How to be a pro world builder

World building is the process of developing a detailed and plausible fictional world for a novel or story, especially in science fiction and fantasy. Your world is the foundation of your story, and world building is the process of creating that foundation. But don't be mistaken: this process involves so much more than thinking about the setting!

There are three ways you can approach world building, depending on your genre:

1. Real World Fantasy — you set your story in the world we live in, meaning you can base your plot on a real event or you make all the changes you desire to fit your plot (kind of like an alternate reality). Examples would be My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, and The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang.

2. Second World Fantasy — you create everything, starting from continents, land, species, government, religion, laws, magic, history... You name it. Examples would be Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett, as well as works by Terri Pratchett, Brandon Sanderson, and Sarah J. Mass.

3. A combination of the Real World and Second World Fantasy — or how I like to call it 'Mix & Match'. Examples would include Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and, of course, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

But where to start?

If you have several good ideas among different world building aspects (geography, cultures, pantheons, timelines/histories, local campaign area, etc.) then start with the one that is most essential or has the most impact to the others. And if you don't, then try answering the question: who or what created your world? What was its very beginning (before your story) and what helped shape the world?

There are a number of world building questions you can answer (if applicable to your story) in order to help you along. You can always start by exploring the aspect that excites you the most, to get a bit of a boost, but in general, there are a few aspects you focus on the most.

— Describe Your World

For starters, you can focus on the environment (geography, vegetation, climate, resources, celestial objects visible with the naked eye, etc.). The best way to do this is to go outside and act as though you're seeing everything for the first time. Give your attention to even the smallest details, such as whether the footpath you're walking on is made out of cobblestone or asphalt, then ask yourself if such a thing would even exist in your world, and if yes, what would it be made of and how it would look like.

Here are some questions that can help you nail your world's description:

Was your world always the way it is now? If not, what was it like before and what caused the change?

How is the terrain like? Does it influence your story, and if yes, how?

How do people use the land?

What is the weather like? How does it affect your world / planet? Does it impact your plot in any way?

How many mountains, oceans, deserts, forests, lakes, etc. are there? Where are they located?

Are there any borders? Why? Where are they located? Is there anyone guarding them?

What natural resources exist in this location?

Are there natural disasters / extreme temperatures / insane hurricanes / tsunamis?

When describing all these, focus on all five senses, not just seeing and hearing. Touch, taste, and smell will make your world feel real and familiar.

—Populate Your World

Who lives in your world? Are the inhabitants human, and if yes, is there anything that makes them different? No humans? What about aliens, monsters, or some new species? It might be a good idea to read books in your genre, to get a better idea of all things you can do. Also, go wild and draw any creature you may want to include in your story, and when you run out of inspiration, ask your spouse, child, parent, friend, or a coworker to draw something they are afraid of and something they absolutely adore. Depending on how they portray things, you might be able to get an idea about how to describe your character (big teeth & huge claws VS miniature nose & fluffy paws).

These questions might help to get you started:

How big is your world? Is it an entire system, a planet, a continent, or a country? Perhaps it's just a village, and that's fine.

How many people live there? How did they become part of this world (their backstory)?

Do they have a class system?

What are the genders, races, and species? How do they get along? Are there alliances?

What resources do they enjoy? What resources do they lack?

Are there any strange creatures living in this world? Are they to be afraid of or they are all lovely and cuddly?

—Establish Your World's History

This is a big task, since you have to come up with historical events all on your own. If you're writing Real World Fantasy, making this happen could be a tad easier compered to making it all up. Since creating history is a tremendous challenge, it might be best to focus on major events first. It might help if you separate these three categories:

1. Major past events (anything that affected the present economy, environment, culture, etc.).

2. Traumatic events (wars, famine, natural catastrophes, etc.).

3. Power shifts (political, religious, technological, alien).

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

Do the countries / cities within your world have enemies? Is it a GOT situation (everyone wants to conquer everyone else) or is there a sole antagonist everyone is fighting against (this is especially valid if the ruler is a tyrant)?

Who have been the major rulers? What made them loved / feared by the people? What events took place during their reigns?

Have the borders been affected by the wars, and if yes, in what way?

How did the natural catastrophe affect your people? Did they have to hide in bunkers or rebuilt the entire world from scratch?

Which political situation made the people's lives improve, and which one caused them to struggle?

—Determine Your World's Culture

There are a few things to consider here: religion, society, politics (again!), and language. Perhaps the easiest way to start is to identify the rules and laws, then ask yourself who made them and why. The next question would probably be whether the inhabitants of your world follow these rules or they are rebelling against them, as well as answering why they are doing either of the two.

Some questions regarding building your culture are:

What do the inhabitants of this universe believe in? Is there a religion? Is there a one god or many deities? Is there a conflict between religious groups?

Do they have any sacred customs? How do religious rituals or customs manifest themselves?

What is their governing system? Who is in charge? Is your world totalitarian, authoritarian, or democratic?

Do they use magic in this world? If so, who can use it, and how powerful is it?

How do the inhabitants communicate? Is there a common tongue? Are there any ‘bad words’ that are off-limits?

Are the rules considered fair, or is society opposed to them? How do your characters behave? Will they break the rules, and if yes, will they be punished for doing so? Who will punish them and how?

What clothes do they wear?

How do families, marriages, and other relationships occur? How do inhabitants respond to love and loss? How are gender roles defined?

Do they work? What defines their success and failure?

—Power Your World

This is the fun part, since your world can be energized by equipment and magic. Equipment involves technology like AI, space-time travel, futuristic weaponry, cool armors, spaceships, etc. It can, however, include simple technology like swords, guns, nunchaku, cars, bikes, or horses. Magic is the only one that will allow you to take your world building to new realms without having to worry about laws of physics.

The good news about both technological and magical powers is that you can go both ways: you can explain how things work and why, making it as realistic and factual as possible, but you can also just reference things without ever explaining how they work and simply focusing on how it is used and why.

Here are some questions to help you:

Does magic exist in your world? How powerful is it? Where does it come from? How does it manifest itself? Can it be controlled, and if yes, who wields it? Can it be learned or are people born with it? Are wands / staffs / amulets / broomsticks / spells needed for the magic to work? How does it affect the user? Do people fear it or embrace it, and what makes the difference? Is there good and evil magic, or it's more of the same?

What other technologies do people use? Who controls it? How do they travel and communicate? How do they use these technologies day-to-day? Do they use technology for entertainment or for maintaining the peace? Do governments use it to gain or maintain power? Is there someone who is taking advantage of the technology for their own benefit, and if yes, are their plans going to hurt people?

As you have noticed, the more questions you ask, the better. Sometimes, we cannot come up with all the necessary questions ourselves, which is why having critique partners or simply just people who will ask you random questions is so important. Don't be afraid of not knowing the answer. It's your world, you will certainly come up with a solution that is both satisfying and also logical (although magic and logic aren't the best of friends LOL).

And fear not: although world building can be daunting, in the end, it is very rewarding. You've created a whole new world! Now go enjoy it!