Write.

Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is a major part of why I enjoy writing. I'm a filmmaker and I originally learned how to craft stories, not to write books, but to make films.

The trouble with writing films is that, whatever you write, you do so knowing that you'll eventually have to make it. Those dollar signs soon add up, so your writing becomes very restrained. It's very easy to write "a spaceship explodes," but it's not so easy to film it.

After years of writing like this, I eventually thought, let's take the leash off and see what I'm really capable of (enter HAWK). Books have no budget. You can write the most expensive film ever made, and all it costs is a little time.

This is a very exciting idea to me. There is nothing I can't imagine and paint in another's imagination. This is why my first two novels have been sci-fi and fantasy stories; there is an immense amount of creative freedom there.

Creating new worlds can be a bit daunting, but it really doesn't need to be. Whether you're crafting a new planet or galaxy, or even just a small fictional town in rural England, the same rules apply. You don't have to tell the reader every little thing, and nor should you. A little goes a long way.

The important thing is to focus on what your character is experiencing. Let's put "Jack" on an elevator and get him to push a big red button that says "New World." The door opens.

It would be very easy to describe what Jack can see, but let's not forget all his other senses. Can he smell or hear anything? What's the temperature like? Has the elevator just opened up into a bleak desert or a muggy jungle? If so, maybe the first thing that hits him is the heat. Maybe there's so much smoke that he can't see much at all, but he can smell burning rubber. I don't know where that will lead but it sounds cool, so let's get him to step outside and find out.

Jack stepped out of the elevator. The smoke was thick and stung his eyes, making them water. He saw the hot glow of a fire raging ahead and walked towards it, finding a pick-up truck lying on its back. Every part of it was ablaze. The stench of the burning tyres was so foul he had to cover his nose with his arm and breathe through the crease in his elbow.

So this is a very simple scene that probably needs another rewrite or two, but I've tried to pepper it with little details that make it seem more real. For example, I was going to write that he found a car, but a pick-up truck is so much easier to visualise. The fact that it's upside down adds another aspect which paints it in the reader's mind. Focus on the details and try to stay aware of all your characters' senses. Smoke stings eyes and burning rubber stinks, whatever world you're on. It doesn't matter where you put your character; emotion is universal, so tap into what they're experiencing.

If Jack's already been to this place before, then that means we can tap into history. History is a very powerful way of worldbuilding, but again, less is more. Drop just a few details in and it'll add so many dimensions to your world.

Jack left the truck behind and followed the road until he came to a blackened road-sign... and his heart all but stopped. Most of the letters were illegible, but he could still make out the words, 'WELCOME TO NEWBEACH'. He thought he'd finally escaped his hometown all those years ago, but it had somehow dragged him back, just like the old woman promised. The smoke cleared long enough for him to spy the silhouette of Thorn Tower standing tall in the distance and his heart kicked back into gear. He knew he should turn back, but deep down he knew it would do him no good. The Tower wanted him. And it could have him. All he needed was a gun.

I've got no idea where Newbeach is or what Thorn Tower is or why Jack is reacting the way he is, but I know there's a history there, and that makes it real. I haven't described much about the world at all, but we're right there next to Jack and feeling the way he's feeling. Allude to some kind of history, and it'll do most of the work for you.

You're probably thinking, this sounds great, Mike, but what about worldbuilding for Tolkien-like fantasy worlds? How do I do that?

I can't help you with that, because I'm only interested in story. You could spend a lifetime creating the richest world ever put to page, filled with amazing creatures, each with their own languages and dialects... but unless you have a kickass story to go with it, it doesn't really matter. The audience will only stay with you if they're emotionally involved, and no-one gets emotionally involved in a road-guide.

Stick with the story and the characters, and you'll be alright.

Build it.