a forestday guide to worldbuilding
Nov. 10th, 2022 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
forestdayhello!!! welcome to a forestday guide to worldbuilding :D worldbuilding to me is very neat and these are all things that I keep in mind! im not saying these are the only things you can do or not but what I personally do when i want to incorporate worldbuilding into a story. this particular brand of worldbuilding is for fantasy-adjacent AUs. okay with that out of the way let us start!
1. READ
a lot of the things i've written have been directly or indirectly inspired by the things i've read. if you are someone like me who does not have an active imagination, reading is your best friend. read fics, novels, webtoons, manga, light novels, WHATEVER. this could also extend to anything you watch but for writing it helps u build an idea on how other authors build their worlds. make a list of things that you like from these other worlds and maybe you can see how you can incorporate these details into your own world. research and reading is as good as a start as any.
I do not personally write any of these details down but it is a good idea. dont be like me who forgets where her inspirations come from.
2. no info dumping!!!!! i repeat do not info dump!
I know its so tempting to pull every detail of your world into paragraph after paragraph so people understand everything single thing about this world but your readers will not read all that, i promise you. What you can do instead is sprinkle details throughout your story. Mix details of your very cool world as you advance the plot. if your main character (mc) is new to the world, it'll be like your readers discovering things alongside your mc.
For aus where characters are already established in your world, there is one main you should remember while you write. whatever wordbuilding details you're putting in, for your characters its normal even if its new to your readers. Write any worldbuilding details as if its something boring occuring because for your character its something that they've always known! For example, you wouldnt explain how a kettle works, you would just use it ya know? show don't tell is an important concept here, once again your readers will most likely figure it out. Guide your readers, don't shout it at them.
If you do need to explain something put it in conversation with a character who does not understand said concept and another character who will tell them about it.
P.S. Most likely you won't even need to explain every single little detail you put in. Your readers are smarter than you think they are and will understand most things you try to show them.
3. it does not need to be perfect
you do not need to have a masterpiece of a world, it doesn't need to have a detailed 5000 year history of warring clans or a very complicated magic system you dont really know how to explain. Write what suits your story, if it needs a 5000 year history or over the top magic go for it! most likely you won't and that is okay! starting simple makes it easier for you to really work on the details you want to focus on. what's important to the story? why are you showing this part of the world off? why is this happening? if it doesn't seem enough, you can go further but start simple, a story is only as strong as its roots!
4. believe!
To make your readers believe in your world you gotta believe in it too! if you don't believe in the world u create how would u expect someone thats not in your head to think that its believable. write what you think is fun, it'll be easier for your audience to care about the world if you do.
well this is mostly just a mess of words but it is what it is. if you have questions dont be afraid to reach out :D
1. READ
a lot of the things i've written have been directly or indirectly inspired by the things i've read. if you are someone like me who does not have an active imagination, reading is your best friend. read fics, novels, webtoons, manga, light novels, WHATEVER. this could also extend to anything you watch but for writing it helps u build an idea on how other authors build their worlds. make a list of things that you like from these other worlds and maybe you can see how you can incorporate these details into your own world. research and reading is as good as a start as any.
I do not personally write any of these details down but it is a good idea. dont be like me who forgets where her inspirations come from.
2. no info dumping!!!!! i repeat do not info dump!
I know its so tempting to pull every detail of your world into paragraph after paragraph so people understand everything single thing about this world but your readers will not read all that, i promise you. What you can do instead is sprinkle details throughout your story. Mix details of your very cool world as you advance the plot. if your main character (mc) is new to the world, it'll be like your readers discovering things alongside your mc.
For aus where characters are already established in your world, there is one main you should remember while you write. whatever wordbuilding details you're putting in, for your characters its normal even if its new to your readers. Write any worldbuilding details as if its something boring occuring because for your character its something that they've always known! For example, you wouldnt explain how a kettle works, you would just use it ya know? show don't tell is an important concept here, once again your readers will most likely figure it out. Guide your readers, don't shout it at them.
If you do need to explain something put it in conversation with a character who does not understand said concept and another character who will tell them about it.
P.S. Most likely you won't even need to explain every single little detail you put in. Your readers are smarter than you think they are and will understand most things you try to show them.
3. it does not need to be perfect
you do not need to have a masterpiece of a world, it doesn't need to have a detailed 5000 year history of warring clans or a very complicated magic system you dont really know how to explain. Write what suits your story, if it needs a 5000 year history or over the top magic go for it! most likely you won't and that is okay! starting simple makes it easier for you to really work on the details you want to focus on. what's important to the story? why are you showing this part of the world off? why is this happening? if it doesn't seem enough, you can go further but start simple, a story is only as strong as its roots!
4. believe!
To make your readers believe in your world you gotta believe in it too! if you don't believe in the world u create how would u expect someone thats not in your head to think that its believable. write what you think is fun, it'll be easier for your audience to care about the world if you do.
well this is mostly just a mess of words but it is what it is. if you have questions dont be afraid to reach out :D
