Tag: world-building

  • World Building With the Power of Illustration

    World Building With the Power of Illustration

    How do you build an incredible, realistic world? We’ve all heard the adage that if you can imagine it, you can create it. But what if that world doesn’t exist yet? What details should you include in your imaginary environment? A lot of writers, especially those that write sci-fi or fantasy stories, bring their worlds to life by creating vivid, real-life settings that are almost palpable to the reader. From the fantastical settings of epic fantasy novels to the gritty and realistic locations that populate mystery and thriller series, every story has its own world to explore. Even if the story isn’t taking place on Earth, it may still be helpful to have some real-world examples to draw inspiration from. We can achieve this through the use of illustration. If you’re not sure how to start, here are some tips and tools that you can use as you create your next fictional universe!

    World Building Builds Consistency

    We’ve all created a mood board or two to help gauge the theme of our works in progress and keep true to that theme throughout. But what if we could go one step further? What if we could visually represent our world as it would appear, not just for its characters, but for everywhere they interacted? While some people are fully confident that they can communicate their vision through describing the images in their heads alone, others believe there is an advantage in using images when creating a world from scratch. World building is one of the more difficult aspects when first starting out – perhaps even more so than plot building! And yet without it we’re limited in so many ways.

    World building helps you make sure that your readers will never confuse where your scene takes place, no matter how long after it was last described. It puts emphasis on places and spaces within your story, highlighting them just as much as any character ever could. In short: a well-built world keeps your story focused and cohesive—something every writer should strive for!

    Writing With Reference

    When you’re looking to create a truly realistic setting for your work, one of your best tools is a physical object. The simple act of holding an object can spark ideas that would otherwise never have occurred to you. For example, if you’re writing about a famous location like Seattle, it helps to go there—or at least find some images or videos on YouTube or in books. You might see an image that sparks your imagination: what if my characters made a left turn here instead? What kind of restaurant would they be passing by? That sort of brainstorming is far more productive than simply trying to imagine how people live in Seattle because (as mentioned) fiction writers often use their imaginations as cloaks for lazy writing.

    Modern day technology lets us roam the world virtually, seeing landscapes and skylines that we could only imagine before. Maybe you’re writing about a time when there were no cars or phones; if so, it helps to consult old maps or 19th century newspapers to get a sense of what those places were like. Some writers even build up detailed timelines with images depicting events as they happened on various days in history—this can be helpful for creating a certain mood or ambiance in your book. When the entirety of your world comes from you, those city skylines and sewer maps will have to come from you as well.

    Sketching Can Help Create Realistic Settings

    Many writers come up with interesting settings but don’t know how to capture their physical traits. By practicing world building through sketching, writers can create a cohesive visual setting that will pull their readers into new worlds. No matter what type of writing you’re doing or where you are in your career, sketching out your settings can help make your story more immersive. Even if you aren’t an artist, try it! It might surprise you how easy it is to pick up. Sketching forces you to focus on individual elements and really flesh out spaces.

    As a bonus, when you create a sketch, you never have to worry about continuity or inconsistencies—everything exists in its own little bubble. And by taking time away from your computer screen and getting some fresh air outside (weather permitting!), sketches encourage better overall focus as well. Although fiction authors can use only one place for inspiration, combining real life places and fictional places into one cohesive location is also great practice. Besides giving your background visual dimensionality, incorporating non-fictional structures and architectural features makes it easier for readers to visualize actual structures they’ve seen before.

    Keep it Loose

    Remember that you’re sketching to write (unless you’ve planned a finished piece), so there is no need to include details you don’t intend to show the reader. The wood grain on a window sill may be of note – if so, sketch it in. It will be there when you need to reference the sketch while building your scenes. If it is of no importance, however, it is best not to sketch it in. The illustrations that you use for world building should be specific as reference, but not so detailed that they take away the focus from the parts of the scene that matter. Don’t spend too much time focusing on things that readers won’t see. Keep it loose!

    A good visual storyteller doesn’t tell their audience what they can see—the audience makes inferences based on context clues and observation. Your sketches are not exact replicas of what you envision in your head; they are prompts designed to bring ideas to life. This works especially well with maps because they make it easy for writers to picture entire settings within a single glance. Many times a map can make all the difference between immersion and distraction – drawing an unfamiliar landscape helps establish setting at once.

