1. Introduction
2. Elements of World-building
3. Research and Inspiration
4. Language and Culture
5. World-building Writing Exercise:
6. Conclusion
7. Additional Resources

Introduction

World-Building is one of the key characteristics of Science Fiction and Fantasy. At least part of the reason we love to explore these stories as either writers or readers is because of the world-building. As mentioned in previous posts, the range of world-building can range from an in-depth cultural studies to wide open awe inspiring landscapes that no one is sure how they came to be. But first, before we get too bogged down in wonder, let’s address what world-building is.

World-building is the layers of realism you add to your world to expand on the story you’re telling. (At least that’s my definition.) But if you want a different definition, then let’s turn to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. “the creation of a fictional world (especially within the science fiction and fantasy genres) that is believable and consistent within the context of the story.” If you like to use a different definition, please let me know! I love learning how different writers see the same thing!

The reason so many Science Fiction and Fantasy writers focus on world-building is because it creates such an immersive world for readers to explore, come back to, and even write fan-fiction about. So, let’s look at what you can do to learn the building blocks of world-building and add that extra layer to your stories.

Elements of World-building

There are a few core elements of world-building, creating believable and consistent settings, developing unique cultures, societies, and histories, and constructing the rules of magic or science in the world. All of these elements build upon one another to create the world your characters will exist in. For the purpose of this post, I will focus on the first two elements. The third is addressed in earlier posts, and click here to access the post regarding Hard and Soft Magic systems to learn more.

When working to create believable and consistent settings, you will want to start with all of the information you already know and build out/in from there. I highly recommend a Story Bible, especially within the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres as your readers will subconsciously watch for inconsistencies. How you set that up is up to you, but knowing how you keep track of stuff is important. One of the podcasters I listen too often refers to mapping out her story on a subway map. I don’t know if that applies to world-building, but it’s an option. A great way to remain consistent is to draw out a world map of the land your characters will travel through the story. You can do this before or after you write your first draft. I did a very rudimentary one for a character in my Scroll of Stone first draft because I realized I needed to know what direction they were truly headed, as it would impact the environment and the challenges they faced. So focus on the following elements to create believable and consistent settings:

• Follow Your Rules: In Science Fiction and Fantasy, authors get a lot of natural leeway in creating their worlds. If you create animals that can survive in austere environments, then a human going into that environment will probably face different challenges. If you say that magic works in one area of a world, but not another, you’ll need to explain (or at least know) why. If you say there’s a sea to the east, you can’t all of the sudden decide it’s moved to allow your character to go to another area. These may sound like common sense, but the whims of creativity take hold sometime and we need to remind ourselves of the self created parameters.
• Notate every decision your story makes: I know better than anyone that the story we work to create will make decisions for itself. You’ll most likely need to change things across your manuscript as you create, so have somewhere to keep those changes noted. This does not need to be a Story Bible, but have your notes ready when you write and edit to make sure you follow the world you’ve created. Using different world-building outlines is another great way to keep track of this.
• Respect Reality: Depending on what end of the spectrum your story falls into, soft, hard or mid-range Sci-Fi or Fantasy, will create the reality you need to respect in your world. Even if you do go for the soft magic, you can’t just magic everything away. Recently watching Percy Jackson (the newest Disney version) I found that they were respecting this reality in a way that most shows have started to pick up. People were seeing the magic happen in the way humans could understand and all they saw was a trio of kids beating up old ladies, not remembering a teacher, and stuff like that. It was a quick and easy mend to show that these events did happen, but keeping the reality from those who couldn’t understand. So keep that in mind as you work to build a reality that people can completely fall into.

Research and Inspiration

One great way to research and find some inspiration you can draw from real-world cultures and history. Rick Riordan is a fantastic example of this as his entire series pulls from the stories of Greek Mythology for the Percy Jackson series. Then again he pulls on the Egyptian Mythology in the Kane Chronicles. Now, these are more direct examples, but you don’t have to pull from history at the same level. If I’ve found anything, this is the best way to interpret the “write what you know” advice. We already write so much of our content from personal experience, why not study our and other’s histories to see find the facts we need to build our authority.

