Comments on: World-Building: Fantasy OR Reality

By: beckylevine

beckylevine — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:53:33 +0000

I bookmarked it, and I sent it to my son, who plays with sci-fi/adventure writing.

By: K.M. Weiland

K.M. Weiland — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:35:19 +0000

Glad someone was able to use it!

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:45:27 +0000

The World Builder site seems wonderful and as stated, “in-depth,” but looks wonderfully helpful. Thanks!

By: beckylevine

beckylevine — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:11:28 +0000

Thanks for the link! I’m off to check it out.

I’m kind of doing the reverse from you–when I was writing a mystery set in Santa Cruz, I knew the town well enough (live 20 minutes away) that I could write without thinking too much about where/what, etc. I could get the feel, then I just had to visit a few places and really get the details accurate. Writing a historical for me feels so much harder, because I just can’t wing it as easily, I don’t think. Oh, it’s all a challenge!

By: beckylevine

beckylevine — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:10:05 +0000

I love that you’re collecting words, even if/when you started with a “goof.” I hadn’t thought of words–slang yes/timely language, but there are those very specific words…

By: beckylevine

beckylevine — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:08:13 +0000

Susan, I’ll take a look at Wyatt’s book. Thanks! And it is setting and so much more, perspectives, habits, etc.

I think I’m fretting a bit about it because I’m trying to get the story down in the first draft and knowing I’ll have to get that world in along the way. Another time I just need to push that future-thinking out of the way!

By: beckylevine

beckylevine — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:06:25 +0000

Shawna, I think you’ve really hit on it–it’s a point of view thing. One of those things we forget about when we get all wrapped up in first-person, third, present, past, etc!

I think my age had something to do with not reading a lot of Pierce. She may have just been starting out when I was phasing from fantasy into mystery, or maybe even when I got myself dug deep into English Lit classes in college. That’s okay, it just means there’s a whole stack of books for me to read now!

By: K.M. Weiland

K.M. Weiland — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:53:33 +0000

Thanks for sharing. Your insights are good reminders. I write primarily historical fiction, and I’m accustomed to deeply researching my historical “worlds.” So when I started writing a fantasy two years ago, I felt at a loss because I had nothing to research. I stumbled across a great world-building questionnaire. It’s incredibly in-depth. Really forced me to stop and think about this fantasy land I was creating out of thin air. Here’s the link, if anyone else is interested: http://www.metamythos.net/wiki/World_Builder_Questions

By: Keely

Keely — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:02:34 +0000

I agree, I think world building is really important to any writing because really you are inviting your reader into your own version of the world.

So when I was writing Fragments, which is an urban fantasy, I needed to pull the reader through the gothic under ground world of subterranean tunnels and ghostly misdeeds as well as the grim of modern city living, and now I’m writing Jake, which is totally set in the burbs in a world many readers will be familiar with, I still need to make both worlds ‘real’ and true’. In fact I think it’s much harder to paint a real world creatively and much more fun to paint an alternate one — for me anyway!

PS Loved the ploticians mistake!

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:30:24 +0000

On my wall near my computer is a poster my son sent me after I started writing ‘seriously”. It says, “Why yes, I am God. Build Worlds. Tell Stories.” He got it I think at a gamers’ or computer event, geek that he is, but gushed that it was really for a writer…awww.

Building worlds is what writers & illustrators do, whether a PB or YA or what have you. Whether it’s contemporary, in the past or future. The fun is in the creating and weaving as you all have said.

A possibly related aside: As a terrible typist, I often make spelling errors. I started collecting some of them as words for a MG fantasy I have been working on & off on for yrs. Not that I plan to create a language ala Tolkien, but some “foreign” words are necessary. One simple example, I typed yesterdray, and thought it could be the name of an aging animal. My funniest mistake (or maybe not) was typing ploticians for politicians!