How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner

In J.R.R.'s world,

Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar

to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth

in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron.

Gandalf's body was mortal,

subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth,

but his spirit was immortal,

as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey

and resurrected as Gandalf the White.

According to the Wachowski's script,

an awakened human only has to link up

and hack the neon binary code of the Matrix

to learn how to fly a helicopter in a matter of seconds.

Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones,

you don't even need a helicopter, you just need a cool pair of shades.

Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads.

iPads are rudimentary.

No Quidditch match ends until the Golden Snitch is caught.

And the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe,

and everything

is most certainly 42.

Just like real life, fictional worlds operate consistently

within a spectrum of physical and societal rules.

That's what makes these intricate worlds

believable, comprehensible, and worth exploring.

In real life, the Law of Gravity holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter"

to millions of bookshelves around the world.

We know this to be true, but we also know

that ever since J.K. typed the words

wizard, wand, and "Wingardium Leviosa,"

that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist

on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends.

Authors of science fiction and fantasy literally build worlds.

They make rules, maps, lineages,

languages, cultures, universes,

alternate universes within universes,

and from those worlds sprout story, after story, after story.

When it's done well,

readers can understand fictional worlds and their rules

just as well as the characters that live in them do

and sometimes, just as well or even better

than the reader understands the world outside of the book.

But how?

How can human-made squiggles on a page

reflect lights into our eyes that send signals to our brains

that we logically and emotionally decode as complex narratives

that move us to fight,

cry, sing, and think,

that are strong enough

not only to hold up a world

that is completely invented by the author,

but also to change the reader's perspective

on the real world that resumes

only when the final squiggle is reached?

I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that question,

yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday

in our minds, on computers,

even on napkins at the restaurant down the street.

The truth is your imagination and a willingness to, figuratively,

live in your own world

are all you need to get started writing a novel.

I didn't dream up Hogwarts or the Star Wars' Cantina,

but I have written some science thrillers for kids and young adults.

Here are some questions and methods I've used

to help build the worlds in which those books take place.

I start with a basic place and time.

Whether that's a fantasy world or a futuristic setting in the real world,

it's important to know where you are and whether you're working in the past,

present, or future.

I like to create a timeline

showing how the world came to be.

What past events have shaped the way it is now?

Then I brainstorm answers to questions

that draw out the details of my fictional world.

What rules are in place here?

This covers everything from laws of gravity,

or not,

to the rules of society

and the punishments for individuals who break them.

What kind of government does this world have?

Who has power, and who doesn't?

What do people believe in here?

And what does this society value most?

Then it's time to think about day-to-day life.

What's the weather like in this world?

Where do the inhabitants live and work and go to school?

What do they eat

and how do they play?

How do they treat their young and their old?

What relationships do they have with the animals and plants of the world?

And what do those animals and plants look like?

What kind of technology exists?

Transportation?

Communication?

Access to information?

There's so much to think about!

So, spend some time living in those tasks and the answers to those questions,

and you're well on your way to building your own fictional world.

Once you know your world as well as you hope your reader will,

set your characters free in it and see what happens.

And ask yourself,

"How does this world you created shape the individuals who live in it?

And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?"

Answer those questions, and you have your story.

Good luck, future world-builder!