My method to worldbuilding

We all have ways to worldbuild. This is my advice to create a vivid and engaging world. What advice do you have?

Think diversity

Our world is diverse in so many ways, from it’s people, to languages, and plants.

A world will have different languages, and often dialects within those languages. It will contain states, cities, and regions, and based on the land export and import different things. That can decide how rich and poor a country is, what deities are worshiped and so on.

Even if you are a pantser, I recommend that you have a core understanding of the logic of your world before you start. You don’t need to create an entire creation story, but knowing how the world ticks will make writing so much easier because it provides a frame so that the details that is created from the writing fit within the narrative you’re trying to create.

Find a balance

It’s easy to get lost in worldbuilding. You get so wrapped up in details that it overshadows the writing, or effect the writing in less appreciative ways – like info-dumping.

You don’t need to know absolutely every detail of the world, just what you need for the story to naturally progress. That means that certain details will never be communicated to the reader. Or, if you’re writing a series, communicated later on.

But, as much as you can overcomplicate things, it can become too simplistic, naming being one example. Too simplistic, it risks coming across as juvenile, too complex it risks becoming too heavy. Instead, think about how things are named in real life. The name is usually old, its pronunciation evolved from the original and says something about the land, people, or even religion that existed.

Create a map

I would say creating a map is a must when writing fantasy. Not only will readers love it, but it will be a guide and can help anchor you as you write.

It will give you a sense of the distance between places and will inform you on the geographical differences between lands. It can also enable you to analyze if things like naming and ethnicities make sense.

For example, did you know that lands effect the creation of languages and if it’s vowel or consonant-rich? Or that a more mountainous region can isolate languages and make them more distinct from neighbors. The same goes for cultural expression. Cultures effect each other, so it’s only natural as culture evolves that things are borrowed between different groups.

Keep track

Don’t let the details in your worldbuilding only be documented in your manuscripts. If you do that, you risk losing your grip on them and viewing them within the frame of your world because they’re so embedded into the text.

Have a document (or what you deem fitting for you) and put down the details as you finish each chapter, scene, or writing sprint. Whatever fits your writing method without loosing momentum. That way, you’ll notice if what you mention about the world in chapter 15 contradicts what was said in chapter 2.

I use Notion to keep track both of my world-building, pictures, scenes, and so on. I also built a lot of my world beforehand, but not everything.