HOW TO WORLDBUILD LIKE ME
Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. It is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers. The process involves developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology. Worldbuilding often involves the creation of flora, fauna, inhabitants, technology, and often if writing speculative fiction, different peoples. This may include social customs as well as invented languages for the world. Worldbuilding exists in novels, tabletop role-playing games, and visual media such as films, video games, and comics. <-
There's no one way to worldbuild, so I'll show you my way.
THE FIRST SPARK
It all starts with an idea and a name. It doesn’t matter how that idea came to fruition, some people get it from a pre-existing movie, some people get it from a drawing they made on a piece of napkin at Denny’s, some from songs and others from quotes. Here are some ways to get ideas.
- Interests and Passions: What are you fascinated by? History, mythology, science, nature? Draw inspiration from your hobbies and incorporate elements you find intriguing.
- Dreams and Memories: Have you ever had a vivid dream that felt like another world? Or, perhaps a childhood memory holds a special place in your heart. Use these experiences as a springboard for your worldbuilding.
- Observe the Real World: Pay attention to the world around you. What aspects of current events, cultures, or societal structures spark your imagination? Consider twisting or combining these elements to create something entirely new.
- Fiction and Media: Explore existing worlds in books, movies, games, or even music. What resonates with you? Can you take an existing concept and twist it into something unique? Remember, worldbuilding often involves taking inspiration and reimagining it in a new context.
- "What if...?" Ask yourself thought-provoking questions. What if magic was real? What if humanity lived on another planet? What if history took a different turn? These questions can lead you to unexpected and exciting worldbuilding possibilities.
- Random Prompts: Use online generators or writing prompts to spark ideas. For example, a random prompt might be "a world powered by music" or "a society that worships technology."
- Combine Ideas: Take two seemingly unrelated concepts and see what happens when you merge them. Imagine a world with medieval technology but advanced magic, or a society inspired by both ancient Egypt and futuristic technology.
When you have that idea, you can see what genre it might belong in and decide the scope. For example, if your idea is leaning towards abandoned buildings, the world after human error or disaster, and possibly zombies post apocalyptic is your genre. If you’re interested in space, aliens, and discovering worlds alongside technological advances science fiction is your route. Of course you don’t have to stick to one genre, you can combine science fiction and post apocalyptic. At this point, it’s crucial to not limit yourself. It's also good to find inspirations!
- Story-Driven World: If you're building a world for a story, the scope should primarily serve your narrative needs. Focus on the areas directly relevant to your plot and characters.
- World-Driven Project: If your world is the primary focus (e.g., a game or collaborative project), the scope might be wider. However, it's still essential to define clear boundaries to avoid overwhelm.
Be realistic about the amount of time and effort you can dedicate to worldbuilding. A smaller scope allows for deeper exploration within that defined space.
Consider your current skills and comfort level with complex worldbuilding also. Starting with a smaller scope might be more manageable while allowing you to develop your skills.
After you determine the genre, you’ll dive into scope. Your scope can be anything. You don’t have to figure out how many moons are there when all you want to worldbuild is a small town. Once you figure out the extent of what you want to do, then you’re done! For example, if you want a post apocalyptic zombie universe, you can make your scope a safe city and only briefly mention what its like outside. If you want to go smaller, you can make your scope just an abandoned hotel survivors stay at. Even smaller, you can make your scope a bathroom! Wherever your story starts, you don’t have to worry about worldbuilding too small or big.
For Manducare, this is what I have at the first step:
Idea: Wendigo dominated society of humans, wendigo's are humans who are cannibalistic.
Name: Manducare
Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Utopian
General premise: The world has been separated into two sides: the human side and the wendigo side. Our story is focused on the wendigo side, where wendigo’s kidnap humans who wander past the barricade and eat them. There are also human “orphans”, where humans kidnapped from before the humans escaped were raised and given a chance to live a somewhat normal life on their own before being shipped off to the butcher to get eaten.
Inspiration: Tender is the flesh.
Now onto the next step.
GEOGRAPHY
In worldbuilding, it's essential to begin with the visual canvas. When I started crafting Manducare, my first step was to paint a detailed picture of both the human and wendigo realms.
To explain the steps I take, imagine gazing upon the world from a god's-eye view. This grand perspective shrinks as we descend, focusing on each distinct side. With each zoom-in, describe what is important to the narrative and continue. Here are some broken down steps:
Step 1: Begin with the Grand View:
Imagine yourself gazing upon your world from a vast, panoramic perspective. This could be a literal god-like viewpoint or a metaphorical understanding of the world's overall structure. In this stage, focus on establishing the essential elements: continents, landmasses, major bodies of water, and any unique geographical features.
Step 2: Zoom in on the Duality:
Divide your attention to the distinct sides or factions within your world. These could be different continents, cultures, species, or any other major division.
Step 3: Explore the Landmarks:
Choose specific locations within each side that hold significance – cities, natural wonders, ruins, or any place embodying their identity.
Step 4: Continuously Magnify:
Don't stop at landmarks! Choose smaller details within each location and progressively zoom in, adding more layers of richness and detail. Think about the people, their daily lives, customs, and how they interact with their environment.
To break down my process of building Manducare. I started off in a gods-eye view and decided to focus on the pangea of earth. When all countriess were together to make one supercontinent. Then I zoomed in and split the pangea in half, one for wendigo's one for humans. Then I zoomed into either side, in the manducare one I explored the flora and fauna, the small towns, and then I did the same for the human side. So on, so forth.
