Epic Adventures: The Art of World-Building in Large-Scale Narratives

Fantasy genres would require you to create an entirely new world while non-fantasy usually would just need you to do some research as it has to depict actual characteristics of where your story is set. Regardless of which you are writing, world-building is a skill you need to master for writing a fictional story.  Here are some tips for world-building in long-form stories.

Set the theme:

The first step is to establish the basic theme of your world. Set rules and laws depending on how the society would function. These rules should make sense. For example: they should be able to function rationally or strangely. In the case of a world quite identical to our own, avoid over-imposing unnecessary things.

Develop a good Premise:

Backstory adds depth and provides context for your story and the characters' actions. Hint at the stakes and conflicts of the story and give descriptions of the story's setting and tone. Is this a fairy-tale kingdom? What is the main character battling against? What's geography like? Your premise should reflect answers to these questions.

Population:

Create societies and cultures, each with its own customs, languages, traditions, etc. How do these cultures interact? What would result from their interactions? Conflict? Cooperation? Explore these possibilities.

Create a map:

Mapmaking is a very common world-building trope in fantasy genre novels, quite useful at that. Mapping out your world makes it easier to visualize its scope and provides a tangible backdrop for your events. Show the continents, countries, cities, landmarks, etc.

What’s different?

Does your world include anything that is off the norms of our world? Show the fantastical elements of your world in the premise. These elements end up adding wonder and expand the possibilities of your storytelling.

While in necessary cases, you may choose to have info dumps, especially when they are needed for understanding the plot. In other cases, details of your world are supposed to be woven seamlessly into your story and not confined to those info dumps.  As you write, continue to expand, introducing new locations, characters, and plotlines when you have to. Balance world-building with storytelling and let your world evolve naturally as you go.