Dreame Writing Guides

Part 14 How to Build A Worldview

I. What is a worldview

A worldview is the frame of the story and the gear that allows it to "run" normally. How the worldview is structured can determine whether your story is attractive enough to keep readers interested. When writing, what you need to do is carefully consider whether your various settings are logical.

II. Choose an appropriate worldview

Specific periods in the past (such as during WW2), modern times, and future times are the three options available to an author when choosing WHEN their story should take place. This MUST be determined before you begin writing.

There is a fourth option. A story could be timeless. A timeless story should make the reader feel as if the action is taking place in the year that they are living in, regardless of what that year is. Most stories that are told in this manner are of the short variety. It is near impossible to write a novel without placing it in a specific period of time.

History: If you choose to use a historical era as the backdrop for your story, in addition to a reasonable plot, it must also be logical. If your novel takes place in the Middle Ages, but there are electric lights in the protagonist's home, it will not be believable.

If your story takes place in the past, it should be tagged "history."

Modern: If your story takes place on campus, is about an overbearing CEO, or includes known technology, then it is better to place it in today's modern society. The stories that take place in modern society are more relatable to the reader than any other background. A current environment can help readers feel close and avoid any misrepresentations that might come from writing about a different era.

If your story takes place in the here and now, it should be tagged "modern."

Future: People have always imagined what the future will look like. No matter which era you are in, though, human nature remains the same. People seek love and companionship. They long for peace. They get angry when they are wronged, and, in some cases, they desire revenge. You may be writing a story that includes dramatic advancements in technology or drastic changes in lifestyle. However, futuristic stories should still revolve around the human condition. Otherwise, it will not be believable. A reader should be able to put themselves in the protagonist's shoes and relate to them no matter which era they come from!

If you are writing a science-fiction novel, write down the rules and follow them to a tee. If your story takes place on a planet with higher gravity than our own, for example, you must carefully consider how that affects your plot. If people have traveled from Earth, then perhaps they need to wear special suits. As for the natives of the planet, you might want to consider how differently they would have evolved.

Imaginary world: If you want to write a fantasy novel that involves elements such as swords, magic, dragons, and demon kings, then you should use your imagination as much as possible, especially if you've set your story in a secondary world. An example of this can be seen in the Middle-earth of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Even if your story is pure fantasy, it can take inspiration from the real world. For example, certain scenes in Tolkien's book were inspired by the extreme violence he saw in WW1.

Think carefully before writing. If you choose an era that you are familiar with and write what you know. If you haven't read very much fantasy, for example, you may not want to write a fantasy. If you choose to forge ahead into an untrodden territory, do your research and ensure that your work is logical and consistent.

Let's talk now about how to build an engaging worldview.

III. How to build a worldview

To ensure the integrity, logic, and consistency of your world, start with a historical background, nature, location, economy, social structure, and language. A story gains credibility if you present these details perfectly.

a) Historical background

Historical background refers to what has happened in the world past, what stage it is currently in, and what significant events occurred at that time.

Take the worldview of an adventure story as an example:

Hundreds of years ago, the Dark Lord came to the land of Vettes and forced the people into a life of misery and suffering. It was not until the appearance of the warrior that things turned around for them.

The ancient continent, Vettes, is currently headed by a Gaelic family, and the people live bland but happy lives. Unexpectedly, the prophecy of the ancestors came true, the Dark lord Garcia was resurrected after a lapse of five hundred years, various monsters were awakened, and the entire continent fell into crisis again. The prophecy said that there would be a warrior selected by God, who would hold the sword of the king, and finally defeating the demon king. To save humanity, the young warrior, Carcello, would have to go on a quest to find the sword of the king. On the way, he would meet the magician, Alan, and the archer, Vance. Under the leadership of Carcello, they finally defeated the Dark lord.

b) Natural

Nature here includes, but is not limited to, climate, terrain, rivers, plants, and animals. Try to think about these questions:

1.) What will happen to the species of flora on the coast and the fauna inland?

2.) How are crops different from one region to another?

3.) Which natural resources in this region are the most valuable? Which are rare?

4.) What is the most common meat in this area?

5.) Will there be a natural disaster?

Look at Game of Thrones as an example. Free folk live for a long time outside the wall, where the environment is hard. The people don't mine or smelt metals. There are almost no blacksmiths north of the Wall. Therefore, they usually use weapons made of bones, stones, and wood. In their culture, the demand for iron and steel rationalizes their looting.

c) Countries and powers

Think about is whether there are multiple countries in your story and then figure out what the relationship between them is? If there is a conflict, what is its cause? Is it a conflict of interest? Is it a kingdom war?

