Fantasy authors build their own
worlds and people them with humans and other unusual species and aspects to
make the world unique. What readers and some authors don't realize is all
stories partake in world building.
A romance writer for instance has
the heroine and hero and around them is their world. A contemporary world peopled
with friends and adversaries, but how they react and the influences of their
world help to build not only who they are, but how their surroundings look to
the reader. The author must build the scene they want to get the reactions of
their characters and thus the story to play out in the way they anticipate.
Many authors will not agree they
have to build a world, especially those who write in the pantser style (this
means not plotting, just sit down and write with only a general idea of where
the story is going). This means the story evolves as you go along rather than
planning everything out before you start writing. I am a pantser writer and I
find I do very little basic world building before I start and the rest evolves
as I write. As I edit the drafts (usually up to three times before sending it
to the publisher) the world pulls tighter together, including the influence of
the characters on the scenes and people around them.
Without my characters there would be
no world as they are the center of the story and the hub everything revolves
around. From them comes the description and structure of the world and time
they live in. Their supporting characters paint the backdrop. The description
is not put down as "The land was green" etc. the image comes from the
interaction of the characters with their surroundings and peers.
Bear in mind every book is like a
play on a stage, created not only by the author, but also by the characters, supporting
characters and their actions. Together they influence the story to bring the
full essence of it to fruition. The stage is the world, the play brings the
story to life.
Of course fantasy writers have more
leeway, but sometimes this can be more challenging. When the imagination takes
full reign, it has to be pulled in by reality. Everything has to merge together
in a way the reader can understand and empathize with, plus they must fit into
the world the author has created. Good luck with your building and I hope to
see your world appear on my bookshelf sometime soon.
