An Introduction to World-Building
Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash
Eager to immerse readers in your story’s fantastical world?
Whether partially or fully fictional, developing an effective and engrossing story world is no easy task. After all, a story world is more than just a fictional setting or society; it’s the cultures and capabilities that impact every aspect of your characters’ stories and your characters themselves.
Like any part of the writing process, effective world-building takes time, intention, and attention to detail. In today’s article, I’m going to break down each of the major elements you should consider when building your story’s fictional world. But first, let’s discuss how writers approach the world-building process…
Two Ways to Develop Your Story’s Fictional World
For some writers, world-building is an exciting and engaging part of the writing process. For others, it’s a means to an end; a task that must be completed if they’re to write the story they long to tell.
This preference often determines the way a writer approaches world-building, determining whether they’ll develop a world to serve their story or a world in which many stories can be set. Though there’s no wrong way to go about world-building, many writers adopt one of two methods:
#1: The Inside-Out Method
Writers who wish to create a world for their story typically employ the inside-out method, developing only the details their world needs for their story to play out successfully.
With this approach, writers typically craft the most integral part of their world first, then determine how that element impacts other aspects of their world.
Say, for example, that you’d like to write a story about an organization that can control time. With the inside-out method, you’d first determine the extent of the organization’s abilities and operations.
You’d then consider how the organization’s power impacts the physical and societal landscape of your world — and, in turn, your characters’ lives.
Approach #2: The Outside-In Method
With the inside-out method, a writer’s story idea drives their approach to the world-building process. The opposite is true of the outside-in method, in which writers develop an extensive fictional world before (or alongside) their story.
When working outside-in, writers typically begin with the most foundational aspect of their world: its geography. Hills and plains become countries, become societies, become cultures, become religions, and so on.
Writers who use the outside-in method may or may not have a story idea in mind when they begin world-building, but one thing’s certain: they’re passionate about the world-building process — and the level of detail in their fantasy or sci-fi epic is bound to prove it.
No matter which method you choose to employ, it’s important to consider all aspects of your story world as parts of a moving whole, each influencing the next. But what are these aspects, exactly?
Five Elements to Consider When World-Building
Every story world may be unique, but the general aspects that define a story world are not. No matter what type of story you’re telling, here are five essential elements worth developing:
#1: Geography
Geography is, of course, your world’s physical landscape. When developing this landscape, consider key geographical elements such as:
1. Boundaries: Where do your world’s continents and countries (or planets and solar systems) begin and end? Bear in mind that both natural and man-made boundaries are rarely uniform. Your world's territories should vary in size and shape.
2. Water: For most real and fictional creatures, water is life. Identifying your world’s water sources (e.g. oceans, rivers, springs, lakes, bogs) is therefore key. Consider how these water sources influence the land and the people who live there.
3. Natural Features: As you created your world’s boundaries and water sources, you may have begun to develop other natural features such as mountain ranges and deserts. Now’s the time to expand these landmarks, filling your world with plains, hills, forests, cave systems, and other natural features.
4. Climate: As you develop each of the above elements, bear climate in mind. Which regions remain hot or cold year-round? Which get a taste of some or all seasons? Are some areas battered by wicked storms or tornadoes? How does a region’s climate affect its natural resources and the creatures that live there?
#2: Cultures & Societies
Our world is populated with thousands of cultures and societies both modern and ancient, each of which can inspire their fictional counterparts. When developing your world’s cultures and societies, consider these five key aspects:
1. Power: Societies rarely exist outside of a hierarchy of power. Government plays a role in this, certainly. But don’t forget about the role of privilege, prejudice, and suppression. Power structures typically revolve around gender, religion, race, sexuality, health, physical and cognitive ability, and beauty. Who will hold power and privilege in your world’s cultures and societies? How do these elements determine social classes and outcasts?
2. Government: How are the people within your fictional societies governed? Do they live in a democracy, monarchy, anarchy, or dictatorship? What laws govern the land, and who creates and enforces these laws? What rights do citizens bear, especially in regards to their participation in society and government?
3. Religion: Religion often directly impacts society’s laws and social norms. If religions exist in your world, consider not only what the religion preaches and who (and how) it worships but also how its tenets impact every other aspect of your fictional culture and society.
4. Art and Entertainment: Cultures are often defined by the ways they express and entertain themselves. What types of art are a fixture within your story’s cultures? Who creates the art and how is it valued? Which sports, races, or games are beloved? Are there professional artists and entertainers? How are art and entertainment practiced in everyday life?
5. Relations: Cultures and societies rarely exist in a bubble. After developing these aspects of your story world, consider how they might interact. How do different societies rely on one another for commerce and trade? Which laws and norms are praised in one culture and reviled by another? Which cultures frequently come into conflict and why?
#3: History
The present is nothing without the past. To lend your world a sense of depth and realism, consider developing historical events that continue to impact the world in which your characters live, such as:
1. Power Shifts: Social, political, and religious upheaval often have wide-ranging impacts on the world. Are there any particular past events whose consequences directly affect your characters’ everyday lives or the adventures they experience?
2. Traumatic Events: Traumatic events such as war, famine, and plague can also leave a sizable mark on history and your characters. These events may lead to a power shift within your fictional world and/or they may impact laws and social norms, religion, social classes, technology, etc.
#4: Magic System
Your world doesn’t necessarily need to have magic, but there’s no denying that magic systems, extraordinary skills, and superpowers are prevalent in fantasy and science fiction. If your characters will wield any of these powers, here are ten questions you’ll want to ask to develop an effective magic system:
Who can wield magic in your story world?
How does magic manifest? What can and can’t it do?
Can magic be controlled and developed?
Is there a cost to using magic? What impact does it have on the user?
Where does magic come from? What’s the source of its power?
Are items such as wands or staffs needed to use magic?
How is magic governed? How do religious leaders view magic?
How does society view magic? Is it feared, banned, revered?
Are there different types of magic?
How can those with magical powers be defeated or destroyed?
#5: Technology
Technology can be just as complex an aspect of world-building as magic. Whether you’re basing your world’s technology on a specific era of human history or developing a futuristic world, here are ten questions to ask:
What technologies do people use to communicate?
What technologies do people use to travel?
How do people use technology in their everyday lives?
What technologies exist as a source of entertainment?
How much do common technologies cost? Who can afford them?
What types of technology are used in combat?
What resources power common types of technology?
Who creates and regulates the use of technology?
Does the government use technology to track or control citizens?
What positive and negative consequences does technology have on your characters’ lives?
Moving Beyond World-Building Basics
World-building can be an incredibly complex and personal process. Depending upon your story and preferences, you may wish to develop some of these aspects in greater detail (e.g. fictional cultures or magic systems) and/or craft additional elements such as fictional languages or creatures.
No matter which approach you choose to take or how much detail you aim to pack into your world, try not to lose sight of your story amidst the chaos of creation.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the world-building process, then take a step back. Remember, you only need to develop your world in as much detail as your story requires. Bigger isn’t always better, and complexity doesn’t always serve the narrative. Focus on developing the aspects of your world that directly impact your characters, and you can’t go wrong.
