Also, think about how your world affects the plot. Will your characters have to fight those furry chickens?
BONUS TIP: Have fun!!! World-building is possibly one of the most enjoyable parts of writing fantasy (which is why many people tend to get carried away, so see Tip #10).
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