When you create your own world from scratch, it’s extremely important that you make sure your world is believable and enticing. Just like getting to know your characters, you must get to know your world.
There are no rules when it comes to creating a world. It can be anything you want it to be, anything you can possibly imagine. Before you put your new world into a story, however, you should be able to keep track of some very important things that will help your audience understand and believe your world. I’ll go over those things in this post.
Below I’ve listed some questions that you should ask yourself about your world. I highly, highly suggest that you either write these down on paper, type them up in a document, or record them in some way so that you can easily refer back to them.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR WORLD
- What languages are spoken?
- If you are writing a fantasy, explain to yourself on paper how your magic system works so that you won’t deviate from your own design. Don’t forget that magic can be unpredictable and unbounded by human understanding!
- How are messages shared and information spread?
- What cultures reside in your world? (It’s often helpful to connect each culture to the languages they speak.)
- How does the economy work? Is it good or bad? Is it based on currency, trade, a mix of each, or something else?
- Just like our real world, there should be jokes, “memes”, expressions, etc. in your world that someone from another world wouldn’t understand. What are they, what do they mean, and how did they originate? (Or its possible that no one knows how they orginated and it’s just something people still say.)
- What is your world’s cuisine like, and how does it vary among different cultures?
- Are there schools? If so, what type of schools, and what is taught there?
- How does the government work in your world? (How strict are the laws? What types of punishment are available? How are powerful positions chosen or passed? What branches of government are there?) Keep in mind the answers to these uestions will vary among different cultures.
- What about religion?
- What unique creatures/plants live in your world and where can they be found?
- What holidays are celebrated in your world, and what traditions come with them? (This can vary among cultures.)
- How does one travel short and long distances?
Anyway, there are many other questions you can ask yourself. I would recommend researching and finding finding even more articles that cover world building!
One last tip: Draw a map of your world. Nothing crazy, just lay out the land so you know where everything is. This is especially helpful if your characters go on a long journey across country, because you can make the distances and obstacles much more believable. On that note, if you have created any creatures, plants, etc. to go along with your world, drawing quick sketches of those can help your memory as well.For more on creating magic systems, see Magic Systems.
If you have anything to add or any questions to ask, leave a comment, and I’ll get back to you personally.
Things to Search:
writing a magic system
worldbuilding tips
Beginners Guide to Writing 