Building worlds
What writers of all genres can learn from fantasy, scifi and historical fiction
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5 rules of world-building
Pitfalls to watch out for
Sanderson’s 3 laws of magic
Read more on these topics
From Tolkien's Middle Earth to George Orwell’s dystopian 1984, good world-building turns a narrative into an experience, words become pictures and readers lose themselves in worlds that feel as real and complex as their own.
Five rules of world-building.
Rule 1: Start Small, Build Out
A blank page might make you feel like a god, but rein in your megalomania! Begin by focusing on a small, specific part of your world that directly impacts the story. From there, expand the details as the plot demands. This way you won’t overwhelm readers with too much information at once.
Example: J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series starts with the familiar setting of a middle-class house in a suburb of a British town before gradually introducing the magical elements of Hogwarts and the wizarding world. This gradual expansion helps readers adjust to the fantasy elements organically.
We glimpse this new world in the first chapter. The story opens on a typical day for Harry’s uncle, Mr. Dursley, as he goes about his routine in Little Whinging, Surrey. He notices some strange occurrences: unusual people in cloaks celebrating and a cat reading a map.
Rule 2: The Iceberg Theory
Introduce only a fraction of your world’s details on the surface while implying a much larger and deeper world beneath. This technique allows readers to use their own imagination, making the world feel even more expansive.
Example: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (30 million copies sold) opens with ‘The small boys came early to the hanging…’
Rule 3: Be Consistent
Whatever rules or systems you establish in your world—culture, magic, technology, fashion, social norms or politics—must be consistent. Breaking your own rules risks losing the reader’s trust and belief in the world you’ve created.
Example: In Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, the laws of psychohistory govern the plot's progression. Asimov meticulously sticks to these principles, maintaining the internal logic of the world even when twists and challenges arise.
Rule 4: Use real-life as an inspiration
You don’t need to start from scratch. George RR Martin offers a valuable lesson in building a realistic world. His series, A Song of Ice and Fire, is heavily influenced by various historical periods, particularly the Wars of the Roses (1455 and 1487). The Dothraki are inspired by nomadic cultures like the Mongols. The political structure of Westeros is heavily based on the feudal system of medieval Europe, and so on.
History has already written you a fantastic narrative. Use it as a background for your novel e.g. Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe or Vikings series, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth.
Rule 5: Characters and culture.
Worlds need to be populated, and you’re the mother or father of all of them. Hopefully you won’t need to pay child maintenance.
Cultures, technology, fashion, political systems may change, but if you’re writing a historical novel, remember that within a society people always have the same basic drives.
The same might not be true of sentient aliens from another world, but if they truly do lack what makes us human, then we probably won’t be very much interested in them. You’re writing your novel for humans just like you, and they need to identify with these emotions. It’s why Shakespeare is so timeless.
EXAMPLE: Frank Herbert’s Dune may be set on an alien planet in a distant future where interstellar travel and advanced technologies are common, themes such as power, survival, loyalty, greed and the human desire for control over destiny are familiar to us all. The fundamental motivations of its characters remain rooted in universal human drives.
To effectively use characters in world-building, consider:
Consistency: Ensure characters’ actions, dialogue, and backgrounds are consistent with the world’s established rules and norms.
Subtlety: Avoid overwhelming readers with information. Instead, weave world details organically through character experiences.
Diversity: Use a diverse cast of characters to explore different facets of the world. Each character can provide a unique perspective, enriching the overall world-building.
Conflict: Leverage characters’ conflicts and challenges to reveal world details. Conflict often necessitates exploration and explanation of the world’s rules and systems.
By using characters as a conduit for world-building, authors can create a dynamic and engaging narrative where the world feels alive and intricately connected to the characters’ journeys.
Pitfalls to avoid.
1. Info-Dumping
Avoid overwhelming your readers with too much exposition at once. Instead, reveal details gradually through character interactions, dialogue, or the plot's unfolding.
Example: In A Song of Ice and Fire (the books) George R.R. Martin is good at switching point of views between characters so that you get a bigger picture of culture. Each character tells you something different. And like an old-fashioned monarch, he doesn’t mind killing them when they’ve delivered their message.
Read the prologue to Game of Thrones. He uses three characters, Ser Waymar Royce, Will and Gared to build a picture of the land beyond the wall … then promptly kills them off.
Some authors can get away with info-dumps, so don’t despair. In The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood uses an information dump in the early chapters to explain the dystopian society of Gilead. Through Offred's internal monologue, readers learn about the oppressive regime, the roles of women, and the historical context leading to this new society.
2. Clichés and tropes
If you must have familiar elements like elves, dragons, and dystopian governments, be sure to put your unique twist on these tropes to avoid clichés and make your world stand out.
All cliches are tropes, but not all tropes are cliches. Subvert the trope!
Example: Dragon mythology is as old as history. In ancient Egypt, in Mesopotamia, in Hindu Mythology, dragons were serpent-like creatures.
Our modern idea of dragons didn’t fully exist before Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien himself borrowed heavily from Fafnir, a worm-like dragon in Norse culture.
Be like Tolkien and invent tropes that will live on beyond you.
While we’re on Tolkien … what about some magic?
Brandon Sanderson’s Three Laws of Magic
The First Law
An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic, Sanderson writes.
“The really good writers of soft magic systems very, very rarely use their magic to solve problems in their books. Magic creates problems, then people solve those problems on their own without much magic….
“There is a reason that Gandalf doesn’t just fly Frodo to Mount Doom with magic, then let him drop the ring in.”
Read more from Brandon Sanderson here.
The Second Law
Sanderson’s Second Law can be written very simply. It goes like this: Limitations > Powers
What, for example (he writes) makes Superman interesting? It’s not his ability to fly, his invincibility or laser-eyes. It’s his code of ethics and his weakness to kryptonite.
The Third Law
Expand what you already have before you add something new.
And read more about that here.
Read more:
Build Better Worlds: An Introduction to Anthropology for Game Designers, Fiction Writers, and Filmmakers, by Michael Kilman and Kyra Wellstrom,
The Writer's Guide to Creating a Science Fiction Universe by George H. Scithers, Darrell Schweitzer, and Martin H. Greenberg
This book provides a comprehensive guide to creating believable science fiction worlds, focusing on various elements such as technology, societies, and environments.
World-Building: A Writing Guide, by Stephen L. Gillett
Practical exercises and insights into building rich, immersive worlds for fantasy and science fiction writing, covering aspects like geography, culture, and history.
The Fantasy Fiction Formula, by Deborah Chester
While primarily about writing fantasy fiction, this book includes valuable sections on world-building, emphasizing the creation of compelling settings that enhance storytelling.
Creating Life: The Art of World Building, by Randy Ellefson
Focuses on the philosophy and techniques behind world-building, offering a structured approach to developing unique settings and cultures in fiction.
Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, by Jeff VanderMeer
Combines theory and practical exercises to help writers build imaginative worlds, with contributions from various authors and artists.
The Writer's Guide to Worldbuilding, by Patricia C. Wrede
Insights into creating believable worlds, discussing topics like culture, language, and societal structures.
Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction: How to Write the Novel of Your Dreams, by Tom Dulley and Wilma Counts
Includes sections on world-building.
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