Author R.A. Gasparac

Here we are.  Today is the day that we will start with our world building. To be honest since I am a NaNo Rebel ( new writing feature that allows you to work on previous works, and not a new manuscript).  I have been toying with these worlds for a bit now. BUT I will show you how I formulated these fictional worlds.

What are we going to cover?

• Worldbuilding – what it is and isn’t
• Developing world rules
• My Favorite Resources

World Building 101

The name of the game here is to envision an imaginary world in which your story takes place.  Still confused? Here, think of it this way.

The Pharaoh sat atop his throne as the prisoner was brought to him. The tension in the air reeked of blood.  In walked the guards as the prisoner looked up, and met eyes with the Pharaoh. The Boy King’s eyes became slits as his foe Little Miss Muffet….

See what I did there?  While the last part creates some serious interest, we threw two things that normally don’t go together in the same world.  The word Pharaoh implies we are in ancient Egypt, in a palace throne room.  Next you read the very well established name of Little Miss Muffet of Fairy Tale fame, and reader is thrown out of the story, instantly confused.  This is because I didn’t establish that these two worlds have been meshed together through world building.

When it comes to building your world for Nanowrimo you can go as barebones as you would like, or as complex as you would like.  If the world you need to construct is the same and or similar to the world we live in, great- you can use your own experience in this world.  If however your story is a serious work of fiction, there are a few things you will need to consider.  The following list is not a requirement, as each story is different, but hopefully it helps you fill in the gaps:

Setting

• Planetary, Continent, city
• Archaic Locations: Apothecary, blacksmith. ect…
• Futuristic: Alien Planet, Dome City, Hyperspace, ect…
• Modern
• Types of weather patterns

Government Structures ( NOT in any way a definitive list – look them up HERE.)

• Adhocracy
• Anarchy
• Aristocracy
• Autarchy

Developing World Rules

Next, feel free to mix and match any genere and or all to suit your story.  Remember to create a world that restricts your characters freedom to do certain things to complete their goal.  For instance, in the world we live in murder is a very big no-no.  What if murder was an accepted function of your characters world? How would that pose more obstacles to obtaining their goal?

Creating these roadblocks will help fill in any plotholes you may have, if you do this correctly for your story.  The aim of the game is to throw everything you have at your characters and have them come out on top.  You need to find new and clever ways to torture the imaginary people in your head, because characters grow through adversity.

Like I said, this NaNo I will be rewriting/reworking 3-4 of my Novellas.

Untitled Adventure Novel -Premise is a lit superfan of adventure novels is invited to the adaptation of the books into a feature film. She wins a competition to watch the filming process on location in the Amazon Rain Forest.  So, as for WorldBuilding I constructed a mixture of modern reality, and sprinkled in some generic adventure plotlines.  To make things interesting they accidentally get separated from the main filming production and think their stumbling on the ruins of a forgotten civilization is part of the filming of a documentary ( reminiscent of Tropic Thunder).  Now I factor in the world I built, and how I can create more obstacles.  The Rainforest is filled with all matter of wildlife with the ability to kill suddenly. Another layer to add is a supernatural factor to the ruins they disturb to raise the stakes yet again.

Midnight Grey – Premise is a Paranormal Super Agent of a super secret sect of a shadow government send in the best agent to torture a daemon for information.  Here she learns the authority she has been working for has been lying to her, and killed her parents.  All of which she previously thought Demons were to blame.  I left this world slightly open as far as interpretation based on what naturally develops.  With this Novella, there are sooooooo many possible roads to explore with Magic, espionage, demons, myths, ect…  Think of it as mix between  Agents of Shield and The Craft.

Untitled Burlesque Murder Mystery – Premise is in a world where humans are extinct, and vampires are all that roam the earth. A small time private detective is pulled into a high profile case at a high end nightclub, where the headlining performer was discovered dead in a pool of blood as the curtain rose. The Victim was human.  What interests the lead homicide investigator more than the now dead human at his feet, but the message implicating the Private investigator written in the blood.  As far as the look and feel of this world, I am channeling Blade Runner ,Maltese Falcon and Mildred Peirce.

What You Desire Most (working title) –  Premise is Pirate Adventure story with a lesbian-erotica twist.  In colonial times women had little-to-no power.  I wanted to create a hostile world that would fully test the resolve of my main characters.  The Cherry on top is the perceived abhoration of social conventions of that time in being homosexual. A crime punishable by death.  Talk about the stakes being high.  To tell the truth, this is uncharted territory for me.  This is why this is my alternate Novella option.  In this one my worldbuilding was inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean – I am still uncertain if there will be any paranormal influence, but if it happens, it happens.

As you can see, I borrowed inspiration from film and television to help me “see” my worlds.  We are visual people, and writing is one of the visual arts.  It may not be suddenly colorful, or instantly impress a setting, mood, or tone.  However as a consecutive narrative, it can paint so much more than one instant of feeling and or seeing.

My Favorite Resources

Websites:

• Reddit Worldbuilding Forums
• 7 deadly Sins of WorldBuilding
• Writers Digest on WorldBuilding
• World Building Worksheets
• NaNoWriMo WorldBuilding Forum

Books:

• Book In A Month – Writers Digest Books
• Make a Scene – Writers Digest Books
• Marshall Plan Workbook – Marshall
• How To Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy, & Science Fiction – Writers Digest Books
• Conflict, Action, & Suspense – Writers Digest Books

(As you can see I have a very extensive Writers Digest Reference Library – all by accident and Half Price Books)

And, if you want to pick up my quick to read  ebook about how I wrote 50k in 25 days for the 2014 session of Nano, you can pick it up HERE.

Today your homework is to think of the type of story you want to write.  What films/ TV shows have influence over you that inspire this work?  Write down everything you can think of this world.  It does not have to be very thorough, but just enough to get the idea of it.  Write how this world applies to your influences, and how it does not.  Next write out some complications these worlds will create to trip up your characters.  Any thoughts? Fell free to share your story premise and how the world it is set in will cause conflict and tension in the comments below!