This is part 2 of 8 in my series: Successful Worldbuilding in Fantasy Fiction. Each post tackles one piece of the puzzle, and the blog posts stack one on top of another to create the full picture. If you haven’t read part 1, you can find it here.
Okay, so, part 1 of this series gave an understanding of some of the background considerations and different terms involved in conveying worldbuilding.
Now, it’s time to start thinking about what elements of ‘the world’ are actually included within the worldbuilding remit.
A quick caveat: Worldbuilding is a topic that – by its very definition – has the potential to be incredibly complicated, multi-layered, and detailed.
This blog post can’t possibly go into everything that could be included within worldbuilding, so think of it more as a quick refresher on some of the areas of worldbuilding that might be relevant to you and your story.
The Waterfall Effect
When we’re thinking about worldbuilding (particularly when creating a ‘secondary world’ – i.e. not a version of the world in which we live), our thoughts normally gravitate to things like maps, the magic system(s), the history, and cool or unusual elements that make this world stand apart from others in fantasy fiction.
Although these elements are all definitely worldbuilding, they are only a small part of the overall worldbuilding considerations, and it’s often the accumulation of tiny details from any number of worldbuilding elements that bring a secondary world to life for a reader.
So, what does worldbuilding cover? It’s easy to just say ‘Well, everything about the world!’ but what does that actually look like?
I tend to divide worldbuilding into four separate sections, each of which has elements that cascade down to the subsequent sections, like a waterfall flowing down over four different levels.
There is no ‘right’ way to separate things out, (and, as you’ll see, there’s quite a bit of overlap!) and everyone will likely want to divide their worldbuilding elements up a little differently, in a way that makes the most sense to them, but this is my personal preference.
Level 1: The Physical World
This includes things like:
Geography, topography, and climate:
Is it very hot/cold or temperate?
Is it home to huge oceans, or is water scarce?
Are there extreme weather patterns?
Are there mountain ranges that prevent easy travel?
Flora and fauna:
What do the landscapes look like? Is it heavily forested, or grassland?
Are there many unusual, perhaps dangerous or poisonous plants? What about animals?
Are there any animals specific to the world, and are they dangerous or benign, or a mix of both?
What about the peoples inhabiting this world? Are they all human, or are there other races?
Level 2: History
Although we all know what history means, I did want to just clarify that this is not talking about backstories of individual characters, or even necessarily a particular country within the world (although this will no doubt form a part of the history). Instead, I’m talking about the history of the world.
How has the world’s history affected its development? How has the physical landscape played into this?
Has there been a great deal of political unrest?
Has there been open trade, or have certain countries/territories previously or currently maintained closed borders?
Has there been any imperialism or colonialism?
How is the world’s history affecting your narrative’s present?
Are the characters caught up in a war?
Is there political unrest due to historical enmity?
Level 3: Power Structures and Systems
What does power look like in this world?
What is/are the sought-after resource(s)/currency that endows wealth and power?
Is it a metal (like gold) or another kind of natural resource?
It is magical, or the very presence and ultilisation of your world’s magic system?
Is it technological?
How does this power/resource/currency affect other areas of power structures and systems?
What does the class/hierarchical structure look like?
What about the political landscape and the judicial systems?
Does religion play a role in the power structures of this world?
How does your world’s particular type of power and wealth affect the economy?
Is the economy fair and thriving?
Is the majority of power and wealth held by a privileged few?
Is poverty present/prevalent, and what does it look like?
Level 4: Cultural and Societal Elements
Understanding the physical, historical and hierarchical details of the world helps to inform the various elements of the cultures and societies present in your story world, particularly those in which your characters find themselves.
This includes things like:
Languages, customs, beliefs, social norms or taboos:
Is the society multicultural/monocultural?
Is there one language or many?
Are there particular superstitions?
Are there specific roles for certain groups?
Diet:
If it is a world with very diverse flora and fauna, is this reflected in the food?
Does the hierarchical structure of your world have an impact on what foods are available based on rank or title?
Style and fashion:
How do the various groups dress?
Is there a lot of variety?
Do the different groups of society/different tiers of hierarchical structure dress differently?
Careers and industry:
Is there a particular industry that is prevalent?
What kind of job roles are available, and are there any restrictions based on age/gender/background?
Elements and details of daily life:
What time to people wake/go to bed?
Is there a general daily routine, or does it depend on what role an individual plays in the society?
What does socialising look like?
A Quick Warning: Worldbuilder’s Disease
As you can see, worldbuilding really can cover any and every element you could possibly think of! If you’re the type of person who loves thinking about these details and getting lost in the intricacies of the world you’re creating, then it’s important that you keep an eye out for signs of ‘worldbuilder’s disease’.
This is a term coined by worldbuilder extraordinaire Brandon Sanderson to describe spending so much time building your world and falling down rabbit holes that you never actually write the story itself.
I will talk some more about this in later blogposts in this series, so for now, I just want to remind you that the worldbuilding is there to give your story a sense of dimension and veracity – you do not have to know what people eat for breakfast unless it has a direct impact on your story!
Connection is in the Details
Now that we’ve had our quick tour of some of the many elements that can be included in your worldbuilding, let’s just take a minute to return to the concept of why.
After all, that’s a lot of potential worldbuilding work. Why bother with the worldbuilding in the first place, particularly if we’re going to run the risk of getting bogged down in worldbuilder’s disease?
Because readers want to be able to suspend disbelief and sink into your story, and one of the best ways to reduce their barrier to entry is to make the reader feel as though they are catching a glimpse or snapshot of a real, complex, and unique world.
If you take the time to consider and build the worldbuilding elements pertaining to the story you’re writing and can sprinkle in small contextual details that hint at a richly interwoven background, then you are well on your way to creating a story world that will absorb and delight your readers, and increase their connection to your story, which is what it’s all about!
There you go, friends! That’s a bird’s eye view of my ‘worldbuilding waterfall’. I hope it helps you to start thinking about how your world might be affecting your characters’ story!
Extra credit assignment: If you feel as though you want the opportunity to go deeper into this subject, and don’t know where to start, I strongly recommend watching Brandon Sanderson’s lecture on this topic - it’s free to watch on YouTube (in fact, the entire series of lectures is on there, and they have a wealth of information of writing fantasy, so I recommend watching them all if you’re interested and have capacity!)
And with that, part 2 of this series is done. Next time, in part 3, we'll look at how to decide what worldbuilding elements to include without overwhelming or alienating your readers.
Hi, I’m Alexandra.
I’m an author coach and developmental editor specialising in helping fantasy authors bring their worlds to life, and make their books as immersive, compelling and enjoyable as possible!
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