This isn’t just for the Historical Fiction writers either. The use of historical elements can help you if you’re working on a time piece or trying to figure out what sciences might be in the future. I heard one podcast mentioning that much of the Star Trek technology ended up pretty close to what we have now. (Excluding the Beam me up Scotty and others.) History can also inform on how people acted in situations that you’ve never experienced before. You can find books of prisoners incarcerated at Alcatraz, personal accounts from POW/MIA soldiers, and logs of people who suffered from the holocaust. A quick note: While you can use this information, respect the people and individuals who experienced these horrible things. History is a wonderful teacher in the study of culture, civilization, and technologies. Use it.

Language and Culture

Integrating fictional languages to add depth to a world doesn’t have to be an insane project in itself. Language is something that adds an authenticity to your fictional worlds that can’t be matched by other aspects. One of my favorite things in the Maze Runner series by James Dashner was the slang the boys had come up with in their world. It made that world more real to me, and I’ve honestly tried to emulate work like that ever since. You can also see it in much, if not all, of Brandon Sanderson’s work as well. Taking words that just seem to catch your attention and an outsider might find interesting is enough to build the depth you desire. You are welcome to create your own languages if you want, like the elven language in the Lord of the Rings series, but it’s not required.

Figuring out the extent you need to go in your language building will depend on how culture influences language. Even if some of us may not want to admit it, our culture defines so many of our choices from words we use to the unconscious actions we take. The cultures are not limited to nationalities or race though, as organizations can create a sense of culture. I know this personally from being in the military. The military and its branches have their own cultures/sub-cultures that drive the choices of many of the leaders and other Service members. If you’ve ever spoken with military personnel about military stuff you’ll notice that the majority of them use acronyms do describe situations, movements, or anything else. Most of the acronyms are said as words and everyone is expected to know them.

Another cultural aspect you can look at is common interactions, and how those change within the communities. Even within a sub-culture, like the Army, you’ll see different levels of interaction and adherences to standards. A Special Forces unit will interact with each other differently than a standard unit. A Special Forces Support Unit, while not Special Forces, will see themselves as above a standard unit and adopt many of the attitudes and attributes of a Special Forces unit. All in all, the point is that your sub-cultures will probably divide into different communities. Culture is a multi-faceted aspect of the world you create and how much you develop will depend on the story you’re writing.

World-building Writing Exercise:

Step 1: Choose a geographic region for your fictional world – it can be based on a real place or entirely invented. Make notes on the key features like terrain, climate, natural resources, etc.

Step 2: Develop a brief history of at least two fictional civilizations that occupied this region over time. Give them names, note any major events, who they interacted or conflicted with, how long they existed.

Step 3: Choose one of those civilizations and make them the focus of your world-building. Start describing details of their culture and society using some of the details from the text – consider their values, social customs, government, religion, art, architecture, technology, etc.

Step 4: Create 3-5 key phrases in their language to give a sense of their linguistic style. Feel free to invent words, borrow and modify from foreign languages, or just play with syntax.

Step 5: Write a short scene (1-2 pages) set in your fictional world that gives the reader a vivid sense of the environment and culture. Focus on engaging sensory details – smells, sounds, clothing, food, etc.

Step 6: Reflect on how immersing yourself in this exercise affected your creative process. Did imagining the culture and language help the world feel more real and deepen your understanding of it? What challenges did you face in creating consistency and realism? How might you expand on this exercise in future world-building?

Conclusion

World-building is a complex yet rewarding process that allows science fiction and fantasy writers to construct fully realized fictional worlds. By considering elements like geography, history, culture, language, and magic systems, authors can build immersive environments in which compelling stories come to life. Keeping detailed notes, outlining rules, and drawing inspiration from the real world while letting your creativity shine will help you develop believable, textured settings. Though world-building takes dedication, the payoff is worth it – for both the writer’s imagination and the reader’s experience. Remember that even small details can create an authentic vibe, so enjoy developing the unique features of your world that readers will want to get lost in.

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Additional Resources

• Check out my series of posts on World-Building with PMESII-PT, a military acronym used for assessing an area of interest.
• Worldbuilding Magazine – An online publication with worldbuilding tips, interviews, and essays. Great for sparking ideas.
• World Anvil – An online tool for building and organizing worldbuilding elements like maps, timelines, characters, etc. Has free and paid tiers.
• Artifexian – A YouTube channel covering conlanging, cartography, climate, and more for sci-fi/fantasy worlds.