    Mapmaking For Immersive Worlds

    For writers who want to create a realistic environment for their story, mapmaking is an excellent way to get a sense of your surroundings. Before you describe your setting, look at it: Get out some paper or open up Photoshop. Look at your plot points, how they’re laid out—and what’s between them. If you were walking through your world, how would you get from Point A to Point B? What sights would you see along the way? While it’s entirely possible (and often preferable) to let these details unfold organically as your plot progresses, writing them down beforehand can give a sense of consistency and realism that few readers will notice but that authors will appreciate.

    You’ll have specific places to refer to if inspiration strikes in later scenes and you can be sure everything makes sense geographically, which may even help avoid pacing issues later on. In a story with magic or other fantastical elements, having a firm grasp of where things fit within our own reality can also help ground things more solidly in your audience’s mind. The work may not be so much about mapping cities as it is about mapping our minds. The more we think about how individuals navigate their environments and negotiate obstacles, both large and small, the better we’ll understand people as both individuals and members of larger communities with different needs, desires, expectations, hopes, dreams, etc.

    Find Patterns Visually for Vivid Descriptions

    As you mentally scan your setting, take a second to compare things. Note objects’ sizes, textures, shapes, orientation, and any defining characteristics or patterns they have. You don’t need to feel pressure to sketch each detail—just try to be observant! This exercise can help you find inspiration for descriptions later on. We all know that we can describe a room in one way (maybe two if it’s really nice) but imagine how much more detail you could add if you look for visual patterns. If you’re stumped on describing a location, just start drawing what stands out to you. You might notice certain shapes pop up repeatedly, like windows or doorways. Or there might be clusters of items in a particular part of town or building. These types of landmarks are important details. By consciously making these sorts of connections, you’ll be able to make your world seem deeper with less effort.

    Also, because you’ve already been paying attention to these elements, when it comes time to write, you won’t waste time trying to figure out why some streets/buildings/rooms look similar/distinct from others. The key difference between creating words versus images is focus. When putting together an illustration of your environment, you pay closer attention than when just looking around on a normal day. Make sure not to fall into autopilot mode! Do not zone out while drawing; stay focused on noticing patterns around you. It may sound silly, but staying alert will give your illustrations character and make them useful tools for homing in on exact descriptions later down the line.

    Fade Details For Lesser Objects

    Just as we see in the real world, we give scenery in art less definition, less saturation, when in the background. The same should be true for your setting descriptions. Use your sketch to help identify who and what is in the forefront – and give them the detail to show it. Make sure you keep yourself from getting carried away with details though – otherwise you could end up with a real mess on your hands (figuratively speaking). Instead, focus on only one or two of your characters at a time. If all else fails and you’re still having issues describing things correctly, ask someone else to look over it for you! Even if they’re not an artist themselves, most people can pick out those problems fairly easily and that should be enough information for you to solve your own dilemma!

    While each author will take their own approach to world building and how it pertains to the story they want to tell, it’s fair to say that no story would exist without it. However, just because world building is an integral part of every book does not mean that all authors create immersive and dynamic worlds. The world of writing can be dry and boring if your story takes place in an uninspired setting. It’s hard to create an interesting character, plot, or story line when you have nothing but own imagination to work with. So why not take advantage of the wealth of details waiting just outside of your focus with illustration?

    -C.B.

  • How Research Empowers Your Writing

    How Research Empowers Your Writing

    Coffee Talk:

    When you are writing fiction, thorough research can add realism to your narrative, heighten the sense of mystery in your story, and even help you to avoid clichés in your work. However, it’s important to remember that too much research can also get in the way of your storytelling and make it difficult for your readers to immerse themselves in the world you created. Use this guide on the power of research in writing fiction to learn how to get the most out of your research without wasting too much time getting bogged down in details you don’t need.

    Research Can Save Your Story

    An aspiring author might ask How can I incorporate research into my fiction? As part of their creative process, authors are faced with determining where information on a subject will be found. The general rule is that an author’s imagination is his primary research tool, but it’s also important to note that proper research can add realism to a narrative. Care should be taken, however, to avoid over researching and subsequently over describing when you are trying to relay the information on a subject. As writer Stephen King said,

    ‘The story begins in the Writer’s imagination but ends in the readers.’

