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nanowrimo · 2 years

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How to World-build Without Knowing Everything

Worldbuilding can be one of the most daunting tasks that a writer can embark on, but fear not! Siera Schubach, an awarding-winning author, is here to save the day and give you a great guide to building your fantasy world without knowing every detail.

Have you ever wanted to write a fantasy story but felt overwhelmed by the concept of worldbuilding?

As a fantasy writer myself, I’m going to tell you a little secret: Worldbuilding isn’t as complicated as it is made out to be.

Here are a few steps you can take to build a strong, layered, and interesting fantasy world without any prep.

The Plot is the Point

Do you know every single language on Earth? Do you know the customs and cultures of every person on the planet? I expect the answer is “no” (unless you’re an all knowing oracle in which case, I have some questions). We don’t know every detail of the world we live in now, and you don’t need to know all the details of the world you are creating either.

There are over seven different species (that I know of) in my fantasy world, but the only ones I know much about are those that factor heavily into the story. You don’t need to know the vast history of a character who is only mentioned in passing.

Listen to Your Characters

When I started my fantasy novel I had no idea where the story was going or any of the details of the world I walked into. Everything I learned about my new world was through my characters.

When a new character comes into your story, whether you knew they were coming or they showed up unannounced, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:

What does their appearance reveal about their background?

Do they speak the same language as your main character?

What does their body language show about their culture?

Is there any tension with other characters?

You don’t have to share everything you learn with the reader (remember, focus on what enhances the plot). But knowing these details can help you develop your own understanding of your fantasy world.

You Don’t Have To Be a Linguist

Not every human on Earth speaks the same language. The same should be true of your fantasy world. But this doesn’t mean you need to become J.R.R. Tolkien.

A great way to show language diversity without creating a whole new language is by describing what the language sounds like, not necessarily what is being said.

“He spoke to her in a tongue she did not understand. It was rough and guttural, as though he were pulling the words from the depth of his throat.”

“Her words were soft and lilted. Janine did not understand their meaning, but felt comforted nonetheless.”

Think of this as a play on the old “show don’t tell” rule. You can show how your language sounds and interacts in your fantasy world without telling any of the words.

Skip the Exposition

When we meet new people, we don’t spill our entire life story. We share it little by little over time. This should be true for your characters. When introducing a new being or species, don’t overload the reader with details all at once. Let them discover the culture of this character as they get to know them. This can look something like:

Everyone sits down for a meal but character A doesn’t eat anything because they are vegetarian.

It’s a hot day and everyone takes off their outer layers except for character B because they cannot show the skin of their arms.

Don’t Box Yourself In

If you spend ages on worldbuilding you run the risk of stifling your creativity and bending your story to fit into the box you created. Whether you are a pantser or a planner, creating a new fantasy world can be daunting. But it should also be fun.

Once you get over the fear of creating a new world beneath your fingertips, you will come to realize that you already have all the tools you need to start building.

Siera Schubach is an award-winning writer, storyteller, and random fact collector. She is currently in the depths of editing her latest fantasy novel, and working on a nonfiction book that will be published by Bloomsbury in 2024.

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

#Writing tips #writing advice #worldbuilding #siera schubach #by nano guest

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dawnofdragon · 1 year

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GENAVENE PEAKE & RODRIK LOCKE ICC | 10TH MOON, 1 AC

Rodrik: There wasn't any room for even a single mistake. All Rod was focusing on was getting to the next round. He didn't expect that he would ever be good at anything but fighting, his father had been keen to leave him in the dark on most things, preferring to guide his brother through being a Lord, but Rod could prove that he wasn't worthless. Rod had completely lost track of what was happening around him, he didn't even realize he was the last one standing until he heard a loud voice announcing him as the winner. Rod did nothing for a moment, he simply stood there catching his breath and he recognized that someone was saying something, but it took another minute before he started to recognize what they were saying. He had won, and now he had to name a Queen of Love and Beauty. For a moment Rod floundered, he hadn't done this to name anyone anything, but as he looked around the crowd, his eyes immediately fell upon a woman he had met only a few short days ago and had had his breath taken away. Standing up just a little straighter, Rod took a steadying breath, his eyes not leaving Genavene. Ignoring everyone who was watching him, Rod took the flowers that were offered to him, until he was in front of her. Kneeling down, he held the flowers out to her. "Genavene Peake, I dedicate this victory to you."

Genavene: A part of her was pleased to see that Rodrik Locke had managed to win the joust and become the Tournament Champion because that at least brought a bit of notoriety to the man that she would likely be betrothed to if her mother went through with the "secret" arrangements. He had seemed nice enough after all and wasn't all that bad looking so she supposed it could be worse. Just like a part of her was over the moon when she saw his eyes fall upon and head her direction as there was only one thing that could mean. When he held out the crown of flowers to her, she couldn't help but smile as she took them. "Thank you Lord Locke for such an honor," she responded, despite knowing that her mother would use this as a clear sign to move forward.

Rodrik: There was not a doubt in his mind, that he had no idea what he was doing. Rod hand been to tournaments before but never had it been something like this. He didn't even know if he was saying the right words, or doing the right thing, he didn't even know if Genavene was betrothed to anyone or if he had been stepping on someones toes, all he knew was that she was his choice for this. "The honour is mine." He spoke softly so only she could hear. "For uh, you accepting, not that it's my honour for winning or anything..." Raising his hand he scratched the back of his head, knowing he was already messing everything up. "Would you like to go for a walk?" He was sure some would try and follow but perhaps, they would give the champion and his Queen a moment of peace.

