World Building – Page 4 – Mythic Scribes Test Site

Transforming a World Into a Setting

Every time I ask other fantasy writers a question about the worlds I create, one of them will inevitably respond, “What does this matter to your story?”

That’s because many new writers, influenced by roleplaying games and the illustrations featured in our favorite fantasy novels, are prone to view worldbuilding as filling in the gaps on a map, cataloging the monsters, or finding new ways to justify fireballs. But these details alone do not create immersion.

Hobbyists build worlds. Authors build settings.

Extensive vs. Minimal: What is Your World Building Coming To?

by Philip Overby

World-building is a topic that comes up often in fantasy writing circles. If you’re writing epic fantasy, most often it’s going to be in a world of your own creation. Even if you’re writing in our own world, if you have fantasy elements in your story (e.g., magic, mythical creatures, necromantic hamsters), then you have to do at least a tad bit of word-building.

However, how much world-building is too much? How much is too little?

Some people may be extensive world-builders, laying out ten thousand years worth of history, historical texts, dead languages, extinct races, etc. Others may be minimal world-builders, relying only on a handful of elements to power their story forward. So which method of world-building is better, both for your readers and for your writing?

Fight for What’s Right: Moral Causes in Fantasy Worlds

by Alice Leiper

We all want our protagonists to be engaging and for our readers to root for them. One way to achieve this is to give the protagonist a goal which the reader sympathises with.

For some, it is to save a life or find something of value. For others, it is to change the world, to pursue a grand cause and improve life for thousands of people.

But it isn’t always that simple.

What cause do you pick, and how do you make it relevant and believable?

Mythic Justice – Crime and Punishment in Your Fantasy World

by Robert MacAnthony

How you handle crime and punishment in your fantasy world is an important aspect of creating a vibrant and real culture. The legal system you create should reflect how society views law generally, as well as the values of society.

This article provides a starting point for considerations of criminal law in your fantasy world.

The Source of Law

At the outset, you should decide where laws originate in your society. This is not necessarily limited to deciding which individuals or bodies make the law. Take it a step deeper. It is useful to examine two broad categories for the ultimate source of law – Divine Right and Natural Law.

Writing Believable Fantasy – A Guide to Keeping It Real

by Codey Amprim

Maintaining your audience’s suspension of disbelief is a challenge that every fantasy writer must face. Obtaining, and holding, that suspension relies on your ability to convey a believable story, setting, and cast.

If the suspension of disbelief is dissolved, so is the reader’s will to continue on with the story.

So, how do we make fantasy believable?

Fantasy Writing Case Study: Trindall Grove

by Brian DeLeonard

In two previous articles, I’ve talked about ways to help authors better understand their characters, as well as techniques for using fantasy to enhance the stories those characters are a part of.

With this article, I’m going to take a departure from the style and nature of those posts to try and put my words into context. I want to talk a little about how I’ve used this advice in one of my own fantasy projects as a Case Study to help other authors consider their own work.

Today I’m going to tell you about the story of a character named Breldin and the thought process I used to create a town called Trindall Grove.

Using History as Inspiration for Fantasy

by Alice Leiper

When others learn I am a writer, one of the most common questions I am asked is “where do you get your ideas from?” Now the obvious answer is “everywhere,” because life is inspiration for fiction. But one of those places where it is easiest to draw the direct correlations between what I see or learn and what I write is in history.

Some of you might, at this point, be thinking, “Oh yes, kings and knights and castles and all that. What’s new about that in fantasy?” But history encompasses so much human lived experience, and we can use it in far more intricate and interesting ways than just including an idealised image of the medieval world.

Welcome To My Worlds – One Author’s Approach to Building Fantasy Worlds

by Featured Author

This article is by S.G. Rogers.

I’m a fantasy author who enjoys building worlds. Perhaps my interest in world-building stems from the wonderment I feel in the presence of beauty. Magic exists in the waterfalls of Brevard County, North Carolina, the stunning views at Big Sur, and the Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico. Magic radiates from the paintings of Michelangelo, the castles of Europe, and the sculptures of Bruno Torfs in Australia. When I experience this magic, I feel compelled to communicate my sense of awe in the stories that I write.

I’ve sold eight fantasy manuscripts so far on the strength of my world-building, with two sequels in the works. Although each project has its own unique challenges, my approach to world building involves a few common principals.