    The very best way to flesh out your story is by using your own vivid language so that you can paint a detailed picture for your reader’s mind. Always keep in mind why you are telling your story. Readers don’t want pages upon pages of descriptive paragraphs about how an object looks or feels. Instead they want you to get straight into narrating what happens next without stopping for dialogue or description.  Why were they on vacation? Where did they go? Who was with them? Why did they suddenly snap at their husband or wife when he mentioned how hungry he was while they were driving to dinner? It all matters because every detail of every sentence adds character development and more depth to your narrative.

    That depth must be properly managed with believable volume. 

    As we know, less is more and something as small as over-describing a room or a house can spoil an entire story if not handled appropriately. Equally, omitting details that add texture to characters and settings can leave the story feeling hollow. The proper research can literally save your story. If you are creating a character’s vehicle, you need to learn exactly how that vehicle operates. What are its features? What does it do when you push that button? How does it work when you turn on that knob? These kinds of questions will also lead you down avenues where you discover new ways for your character to interact with his car even in stressful situations which could lead to exceptional writing opportunities for these characters. As well writing styles evolve constantly so do rules for language use, better nuances added in descriptions enrich stories while time spent doing things well adds authenticity people crave from fiction they read today.

    Why is Research Important?

    When you write fiction, you want to give your readers as much authenticity as possible. To do that, you must do your research. Reading about how something is done and why it’s done a certain way will help you understand how to write about those activities and processes. For example, let’s say that one of your characters is a lawyer. Your character goes into court and presents his case. If you don’t know anything about what a lawyer does, it’ll be difficult for you to describe the courtroom scene accurately. But if you take time to learn about courtroom protocol and presentation tactics, then writing such a scene becomes easier because there won’t be any gaps or inaccuracies in your description. Through doing your own research, then honing that information into a story, you can create novels that are more authentic and realistic for readers—and achieve great success with them! Storytelling has been around since humans began telling tales around firesides.

    What Does Research Entail?

    Researching a story entails finding material to draw from. This may include government documents, records, interviews with real people or even simply referencing books or articles on similar topics. Once you have collected your information, organize it into relevant points that will be most useful to you as an author. Too much research can detract from your ability to tell a story quickly and accurately. Be aware of over-researching by outlining what you know about your subject matter before beginning research so that you don’t waste time gathering material that isn’t pertinent to your book’s plotline. The most important thing is choosing facts wisely; don’t overwhelm readers with unnecessary facts and figures, but make sure they know exactly what they need to know about their character or setting at any given moment during the narrative.

    When I’m writing about a specific model of boat, I learn as much as possible about that boat. The dimensions, the history – both manufacturing and sales – the reputation, the main competitors. I want to know what famous person loved it and who hated it. I need to know what color it never came in and what nickname it got from professional boat racers when it was introduced. When I’m writing about the boat, I need to know all of this to inform my image of the boat. The reader, however, just needs to know enough about the boat to inform the story.

    Tips For Using Research Wisely

    Good writers know when they’ve gotten as much as they can out of research and it’s time to start writing. A story is not a resource. It is something that must be carefully distilled, and if you’re focusing too much on your resources, you’re going to end up with a data dump rather than a story. The goal isn’t to cram in all available information about how something works or looks or behaves; instead, you need to find what’s essential and eliminate what isn’t. Carefully select your sources, use them well and wisely—and let them serve your story!

    The nuances that you uncover while researching are just as important as the more obvious facts.


    Do you have a sense of just how much detail you’re putting into your story? Are you spending more time describing settings and actions than advancing your plot? Are there sections where nothing much is happening, but you feel like you need to explain things instead of trusting your readers to infer for themselves? Is your character’s speech stiffer than it needs to be because you’ve found an online slang dictionary? If so, back up and take another look at what you’re doing. Just because it’s on Wikipedia doesn’t mean it belongs in your book.

    Too Much of a Good Thing

    Over-researching your story can be as much a problem as not researching enough. If you’re enjoying yourself too much digging up interesting tidbits, you can easily lose sight of your story’s ultimate purpose—telling an entertaining tale. Too many details will weigh down your prose and distract readers from what is actually happening. Use research to improve your writing, but don’t let it take over completely. Once you’ve collected all your information, close out those extra tabs; they won’t help you when your editor starts asking pointed questions about why each character speaks with a British accent. The key to weaving together fact and fiction is knowing when to stop researching so that you’re left with just enough detail for realism without overdoing it or exhausting yourself. That said, if something doesn’t sound right or makes no sense, don’t ignore it! Go back through everything again until everything aligns perfectly with each other.

