How to Write a Believable World: A Guide to Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is the part of the writing process that sets up where your story takes place
When you build a world, you include the landscape that your characters will inhabit, the tone of your story, its major preoccupations and themes, as well as the nature of its morality
Worldbuilding lays the groundwork for your characters to develop, providing the stage for where your creations will perform.
It’s okay if you can’t answer every question there is about your world, but setting down the basics will help you start writing and building.
What Is the Purpose of Worldbuilding?
The purpose of worldbuilding for writers is to give their story structure and somewhere real to live.
starting point should be to establish the rules and boundaries of your imaginary world and how everything exists within it
8 Tips to Guide Your Worldbuilding Process
Decide where to start. Whether it’s the language spoken by the inhabitants or the apocalyptic landscape, pick the aspect of the world you’re most excited about exploring and start there.
List the rules and laws. The inhabitants who live in this world you’ve created will have their own independent existence. What is their governing system? Who is in charge? Do they use magic in this world? If so, who can use it, and how powerful is it? Setting up boundaries helps create a more realistic world that functions like a real one.
Establish the type of world you want. Pick a genre. Is this a dystopian or fantasy novel (or both)? Does it take place in our Earth or is it an alternate earth? Knowing this will help figure out the tone and mood of your world.
Describe the environment. What’s the weather like? How does it affect the world or planet? Are there natural disasters? Are there extreme temperatures? What natural resources exist in this location? How do people use the land? Establishing the environment and how it impacts the life within it can be a useful detail in the creation of your world.
Define the culture. What do the inhabitants of this universe believe in? Is there religion? Is there a God? Do they have any sacred customs? What do they celebrate? Breathe life into the characters who populate this location by giving them a meaningful existence.
Define the language. How do the inhabitants communicate? Is there a common tongue? Are there any ‘bad words’ that are off-limits? Knowing what can and can not be said in your world can be an apt source for conflict.
Identify the history. What is the history of this place you’ve created? Have there been any world wars? Do the countries within your world have enemies? Are there rival races? Is there a sole antagonist? Providing the backstory for your world can give it an added dimension and make it feel more tangible.8. Use existing works to inspire. Revisit the works of successful authors to get inspiration. Never steal ideas, but review the work of other fiction writers to see how they answer the same worldbuilding questions within their own novel writing.
Use existing works to inspire. Revisit the works of successful authors to get inspiration. Never steal ideas, but review the work of other fiction writers to see how they answer the same worldbuilding questions within their own novel writing.
Diversity exists everywhere or maybe not
Magic and powers have limit, what are they?
Figure out the technology and it’s availability to the characters and environment
What’s the government system like? Or if there isn’t one — why?
How strict are the rules?
Are people treated equally?
Where do people get their food / water from?
Are there basic commodities: schools, hospitals, etc
Are there jobs? Can anyone work?
What’s transportation like? How isolated is your world?
These are just somethings to consider of course there are many but it’s up to you to decide how detailed you want it!
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