7 Steps to World Building

There’s an aspect of writing that takes place behind the scenes, something the reader must never notice and yet always be aware of. What is it? The world you have constructed. For those of us writing a narrative that takes place outside of the current time and status of Earth, there is significant research and planning that needs to be done. It can be a daunting task, especially if you’re altering more than one or two details. Essentially, you must create a new world from the ground up.

Step 1: Decide what will change from our contemporary setting and what might be the same.

Step 2: Brainstorm history, objects or people that will fill in the “what will change” category.

Step 3: Research information needed to make your alterations realistic.

Step 4: Test your changes. Ask these two vital questions: Do they make sense in the world you have constructed? Will they make sense to your contemporary readers?

Step 5: If you answer “yes” to both, move to Step 6 but if you say “no” to one or both fix your mistakes accordingly. Repeat Step 4.

Step 6: Build your narrative around the setting. Since you are building a world, it must control the story in some way- be mindful of these influences.

Step 7: Integrate the world in dialogue and sensory description that will help set your setting apart.

The last few steps, having a beta reader, or editing do not necessarily affect your world building so I have not included them. The aforementioned steps may take you a few days, weeks, months or years depending how involved you want to get in your world building. Some locations require a short world building timeframe while others require intense concentration and devotion to the build. However long your construction takes, be patient, pay attention to detail and above all, make your reader forget that your world isn’t real.

How was your world building experience? Exhausting or fun?