Let's look at some of the most beloved stories of all time:
Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
Eragon
Inkheart
Alice in Wonderland
Fairy tales of all kinds
What do these stories all have that make them classics, to be remembered and read for years to come?
The answer:
The setting.
Sure, there are plenty of good books out there. But often we love them most for the characters, or the story. But one of the most important parts of a good book is the setting.
What these books have is not just a place, not just a cool time.
They have a whole world within their pages.
And I'm here to help you put that in your story, too.
Okay, so I'm not some big giant best-selling author. Not even close, in fact. But I have some experience creating worlds. That was one of my favorite things to do when I was growing up. My older brother and I would sit together and draw maps, with interesting names and stories behind them. Those were the first worlds I ever made.
Ever read Myst? If not, do so NOW. The whole basis of those stories are the worlds, worlds that people write and are able to go into and explore. As a writer, that should be your goal.
My awesome writing buddy Abby and I went to a writing workshop a few weeks ago at the EMP (Experience Music Project) in Seattle. The point of the workshop was the create worlds, characters, and plots for sci-fi/fantasy writing. The teacher was a published author, which was pretty cool :) We had a really good time, I think, and learned a lot. It was awesome talking with other young writers and learning about their worlds and ideas.
I've had a story world that I've been working on for a long time now. It started out just being a story, but then I had so many ideas that it turned into a whole world. I call it Morpheus. So I'll run you through some of the basic ideas for creating a unique and interesting world, and use my own world for examples.
#1: Create a unique custom
You can have a world, sure. It can be really pretty and full of jungles and beaches and oceans. But is it memorable? I think that the best way to create a memorable setting is have one aspect that really stands out. For me, specifically, that is a custom or tradition that the local culture embraces and bases a lot around. In Morpheus, that custom is birth tattoos. For the first week of a Morphean's life, the parents will watch it very closely, and learn about it's personality. They then make a decision on what tattoo the child will have. There is a whole encyclopedia of these birth tattoos. Of course, every tattoo means something different, and there are too many to write here. But another part is the placement of the tattoo. Chest=emotion, jaw=wisdom, shoulder=strength, forearm=ability, and torso=religion. (I'm still working on these, mind you!)
You see now? (Sorry, I kind of went off on that...I'm very passionate about Morpheus :))
#2: Have a landmark or central point
I think this is a very obvious one, and not that difficult to utilize. It's kind of the idea of having a capital city. In LotR, what is an aspect of the world that stands out? The tower of Sauron, of course. It represents the center of the evil empire. Same with, say, the dwarf's mountain. Or the elven palaces. For each state of the LotR world, it has a distinct central point. In Morpheus, that central point in the city Eris, or "the rose of Morpheus." It is the capital city, a bustling hive of activity and politics. However, another central point in the story is the beast's lair. That is the center of the evil, barren side of Morpheus.
#3: Culture, culture, culture
Again, very obvious, and slightly redundant. But IMPORTANT. Taking from LotR, again, and especially the Hobbit, you see a lot of culture which separates each species from another. The dwarves are hard-working metal smiths and miners. This attributes a lot to their culture. You see them as very determined people, never ones to give up. And artisans. Also (umm might be a spoiler) the greed of riches you see in Thorin. Okay, I'm having a hard time explaining this. Sorry. But you get it, right?
#4: Personification
A great way to sum up a culture or world is to personify it in a single character. This is actually a very common practice. In traditional folk lore, the hero is the embodiment of the common people and their goals and dreams. Take Robin Hood, for example. He's the hero, of course, and he is the hero because he cares about the common folk's well being. He is a representative of them. My character Kephas is somewhat of an example of that. He is the son of the mayor of Eris. Eris is beautiful and thriving on the outside, but every rose has it's thorns. Kephas has a connection with the commoners that the other politicians do not. He sees the truth behind the glory of Eris, and knows he has to help the common people. His virtue, as well as any folk hero's, is the virtue of the people. Kephas means "rock" in Greek, and he shows that by being strong-willed and steadfast in his belief.
#5: Tie it in to a known culture
This is incredibly common, if you look hard enough. In the world of Firefly, everything is Asian influenced. In the background you can see Chinese characters, and when the crew swears it's in an Asian language. Inara's clothing and, well, job is highly influenced by this. Her, ahem, companion job is a reflection of the geisha, which is really just a glorified prostitute. The Klingons of Star Trek are also Asian influenced. Look at the modern clothing in Next Gen or DS9. It is very samurai-like. The idea of warrior's honor is similar, as well as the hand-held swords and other weapons the Klingons use. Morpheus is very Grecian in it's culture. The characters all have Greek names, the definitions of which fit carefully into their personality. (See Kephas above.)
Thank you for reading! I hope this helped and inspired you to create a new world for your characters and readers to live in. Feel free to post your own worlds and ideas, as well as any comments on what you think makes a good world.
Picard out.
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