Creating a Distinct World
what is, in your opinion, the best way to world build? how can you avoid writing a bland, archetypal universe or copying an already existing one? sorry if I’m not being clear, haha, and thanks so much!
Hey there, thanks so much for your ask! I honestly love talking about the world-building process, so I’m really glad you sent this; let’s dive right in!
Best Way to World-Build?
In my opinion, there isn’t a best way to world-build. The “best” process depends on what is needed and what you’ll actually need to know for your writing. What follows isn’t necessarily what I would call the best way, but it’s a good way to cover your bases and opens up a lot of options for going in-depth with details. (It’ll be a bit of a long list, but definitely worth it in the long run.)
For each country you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
- Name
- Capital and major cities, and locations
- Border shape
- 3 most common landforms
- Historical sites or places that mean a great deal to the people living there
- General economic scheme (ex. capitalist, Communist, Socialist, etc)
- Most important laws
- Major differences from the character’s homeland
- Military setup (different branches, enlistment age, etc)
- Climate
- Relations with surrounding countries
- Societal norms (gender roles, public & professional behavior, etc)
- Stance on LGBT+ rights, and treatment of LGBT+ people
- Most and least respected professions
- Common religions
- Stereotypes about this country (any and all)
- Common pastimes and hobbies
- Popularity of sports, movies, and other forms of entertainment
- Genres of music (and possibly stereotypes of people who listen to them)
- Language(s) spoken
- Beauty standards and the commercialization of them
- Commercialization that feeds off of the peoples’ insecurities
For each city you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
- The “aesthetic” (think of it the way NYC’s aesthetic is taxis, skyscrapers, and nightlife)
- Public opinion of street performers
- Any recreational centers and common activities
- Popularity of a town counsel or the idea of opening to the public for improvement ideas
- How well-known the city is by everyone around it, or how much of a tourist attraction it might be
- State of educational buildings
- Percentage of unemployment versus those who are actively searching for jobs, and how this affects the city’s reputation
- 3+ popular businesses, maybe food or clothing stores
- The way business is generally conducted
- Opportunities for nightlife (etc. bars, night clubs, etc)
- Usual daytime attire, usual nighttime attire
- Any sort of tradition (ex. sharing dreams in the morning, praying before meals, etc)
- Stance on more advanced technology
- Treatment of different age groups
- Again, cliches and stereotypes that might exist of people who live there
- Most common architectural style (ex. modern, Victorian, etc)
- Commonly seen colors
- Any inflation that might exist, local economic troubles
- People’s opinion on the government as a whole (then in-depth, if you want)
As you can see, these two lists are very open-ended. I can’t go too far in-depth with world-building ideas and explaining, because it’s all up to you to create this world. Every single item on this list here can be expanded into tons of different things, but if your goal is just to cover your bases and explore needed details then I think this would be a good place to start.
Making Your World Distinct
This can be pretty tough, honestly. There’s (almost) always a world themed around something out there that’s probably more well-known, famous even. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite wizarding world, that of the Harry Potter books. Your world can be as interesting and different as it gets but because it includes wizards, someone out there is always going to relate it to Harry Potter. So how can we avoid this?
There’s one proven way to this this, especially if you don’t want to change your world. Accentuate any and all differences that would set your story apart from a more well-known world. Maybe our wizards’ spells depend on a material transaction, or they won’t work. Maybe there’s some sort of wizarding god who must be pleased to cast a successful spell. Not so much like HP anymore, huh?
Just remember, there’s a huge difference between world-building through details and world-building through exposition. Both are acceptable, but both have their own appropriate time to be utilized. Take a break from telling the reader flat-out how this thing works, and instead reveal it through the world’s details. Not only does this help treat your readers like the competent individuals they are, it also immerses them so much in the world that there isn’t much of a chance to compare your world to others.
Tl;dr—World-building isn’t really something that can be explained for you by someone else. There are certainly questions that exist to help you, but following a guide that works for someone else might not work for you. Explore the details! (And let the reader explore them, too!)