The state itself also needs to be considered. What kind of history has the country gone through? What policies are being implemented? What is the political structure? Are internal powers fighting amongst themselves? What are the fundamental laws of the land?

The World War in The Elder Scrolls 5, also known as the Great War, is between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion. The conflict is a full-scale war between two of Tamriel's largest forces. Seven of the nine provinces in Tamriel participated in the war. The internal structure of the Jedi Order in Star Wars is composed of the Jedi High Council, comprised of the 12 most powerful and most prestigious Jedi masters (who were elected by the Jedi Order).

d) Economy

Is there currency viable across the continent? What are the main economic pillars of the country? Can the wealthiest family influence the king? What do people think of taxes? Is the wealth of this country privately controlled? The economy can reflect many details, and the size of a country's military, it is one of the convincing proofs that a country is strong.

The wealthiest family in Game of Thrones is the Lannisters. The Lannister family's ancestral home is Casterly Rock, which was built upon a gold mine, so it is no surprise that they have the most gold.

e) System and regime

Proceed only after considering the following questions: Does the country have different classes. If so, how are they defined? At what stage has this society developed? If there is a slave, would he not be able to stand up for himself? How different is the status of people in different occupations? Is love free? What types of work are there, and how do people work? Is everyone eligible to go to school?

Both the bachelor and the head of the knights are important figures in a social system. Imagine what would happen if a righteous slave spoke rudely to the bachelor? If the protagonist is born ordinary and loves the princess, what obstacles will he encounter in addition to those implemented by the royal family and the social system he was born into?

In a kingdom ruled by tyrants - a rotten system, filled with suffering people, where the gap between the rich and the poor is vast, there are likely to be many conflicting ideologies. As conflicts evolve, keep in mind their effect upon the government, the medical system, the education system, and so on. The more intricate these details are, the more profound your story will be.

In Star Wars, the First Order is comprised of extremists and remnants of the Empire. Finn was a commander of the First Order. Because he could not accept the tyranny and the indiscriminate killing of the poor, he chose to join the Resistance Army against the First Order. He launched an attack on evil organizations and fought for justice.

f) Race

Most fantasy novels have multiple races. Common races are humans, dwarfs, orcs, and goblins. When introducing the races at the beginning, not only biological characteristics should be taken into consideration. You also need to consider what kind of roles the different ethnic groups should play in the social system. Is there a common language between different races? When did the conflict between the races begin? Just because a character is of low birth, that does not mean that you cannot make them likable. Look at Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, Dobby in Harry Potter. They are relatively "inferior" creatures, but they are many people's favorite characters.

g) Humanities and languages

Although the content covered in this column may be overwhelming, it cannot be ignored. Humanity involves architecture, beliefs, food, clothing, housing, science, transportation, and beliefs. It is worth mentioning that a good humanity description can make the story more vivid.

What attitude do people hold towards the existence of God? Is science in this era a taboo? Are there post stations between different continents? What is the common transportation in this world? Do people ride horses or use other creatures as mounts? The animation How to Train Your Dragon shows us the story of a hero riding a dragon and soaring in the sky.

Commonly, characters speak English, but how they speak needs to be considered. Suppose that a bachelor full of knowledge often speaks vulgar words, but the farmers who work in the fields all year round uses elegant words. Wouldn't that seem contradictory?

After reading the above content, you should have a preliminary understanding of how to construct a worldview. As you create your worldview, many questions should be asked. Some were mentioned above, but there are many more, most of which could not be listed here due to issues of length. There is no doubt that by increasing how much you read, carefully collecting information, diligently summarizing, and observing life diligently, you will find that you become more prepared to answer these questions.

For authors who choose to build a secondary world, remember that this is a route that requires a lot of thought, and the emphasis of each story's content must be different. As you go along, you can extend your story according to its needs.

1.) You can choose to create a career system or magic system. If you do, readers' should feel thrilled as the character's upgrade. In Warcraft, there are many professions, such as hunters, warriors, and priests.

2.) You can choose to create creatures you have never seen before. If you do this, it allows the readers to experience the thrill of the unknown. For example, look at ZouWu and Niffler from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

3.) You can also create conflicts and suspense between different biological races, such as vampires and witches, predators and aliens, or elves and orcs.

If you think you might have a hard time keeping track of all of these elements, you can create a form to list the questions and answer them one by one. If you do these preparations well before you write, you will find that your story is not only accurate and consistent, but also more attractive.

Building a worldview is one of the greatest joys of writing. We look forward to seeing what our authors imagine and put to paper. Also, we welcome authors to comment in the message area and put forward any ideas they might have about building worldviews.

                                                                                                                                                                                 BY Robin