Here is one of the examples I have from Manducare. Manducare is an entire:
The entire world population resides together in a massive, walled metropolis that takes up half the Pangaean supercontinent called Modern Earth. This global supercity is organized into districts representing different cultures and ruled as a unified monarchy. Tall barricades surround the city on all sides, guarded to prevent entry from the unknown lands beyond. Nothing ever is allowed from the outside in.
Manducare is the wendigo’s side. It’s mostly barren wastelands with small shabby towns where wendigos lived in somewhat functioning civilizations. There are a few areas in the wasteland that are barricaded off with trees, massive acres of land, and those are the farms.
You can go into more or less detail, but onto the next step!
POPULATE
The next step is to fill your world! At this point, you'd either fill it with your own made up species or humans. For Manducare, I explored Wendigo's!
1. Introduce Existing Species:
Humans: Are they the dominant force, or just one among many? Consider their diversity, cultures, and societal structures. Other Familiar Species: Are there elves, dwarves, orcs, or any other established species with your own unique twist? My Approach: For Manducare, I explored the potential of Wendigos, mythical creatures with a specific backstory and characteristics. They were a pre-existing creature so I didn't have to create an original.
2. Create Original Species:
Developing New Species: Define their physical appearance, biology, social structures, and cultural norms. Consider their impact on the environment and other inhabitants.
Go beyond the basics:
Don't just think about physical needs like food and shelter. Consider emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs too. Are there unique resources or practices specific to their culture?
Adapt to their environment:
How do they acquire food and shelter given their surroundings? Are they hunters, farmers, or something else entirely? Do they face unique challenges based on climate or resources?
Explore entertainment and leisure:
What activities do they enjoy for fun and relaxation? Are there cultural celebrations, artistic expressions, or unique forms of entertainment specific to their society?
2. Build a Societal Structure:
Define social classes or factions:
Are there different groups with distinct roles, privileges, or conflicts? How did these divisions arise, and how do they interact?
Consider power dynamics:
Who holds power in their society? Is it a centralized government, a religious hierarchy, or a system based on strength or knowledge? How are decisions made and enforced?
Explore social norms and traditions:
What are their values, beliefs, and customs? Do they have unique rituals, ceremonies, or taboos that shape their daily lives?
3. Create Intrigue and Conflict:
Introduce external threats: Are there dangers from the environment, other species, or external forces? How do they unite or divide the society in the face of these threats?
Leave room for mystery: Not everything needs to be immediately explained. Seed intriguing questions and hidden tensions to engage your audience and leave room for further exploration.*
No single answer is right: The answers to these questions will depend on your world's specific genre, setting, and overall tone.
HISTORY
Step 1: Define the Origin Story:
Big Bang or Catalyst:
Choose a starting point like the Big Bang or a specific event that sparked your world's existence. For Manducare, I began with a modern Earth scenario and imagined its separation due to a specific event (e.g., magical, scientific, or fantastical).
Step 2: Explore the Shaping Forces:
Key Events: Identify major wars, invasions, technological breakthroughs, or cultural shifts that shaped your world.
My Inspiration: I used the concept of wendigo cannibalism to kickstart the history and explore its impact on society.
Step 3: Bridge Past and Present:
Legacy of Events: Show how past events influence the current state of your world. Think about cultural practices, societal structures, and lingering tensions.
My Example: The cannibalism incident led to a deep-seated fear and prejudice against wendigos, shaping their place in society.
Additional Tips:
Tailor the History: Adapt the depth and complexity of your history to your world's genre and overall scope.
Mystery and Intrigue: Leave room for unanswered questions and hidden truths to engage your audience.
VISUAL LIBRARY
By now, you should have a lot of random images describing things from your people to your world. It's good to organize that! For Manducare, I have a folder for all images involving it. Then I have two folders inside: one for Modern Earth and other for Manducare and so on. Start organizing your images! It'll help you have ideas.
Step 1: Embrace the Folder:
Just like I did with Manducare, create a dedicated folder for your entire worldbuilding project. This is your central hub.
Step 2: Dive Deeper:
Within the main folder, create subfolders to categorize your images based on specific themes or aspects of your world. Here are some ideas:
Locations: Cities, landscapes, landmarks, specific regions.
Characters: Individual characters, groups, species.
Culture: Clothing, architecture, art, customs.
Objects: Technology, weapons, artifacts, unique items.
Mood and Atmosphere: Images that evoke specific feelings or themes.
TEMPLATE
This is the basic way of how I worldbuild! You can of course disregard everything and choose someone elses method, that's totally okay! Below is some resource websites and creators who have awesome worldbuilding skills! Thank you all for reading this far.
Name:
Genre:
Scope
General premise (one liner summary or more of your barebones idea):
Geography:
Climate:
Notable Landmarks
Species:
Cultures:
Social Structure:
History:
Conflicts and Tensions:
RESOURCES + INSPIRATIONS
Resources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/wiki/index/
https://self-publishingschool.com/worldbuilding/
Creators:
ioverse: https://ioverse.uwu.ai/
valkverse: https://valkyriian.uwu.ai/
oishiiverse: https://oishiiverse.carrd.co/#
Here is manducare's loresite! https://manducarelore.carrd.co/