Photo credit: Pexels The most important thing I've learned during my writing journey is that writing isn't a formula. Not every tip or style works for everyone. You have to work to find what works for you! I share this in hopes of reaching others who may have been in the same boat as me; thinking I was writing "wrong" because I couldn't find anyone who created/wrote the way I did. Write First, Build SecondI know - this is contrary to almost everything you read. Even in school, they teach you how to outline, plot and plan your papers to death. The thing is, that doesn't always work for fiction and it definitely doesn't always work for everyone. I'm a pantser, which means I write best when I wing it. Now that doesn't mean that I get out of world building! Instead, I let my characters tell me about their world first and then I buff it up with little details later. For me, as I write, I visualize the world. Some of that will have to be changed later and guess what? That's okay. So many people wait to write because they think they have to have the world or the characters or the ideas completely flushed out. For some people, yes, this is the case. But it's not that way for everyone! Just start writing and see what comes. My characters have told me the quirkiest things about their worlds that I later add to, and that's great! Why? Because it works. Writing this way is not wrong. I promise you. What works for you is right! Don't wait to start writing because you don't have a world flushed out. It's so much more important to write your story. Take NotesAllow yourself free reign to make crazy choices. Don't limit yourself. You can always edit and cut and rework later. Be creative for a little bit first. While you write, take notes of what you like about the world you've started to create, about what fits and what doesn't. But don't change anything yet. Just write. The editing stage is for making everything cohesive. You get your best ideas when you don't constrain yourself. Where do you even get world-building ideas?A lot of people have asked me where I even get my ideas for my worlds. Many times my characters just tell me about their lives (I'm sane, I promise!). Other than that, honestly travel is a big one for me. Taking my actual experiences and immersing myself in a culture does wonders for my writing, but my top three are below:
Downloadable ResourcesSo that you don't have to go back to all of my previous posts, check out the links below for downloadable docs with worksheets to build your world! Again, I do this all after I'm done so that I can narrow down what questions actually pertain to my story.
Government Belief Systems Peoples Advancement Geography Civilization Remember, there's no right way to do world-building or writing for that matter. You've got this! Happy Writing, World-Builders!
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AuthorM. M. Kastanek Archives
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