Essential Facts About World Building
Hey there, welcome to Anasua’s Creative Zone. I am Anasua Ghosh. I have written and published three novels, currently working on a dark psychopath thriller. I mentor aspiring writers and coach them to chase their writing dreams. So, you can also call me a writing coach. If you are writing a book and struggling with it, I may have some useful tips for you. This zone is not only for novel writing tips, you may even find me ranting about my writing life as well. So, it is a mixed sort of a space which may or may not help you. But I will appreciate it if you stick around and give it a read. So, without further ado, let’s jump into today’s topic — world-building.
Why Such Frenzy About World Building
You speak to any fantasy writer, all you will hear about is — the story’s world and how much effort the writer is putting to develop it. If you have ever written a high fantasy novel, you will know the struggle. From the landscape to the weather, everything comes within the parameter of the novel world building. You will even have to create the backstory of the fantasy world. So, it is not easy. Some writers spend years creating their story’s world. But what if you are writing a book that is set in this world, our world. Then what? Do you have to put as much effort to develop it? Well, the answer is a bit critical.
My last published novel Kingdom of Clay Book 1 is a high fantasy novel. I had to develop the entire world of the story, including its’ history. But the current novel is a psychopath thriller which is set in our world. Yet, the effort of developing its world has turned out to be pretty difficult. You might say that the efforts are different in both cases. But you must make an effort to develop the world of your book, no matter what you are writing.
Understanding The World
If you are writing a book with high fantasy elements in it, you will have to spend weeks, if not months just to understand the world of your book. But when it comes to a contemporary novel, your world is already developed. So, you would not have to put much effort there. You cannot raise a mountain or move it, no matter how much your story demands it. Yet, you still have to pay attention to two different worlds — the inner world and the outside world.
Outside World
I admit you don’t have to draw a map to understand your world. But you will have to draw some sketches to develop the house interiors where your characters will live. You will have to capture the streets they cross with vivid accuracy. Because your world is already developed, you cannot be lazy in describing them. You must visit the streets you want to feature in your book, and scan every inch like a tourist. This is your research for your book. It is not easy to write a book or develop its world. If you are writing a book, you must be honest about it. You must give it your best shot and nothing else.
Inner World
The inner world is the conflict that keeps your characters from moving forward. It could be anything, from mental disorder to fear of darkness. If you can sketch it right, your story will turn into an enjoyable read. So, even if you are writing a book that is set in this world, make time to develop its world. Never be lazy, never do it the short way if a long way exists.
So, with this, I am going to wrap this one up. I will be back with more on writing soon. Probably, I will do a long piece on fantasy world building. Do let me know if you are interested or not.
