1. Introduction
2. Essentials of Science Fiction and Fantasy: 1-World-building and Why We Care
3. Community Showcase: Share Your Work
4. Featured Blog Posts
5. Writing Exercise: Why is World-Building Important
6. Conclusion

Introduction

Welcome to the May edition of the Myers Fiction Newsletter. We’re halfway through our character and World-Building segment in your year of mastering science fiction and fantasy. I hope you’ve enjoyed the building blocks in the former posts we’ve gone over, and be ready to continue growing this knowledge as the year goes on.

After watching Dune Part II, I thought back to what makes us love science fiction and fantasy. There’s something about these genres that captures us, and our readers, more than any other genre. For that, I’ve found 8 core essentials that every science fiction and fantasy writer should learn and understand.

Essentials of Science Fiction and Fantasy: 1-World-building and Why We Care

We’ve had a few posts now talking about world-building this year alone, not to mention the good handful of other posts I’ve shared in previous years. So why should you, as a science fiction and fantasy writer, care so much about world-building and doing it well? All great speculative fiction builds its foundation on world-building, which provides the stage for characters to shine and stories to unfold. And let’s all admit it, we want to escape to other worlds, and in order to do that, authors need to master world-building on each page.

In science fiction and fantasy, the world itself plays a crucial role, impacting both the plot and the actions of the characters. This is a piece of advice that comes up again and again at writing conferences, whether that be in person or online. But think back to the world-building posts where we’ve identified ways to use geography, culture, technology, and magic to shape how your characters and the story itself interacts with the world. You’re building a physical representation of all that is right and wrong in the world you share with your readers.

These are often the things that readers come back for, even if there are new characters. I know it was that way for me in the Mistborn series, as Vin and Kelsier were replaced with Wax and Wayne. I was still just excited to go back to the allomancy based world to see what it had become and what hadn’t changed. What are those elements of the world-building that you believe will be the reasons your readers return for each book? If you already have a few out, were they what you expected?

I haven’t considered until this moment that you could almost build a character sheet for your world. The world-building character sheet will include geography (Physical features), cultures (Personality), technology (skills), and many others. I’m building a free worksheet for everyone subscribed to Myers Fiction as a resource to see if this is an approach you’d like to use. I will update you when I’ve finished this.

One thing is certain, that the worlds created in the science fiction and fantasy genres challenge everything we understand as normal. Without a detailed and immersive world, readers may struggle to suspend disbelief and fully engage with the story, making world-building a cornerstone of the genre. This doesn’t mean you have to know how everything works down to the atomic level, but it does mean creating a standard for the reader from the get-go and maintaining consistency throughout your worldbuilding.

If all the people in your world can fly, why would they have cars? Think about what technologies/magic your world has and consider how that impacts the world. The moments your reader’s your moments aren’t immersed in the world are usually because you made a convenient choice for the story, though it contradicts what would actually happen in that world. Can you think of any examples of this in stories you’ve read?

When you overlay your plot across your map, which we talked about a few weeks ago, you are more likely to derive natural conflict, character identities, and provide opportunities for thematic exploration. We create these moments to live off a different kind of stress in stories that we don’t naturally experience in our own world. While some may regularly face dragons and wear enchanted armor, I personally find myself at a desk for most of my life. (That’s for work and for writing.) So remember as you’re writing that you’re creating that escape for those who can’t go out and hunt monsters, travel the stars, or experience new alien races at every turn.

The art of world-building in science fiction and fantasy literature is a captivating process where authors create immersive and enthralling universes through landscapes, cultures, histories, and systems of magic or technology. It shapes the essence of a fictional realm, captivating readers and igniting their imaginations.

Community Showcase: Share Your Work

I want to hear about your success stories with the Myers Fiction Posts. Whether that’s something from this year or previous years. I’m here to help you at the end of the day, to champion your writing, and to drive you to reach your goals. If there has been a writing exercise, a post, or just something you’ve enjoyed from being a follower of Myers Fiction, then I’d love to hear about it.

Use the comment section below, the contact page, or reach out to me on social media and share your favorites with me and your friends. Also, if you’d like to showcase anything you’ve created or discovered from the posts and writing exercises this year, then reach out via the contact page to begin the conversation. Next month’s featured article will cover character development. I look forward to hearing from you!

Featured Blog Posts

1. Imagining Fictional Environments: Geography, Architecture and Culture
   • Explore the definitions and importance of fictional environments in science fiction and fantasy writing, emphasizing geography, architecture, and culture. Discover tips on creating realistic landscapes, designing diverse architecture, and developing unique cultural identities.
2. Alien Species Design: Biology, Society and Relating to Humans
   • Develop alien species design in science fiction and fantasy writing, covering biology, society, and interactions with humans. We’ll discuss creating believable alien biology, developing diverse alien societies, and portraying meaningful interactions with humans.
3. Technology in Spec Fic: Making It Plausible and Integral to the World
   • Let’s discuss the role of technology in speculative fiction. It emphasizes the importance of plausible and integrated technology for compelling narratives, including world-building, types of technology, plausibility, integration into the narrative, societal impact, case studies, and encourages creative approaches with attention to detail.

Writing Exercise: Why is World-Building Important

I don’t want to be the only source of your “why” when it comes to world-building. So today’s writing exercise will be simple.

• Take 15-30 minutes and write as much as you can on why world-building is important to you, your readers, and your stories.
• To get you started, write a one or two sentence answer in the comments below, copy it over to your word document, and go from there.

Good luck, writers! I can’t wait to read what you come up with!

Conclusion

World-building is the bedrock of great science fiction and fantasy storytelling. By meticulously constructing vibrant, immersive realms replete with intricate geographical landscapes, diverse cultures, imaginative technologies, and unique magic systems, authors invite readers to escape into wondrous new worlds.

As you continue honing your world-building skills, remember to maintain consistency, explore how your world’s elements shape the narrative and characters, and craft an enthralling experience that challenges readers’ perceptions of reality. Embrace the art of world-building as a profound act of creation, for it is through these richly detailed universes that the most captivating tales of speculative fiction come to life.

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Previous Newsletter: April

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Next Newsletter: June