The Most Important Parts of Worldbuilding
Hello everyone, Matt Ryan here!
It’s no secret that one of the most fun and rewarding parts of writing is worldbuilding.
There’s just something about creating a whole new world for your characters to run and and have their adventures in that feels people with satisfaction.
However, it’s also one of the most daunting and challenging parts of writing. Coming up with everything from the different races and cultures that live in your world, the different forms of religion and government, and how your magic or power system works. It can be pretty overwhelming.
I found it to be really frustrating and time consuming when I first started to create the world for Order of the Eagle. I had no idea what to focus on.
But, after a lot of research and experimenting, I’ve narrowed down worldbuilding to the most important parts, at least for me.
Every writer is different, and our brains process things differently. But feel free to take some of my pointers and apply them to your own worlds if you want.
Now then, lets move onto the most important parts of your world.
Geography
This one is a given. You need to have a clear idea of what your world looks like.
If you were to draw a map of your world, what shapes would the different land masses be?
How many continents are there?
Are there any big oceans or lakes?
What does the terrain for different areas look like? Mountains? Forests?
This will probably be one of the first things you come up with, and that’s great! Everything from the geography perspective of your world will have an influence on a lot of things that come up through the rest of the process.
People and Cultures
Another given. You can’t have a world without people to live in it.
A clear idea of how these people live their lives is vital to making your world feel vibrant.
What kind of conditions do these people live in?
Are there different social classes?
How do they provide for themselves? Food? Water? Shelter?
How do they govern? Politics? Religion? Law?
This applies to any race you create. You need to go deep down into the very essence of how these people operate.
History
This is arguably more important than anything else. A well thought out history is what will make your world feel lived in.
How did this world get to be the way it is? Any revolutions or wars?
Did any major uprisings take place in the past?
Knowing these things will help you develop the cultures and motivations for the people who inhabit your world.
Magic or Power System
This is one of the more fun parts!
Develop a clear understanding of how magic works in your world.
Can anyone learn magic or only a select few?
How common is magic?
Are specific instruments or materials needed?
This can be another topic all on it’s own, and I’ll be posting another piece about developing your magic system soon.
Take care of these things and your worldbuilding should be easy from that point forward.
Have these helped you at all? What do you think is the most important part of building your world?
Let know in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you think!
See you next time!