Genavene: Either he was not used to being in the spotlight or he just wasn't used to speaking with ladies, but it seemed like every time she had spoken to Rodrik thus far he simply tripped over his words. It was a little endearing ... not that she would say as much out loud. "Is it not an honor to win as well?" Though she had a feeling he was just being humble in that regard. "A walk sounds nice," she added as she stood from her seat and began to step away from her family.

Rodrik: He couldn't help but smile slightly, where he seemed to be absolutely horrible with words, from the few conversations he had had with Genavene, she was much better. "Well, it is..." He didn't think winning at the expense of the Lord of the North was the best idea, but he had hardly been paying attention to who he had been fighting against. Instead he let the sentence lay, offering his arm to her instead. "I beg of you my Queen, anything to get the spotlight of me...and us now I suppose." He wondered if she would think ill of him for dragging her into the spotlight as the Queen of love and beauty, though it was too late for that now. "Is there anything you wish to see?" Perhaps she had seen the entire camp already, but considering he had thrown her into this, it only seemed fair to offer her a chance to steer where they would go.

Genavene: "Hm yes, I would think its certainly on both of us now," she responded with a smile, not that she was mad about it since she had never minded the spotlight. It clearly wasn't something he was used to though so as she took his arm, she tried to think about some of the quieter areas of the camp but they seemed to be few and far between. "Not particularly but if you were looking to step out of the spotlight for a bit, I would think moving away from this area of camp would probably be best."

Rodrik: Offering Genavene a tight smile, Rod looked out to the camp, he was certainly more than fine moving out of the spotlight and while in any other case it might have been deemed inappropriate, he felt like it was likely okay, given what had happened. "I think that's the best solution." Having been ignored by his family for the most part, Rod had gotten around and he was quick to lead them to a place where few seemed to wander. Once they were away from the crowd of the tournament Rod looked down at the female beside him. "You certainly handle yourself with a lot of grace, I hope I didn't embarrass you by naming you my Queen..."

Genavene: "Not at all," she responded with a smile. "It truly is an honor and I'm sure there were a number of ladies that would have loved to have been named in my place. After all, it was such a rare honor with how infrequent these things were held and it was one that she was truly happy to claim.

Rodrik: "I wouldn’t know.." Truth be told, Rod hadn’t noticed any of the other woman who had been watching the tournament, his eyes had just immediately gone to her. "Have you been enjoying the tournament and the gathering since we last spoke?" A conversation that had ended in disaster from Rod’s opinion, he just wished he was better at speaking, there just seemed to be something about Genavene that stole all his words.

Genavene: "It has been very exciting," she responded since there had certainly been a great deal of action and chaos since the events began, all of which was far more entertaining than the restricted life she had been living back at Starpike over the last few years. "Have you enjoyed yourself? I mean outside of your participation in the tournament."

Rodrik: Shrugging lightly, Rod wasn't really sure how to answer Genavene's question. The tournament had been different, and had been a time for him to connect with others but he felt like it also just increased the distance he felt between his family and himself. "It's been different. It's interesting to see all these people, though I am looking forward to heading back to the North." Even more so now that he had all this attention on himself. "Are you looking forward to going back to the Reach?"

Genavene: Though she was sure that he loved the North because it was home, it certainly wasn't a place that she would have been looking forward to returning to. "Yes and no I suppose. I have certainly enjoyed the excitement of the tourney and of course being able to see something that isn't my family's grounds... but I do miss how comfortable my bed is compared to the one here," she responded to his question with a smile. She was definitely looking forward to falling into the mountain of pillows that covered her bed as soon as she arrived back home.

Rodrik: Talking to Genavene was easier than Rod would have thought, he still was a bit in awe of her, but there was an ease about her. "Is the Reach much different than here? The North is... well it's colder, but I don't think that comes as a surprise." He smiled slightly, he wasn't really looking forward to going back, though most of that was due to his family, he wouldn't want to be too far from his sister from long but he also knew it was only a matter of time before she would be married off anyway.

Genavene: "Not too different I suppose... few less rivers and perhaps a bit greener than here," she mused after thinking about it for a minute. The Reach was better too but she didn't say that as it was simply a matter of opinion. She did smile slightly at his comment about the North though. "Mm. I've heard that it's quite white most days too as opposed to green."

Rodrik: "I think this is the most Green I have seen in a while." Rod smiled slightly, it felt warm really, compared to what he was used to but Rod didn't even know if he could say he liked it more. "I don't know if I'll ever see the Reach, but I think I'm a typical Northener in the matter that I like the cold." He knew he was likely odd because of it, but he liked his home. "I... was hoping to go for a ride later, would you care to join me?"

Genavene: It was strange to think that somewhere could be less green than this, though she supposed if her mother had her way, that was something she would learn soon enough. "Oh am I certainly not a fan of the cold so I can't even imagine what it must be like there, even in the summer." That was something else she would no doubt have to deal with should things progress. "A ride later could be nice, though I would have to see what the family's plans are for the day first. Perhaps I could send word to you once I know whether or not I will be free?"

Rodrik: Smiling slightly he looked at Genavene, shaking his head. "You'd need a few extra coats." Even being used to the cold, he knew it could be extreme at times. "I'd like that Lady Peake." He smiled again, taking a step back from her. "I hope to see you, if not later, perhaps another day." Giving her a wave, Rod took a few more steps backward, an oddly giddy expression on his face before he finally turned around and headed back to his own tents.

#dotdrp #icc #rodrik locke #siera #genavene peake #skye

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