The First Step

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by Shawn Edwards

Building a world is an arduous and imposing task. Just take a look around at our own world and the complexity inherent in it becomes apparent. Obviously, we cannot create such an intricate setting for our stories. What can we do, then, to create a believable and immersive world in which our characters can act out their adventures?

The first step in building a world is always inspiration. Some writers build their worlds around inspiration for a tale, while others build the tale around inspiration for a world. With either scenario, whatever idea it was that sparked that fire for design, should be taken and run with until it burns out. If the spark was a culture of sentient nomadic machines, start with a description of them and their history. If it was an inhabited planet without a sun, then draw up a feasible explanation. Wherever you find yourself is where you should start. As you build upon that initial vision, you will slowly construct the foundation of your world. As you consider the history, you will naturally wonder about the geography. As you ponder the grammar of your languages, you will be led to wonder about the cultures of those who speak them. All parts of a world are connected.

The possibilities are endless. In fact, that endlessness can trap a writer into feeling as if their world must be perfect and complete before ever going onto the page. A created world can never be complete. It can only be complete enough to tell the story. You only need a certain amount of detail for a plotline: that amount which allows you to write it, and to write it with immersion. If you are telling the tale of one species' first encounter with another, you will need to develop the languages, biology, and culture of your species extensively. Listed below are the aspects which you will find yourself working on, and are the main components of any fictional world:

  • Geography (type of planet and environment, maps, borders, etc.)
  • Demographics (cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, etc.)
  • History (outlines, essays, character biographies, etc.)
  • Societies and cultures (governments, religions, traditions, philosophies, etc.)
  • Magic and the supernatural (laws of magic, forms of magic, supernatural deities, etc.) 
  • Biology (types of life, descriptions, biochemistry, etc.)
  • Languages (list of languages, grammars, evolution of languages, etc.)

My work in the fictional world of Garental began with a map. I sat at my computer one day and decided to mess around with a mapmaking program I had. Once I had drawn it I began to wonder who the people were that lived on that map. That inspired me to write an essay describing the history and culture of it's inhabitants, whom, since then,  have grown into a wondrous and mysterious people full of rich history.

Some resources to get started:


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Column thoughts for Shawn?
_Shawn Edwards is an inhabitant of the beautiful State of Alabama, where he spends his time writing down the results of much nerdity, an odd sense of humor, and a bit of spare time.