I wanted to throw this subject out for everyone simply because I’ve been asked to do panel discussions on World Building several times, and I need more ammunition. There are so many aspects to creating a believable fantasy or science fiction realm, that I think the more minds the better. In this first part, I’ll describe with how I build the worlds in which I set my novels. Next time, I’ll deal with world building for gaming.

I have a certain process to building my worlds, although I am sure others approach the task differently: First, I create a concept for my story. This is usually no more than a one or two-line plot, some inception idea that never went away and now begins to bear fruit. The characters come next, of course, at least the main ones. I’ve never written a story that didn’t evolve in characterization during the process, and I see this as a good thing. All eventualities cannot be thought through in the “conception” phase.

Next, the part we are interested in for this blog: the “world”.

One of the first questions you should ask yourself is what type of world you will be building for your story. There are two basic types: natural worlds and created worlds. Being by trade a natural scientist, I am most familiar with the former, and so prefer natural environments to created ones. Alternatively, created worlds give you the greatest leeway for creativity and truly unique environments, since you are less bound by physical laws. There are some great and quite functional examples of worlds that are “created by the gods” or some other entity.

In making the decision of natural versus created world, ask yourself which type of world will drive your story and characters forward most effectively. Never think that your world is your story. Your story is the tale of your characters and how they negotiate the conflicts you have placed before them. Although the world can be a major element of conflict (think Frank Herbert’s “Dune”), the environment is generally not the major dilemma facing the characters. Even Larry Niven’s classic “Ringworld” was about the characters exploring that very special world.

Once I’ve decided what type of world I want as a setting for my story, I start thinking of how much detail I need to make the world come alive for the reader. This depends on a couple of things. One is how different this world is from ours. Contemporary works need less description of detail. Totally alien worlds need more. The process of including these details can be tricky, and is a topic unto itself, but suffice to say, your details should be a part of the story, not excerpts or didactics outside the story. Describe the world through its interaction with characters; that way your reader is immersed in, not distracted by the details. Another factor influencing the level of detail is the purpose of your world. If you are simply telling a story, your level of detail can be “skin-deep”, telling the reader only what is necessary to drive the story forward. Elements with which the characters do not interact usually need not be included. Much more detail is required for a gaming world, and I’ll get into that next time.

Including detail can be easy or quite daunting, depending on the “depth” of your characters’ interaction with the world. If your whole story takes place in a single city, that interaction may be minor. If they gallivant around your entire continent, planet, solar system or galaxy, you better get out your notebook and a good sketch pad. There are many elements of world building in fantasy and SF that are “stock and trade” and can be used openly. The concept of hyperspace, for instance, does not belong to George Lucas, and can be used without much explanation because it’s been used often. Other items, however, you may need to be careful with. The term “drow”, for instance, belongs to the owners of Dungeons & Dragons, while the term “dark elf” does not. Best, I think, to steer clear of elements that could possibly be the property of others.

Here are some of the details you need to consider in creating a world: Races (alien, fantasy or other…), Government (not every advanced civilization is a democracy, and not every primitive one is a monarchy), Economy (This is a huge one: is there money? If so, what is it? If not, how does trade work? Are there guilds? Taxes? Tithes? There must be trade; no society functions without it.), Social Structure (castes or classes can be of any origin, racial, socioeconomic, sex, age, etc), Weather (including seasons), Climate (not exactly the same as weather), Geography (linked to both weather and climate), Ecologies (plant, animal, marine, underground, avian, or extraterrestrial), Geology (is there active geology, like volcanic or tectonic?), Religion (this is also a huge one, and can include how the spiritual world interacts with the mundane), Sexuality (including all the social rituals that may be involved in this), Prejudices between any of the above (including geographically based, such as Highlanders versus Lowlanders), and how technology and/or magic interact with all of it. Of course, the importance of any of these elements should reflect its importance to furthering your story.

One thing about magic and technology – create whatever you want, and in any combination that you want (magic and technology are not mutually exclusive), but be consistent. Your “rules” are yours, but you can’t change horses in the middle of the stream.

Other elements you may want to include are warfare and martial conflict (How advanced are the weapons, training and tactics in this world? Do your homework if you go into this in detail!), medical technology (Do they know what a bacterial or viral infection is, and how to treat one, or is disease thought to be due to “evil demons”?), sexually linked roles (are women equal to men, or are men subservient to women?) and many, many more.

Whatever your world, please remember one thing, and this is my mantra: form follows function. No matter the world, your forms – be they physical, geological, biological, economic or other – must make sense. Do some research, and you will be rewarded with more detail than you can possibly use. I saw a natural science show on a cricket that froze solid every night due to the drastic temperature drop of its high altitude environment, and thawed out and crawled away every morning. How absolutely cool is that? And it’s real! Use real elements in your fiction and you don’t have to make up all the hard stuff.

I know there is so much more to world building than the techniques that I use, so please give me your ideas. Be original and have fun. It is, after all, your world!