What is World Building?
World building is the process of constructing an imaginary world
Features such a history, geography & culture
Kinda like the backstory to your world
Even minor instances can be considered a form of world building
Steps for Creation:
What Genre? (Romance/Historical Drama/Horror/Dystopian)
Is it set in the current world or a fantasy realm?
Present/past/ futuristic context?
Do we find this world before/after/during a conflict or change?
Fun Details:
What are the social/political/economic/environmental intricacies of your world?
Is there a deep history or alternate world?
Are there certain people/races/creatures/districts which are more powerful than others? How does this affect the plot?
Do the characters have powers or what makes YOUR protagonists different from others? Are they even human?
Is there a moral, warning or satirical comment being made in your world?
Examples:
Remember, your fantasy world doesn’t have to be serious, it doesn’t have to be longer than a short story or a poem!
The world doesn’t have to make sense at all, it can simply be a personal escape!
Try not to:
Take an already established plot and change a small idea (The Hunger Games and Divergent share a similar thread)
Make your world too complicated
Spend too long explaining how your world functions, rather show it through the action and conflict (SHOW, DON’T TELL)
Try not have the ‘chosen one’
Prompts:
Off of the Northpoint coast, the Sharplarks had begun their bloodthirsty mating season
Everything seemed fine until Dr. Woolfbatch instituted a new rule…
I opened up the teapot, and to my surprise I found…
The gangs of New York had begun their annual heist-off to determine the new Duke
With a final apocalyptic click, Davis had begun the Doomsday fail safe program
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