    When you over-research, your writing style might suffer. You may find yourself spending too much time discussing minutiae rather than putting forth actionable prose for your reader. With either problem, you will lose your audience. Stay away from these pitfalls by remembering that less is more when researching your work.

    The Pitfalls of a Poorly Researched Story

    When you don’t take time to properly research your story, it has a tendency to read like fiction. Readers will catch on if they can spot inaccuracies in your characters or setting. They might not be sure exactly what is off, but they’ll notice that something isn’t right. Experts in certain fields won’t be too excited with inaccurate depictions of their daily lives. As fiction writers, we give from our imaginations, but those imaginations must be fed useful facts in order to properly function. A poorly researched story can come across as nothing more than nonsense without the proper underlying facts. Every good lie is based in truth. If there are no truths woven into your fictional world, then everything falls apart and becomes just that: fiction. Not just bad writing but writing that could seriously harm your professional reputation as an author.

    If you’ve put little effort into researching a topic, readers may start to wonder why any other aspect of your story deserves attention and consideration. If you go so far as to deliberately hide inconsistencies and mistakes for fear of ruining an otherwise engaging narrative or misleading readers about actual conditions…well, good luck convincing anyone of anything else again. Write at all costs? Not so much…not if that cost is one’s integrity as an artist and human being committed to telling honestly rendered stories informed by some semblance of reality.

    -R.E.

  • Let Interactions Bear Some of the Weight of Worldbuilding

    Let Interactions Bear Some of the Weight of Worldbuilding

    Coffee Talk:

    The idea of characters ‘playing off of each other’ is as old as dialogue. When the main characters in stories or scenes don’t interact, they can feel disjointed – almost as if they are not occupying the same space, at the same time. There are, of course, instances where writers will want to use this disconnect to dramatic effect. For most narrative moments, however, my characters will be interacting. Interacting with each other, with themselves, and with the scenery itself.  Deciding how to manage those interactions can lead to a wealth of fun.

     

    Just like interacting with the environment, characters need to fill each other’s space.
    When painting an object close to another, light from the environment will bounce off of the setting as well as other objects, changing the light before it reaches the object.

    The same is true for characters in their environments. Each individual views the setting through their own eyes and yet, what they see is indeed colored by the presence of others. Just as in life, how you feel about where you are is tempered by the company kept.

    A scene where a character is visiting the pier that they grew up fishing from could be warm and nostalgic…

    …were it not cooled by the assassin marching them to the boat that will likely be the place they die.

    Character interactions can also be a fun way to divulge to the reader important information that you don’t want to state outright. When characters react not only to the presence of one another, but the very words a character says, things can get interesting. Depending on how you have fleshed out the relationships, the same phrase can mean something totally different from one conversation to the next. It can also bear some of the responsibility of tying together distant moments in a story.


    EARLY:
    “You’ll have to carry your own baggage from here on out, Eliza.” Mother was more hen today than usual, clucking about and taking her pecks where she could get them. “I can’t be expected to do your lifting for the rest of your life.”
    LATER:
    The valet tapped me on the shoulder gently, tilting her head toward the door marked ‘21’.
    “You’ll have to carry your own baggage from here, miss. Sorry, but we can’t cross the thresholds.”
    “It’s fine,” I said, “I’m used to doing my own lifting.”

     

    Interactions need not be more than simple conversation if they are intended to bear the weight of important information.

    Character conversations can be to narrative effect and are oftentimes the most realistic and organic way to divulge lore that is not otherwise written out for the reader.  A simple conversation is a great medium for foreshadowing.

    When folding in further elements of interactivity, simple conversations can be made to carry complex messages.  A touch of a leg, a glance over a shoulder, a smile that disappears as quickly as it appears.  When used in contrast to the words spoken, non-verbal interaction can enhance a scene in evocative ways.

    Character physical interactions also can give you a better sense of the space that they fill.

    Imagine two characters: one needs to carefully squeeze past the other, maybe wrinkles their nose at the scent of someone’s cologne – or – wishes they were one step closer so that they could hold the other’s hand, perhaps they strain to hear the words spoken over the wind howling between them.

    Interactions can reinforce how a character feels about another, or, create tension, should the character not behave the way that they feel – or the way they speak.

    Using interactions can help to add weight to a story without the need to add volume.  Sure, every writer counts their words at some point, but what matters most is making every word count.

    -R.E.