My Own Little World
Fantasy Landscape by Tyler Edlin
I'm standing on a gray-stone bridge. The murky waters below flow along the reinforced channels, racing the imposing city walls into the distance. Horse-drawn carriages carry goods and passengers in and out of the city gate behind me under the watchful eye of the well-armored guards. All around me I hear the hustle and bustle of people in the crowded trade square, the clang of hammers at the forges, the clatter of wagon wheels on the cobblestones and the grunting of the horses that pull them. The city is alive and thriving as usual. It's the only life I've ever known.
But beyond these city walls, across the river, on the other side of this sturdy, well-traveled bridge, there is a whole wide world just waiting to be discovered. There are forests and mountains and oceans. There are deserts and canyons and valleys. There are elves in ensorcelled tree houses, dwarves in sprawling cities carved out beneath the mountains, there are pixies and dragons and Maker knows what else out there. There are things I've only heard about in stories and legends; things I've only dreamed about; things I intend to see for myself.
I'm leaving Rumsfeld today - the out-of-touch king and his lofty castle, the politicians in their insulated upscale district, the gray-cloaked aurators and their suspicious glances, the opportunistic crime lords in the lower circle, the noise, the crowds, the stench of poverty and despair, the fake smiles, the untrusting eyes, the pleading hands searching for a handout of coins or bread at every turn. I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back. I wouldn't even if I could.
There's a whole wide world of Chalisaria out there for me to explore. I can only pray that it's better than the world I already know.
***
There's a thing that happens when you start writing fantasy fiction. It's subtle at first, you may not even notice it. You think of your character(s), you think of your storyline, you think of your story setting - you know, all the things you know should exist because you had excellent teachers for basic writing classes. What you may not recognize is that, once you starting developing these things in a purely fantasy world, there is a tiny spark that ignites within you. It is the spark of genesis, the spark of true creative power. You, dear writer, have just started the creation of your own little world.
Worlds don't just form overnight, though. Despite what some sources say, they don't even form in just seven days. Without you even knowing it, your world started forming from the first time you drew breath and screamed at everybody in the delivery room like you owned the place. (Some experts, the ones with the headphones on the pregnant belly, suggest it starts even before then.) You started developing your world (or worlds if you're really ambitious *cough*Susanne Lambdin*cough*) as soon as you started observing the world that you currently exist in. Everything you see, hear, experience, and process energizes that genesis spark within you. You've been collecting the bits and pieces of your world-building tool bag from the very beginning, and now it's about to explode like your very own Big Bang.
It starts small, usually. A nameless tavern in a presumably nameless city, for example (a cliché example, maybe, but an example). It's a place for your character to exist and develop in their own right. (Wouldn't want the poor bastard freezing to death in the empty void of space right away, now would we?) You may not even give any conscious thought to what's beyond those tavern walls, but there's something out there and it's growing, and expanding, and developing at a rate you wouldn't believe. Before you know it, there's an entire planet spinning around inside your head, probably in its own little universe and beyond.
One of the greatest joys of being an author comes in exploring the world that you've created. Not just exploring it, but interacting with it through your characters and sharing these discoveries with your readers. IS the sky blue in your world? It doesn't have to be, but it's your call to make. Are there people in your world? What do they look like? What are their cultures like? Where do they live? What do they do? Is there one big land mass like Pangaea or are there multiple continents, each with their own unique qualities? What kind of plants and animals exist in your world? Are they plants and animals that we would recognize, or are they truly alien to our "real" world experience? What about unconsciously recognized things like gravity? Are people stuck to the ground like we are in this world, or can they leap tall buildings in a single bound as a standard practice? These are all things that you get to find out as a fantasy writer and the sky isn't even the limit in your world.
The idea of world building is intimidating to many people. But if you start small, with basic concepts, it really becomes an intuitive process. Who is your main character? What is their background and situation? What does that information tell you about the place that they live? How do they fulfill their fundamental needs: Food, Water, Air, Shelter, Clothing? What are their interactions with this environment like? From there you look at any connections to a larger world view: Societal structures, power dynamics, how does the character get things they need but don't have access to (trade/barter practices/training). Are all of these influences localized or do they come from outside the initial world perspective? The more you explore these questions, the more your world expands. This will create more questions about your world, and you'll find more answers, and it just keeps growing from there.
Now, I feel it necessary to clarify that Fantasy writing isn't the only genre that focuses on world building (predicts incoming phone call). Every genre needs it. From zombie apocalypse scenarios to alternate history tales, it falls on the writer to verify what the setting actually is for the reader. The overall setting may be modern and familiar, but the reader still needs confirmation of certain details to make the story work. What I feel is unique about fantasy, though, is that it doesn't have the same limitations and constraints that other genres do. In my world, I don't have to worry about what technology exists or doesn't exist or in what time period it appears. Historical accuracy or inaccuracy isn't something that readers are likely to flood my inbox to argue about. I don't have to verify street names and building descriptions for cities like Pensacola, FL or Chicago, because they don't (necessarily) exist in my world. The world I create is mine and I don't have to answer to anybody but me. It's a very liberating experience in my opinion, but some writers prefer to keep at least one foot planted in the familiar to keep their readers engaged and able to relate to the material. It really comes down to what your goals in storytelling are.
Whatever you are writing, whatever you are reading, whatever media you are consuming, never be afraid to keep exploring. You might just be surprised by the things that you discover.
