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Worldbuilding is where writers create the social, cultural, historical, political, and physical realities for our characters.

It feels like a colossal endeavor that we could talk about for days, but we won’t. Today, we’re going to streamline the process by following our curiosity through a series of strategic questions.

Though it’s a vast topic, it really boils down to two things: Relationships and impact. How will our characters be in relationship to their world, and what impact will that have on them as they go after their goals?

Worldbuilding is part of what creates the immersive experience a reader craves, of feeling like they’re right there, in the moment, with your character.

When we put worldbuilding into this context, it’s clear that it’s not just for historical or speculative fiction writers. Regardless of the setting, all novelists need to think about worldbuilding.

Here’s a free Worldbuilding PDF I created to help you along the way, which includes links to my favorite worldbuilding resources!

Getting Started: Begin With The Spark

There’s no wrong way to begin to worldbuild, just as there is no wrong way to write a novel. But approaching it systematically can help us gain clarity and not get distracted by nuance.

Start with your spark of an idea. Treat it like a seed. Plant it in the soil of your imagination and water it with questions. Start wide, then narrow the focus. Give yourself time and creative headspace to dream and research.

The Power of Questions

The pivotal question to kickstart worldbuilding from your spark is, “What kind of world allows (fill in the blank— a character, an event, a conflict, a relationship) to happen?”

Follow this with a series of inquiries: When and where does the story unfold? How did this place come into existence? What's life like in this world? What rules govern it, and who holds sway?

These inquiries serve as guiding lights as you explore and define the fundamental realities of the world you are shaping.

A Stepwise Approach to Explore and Define Your World

Explore and Define the Temporal Realities: The Foundations of Time and Place

The building blocks of your world reside in temporal realities. Is your story set in the future or the past? Is it grounded in the known world or an alternative universe? Delve into the history, the existence of magic, its rules, and the consequences. Explore the mysteries of death within your world.

Explore and Define the Physical Realities: Crafting the Environment

Consider the physical environment, from geography to climate, flora and fauna, to population centers, food production, and technological advancements. Immerse your readers in the tangible elements that shape the daily lives of your characters.

Explore and Define the Social Realities: The Dynamics of Interaction

Explore how characters interact with each other and society. Imagine the power structures, understand how that power is wielded, identify common adversaries of the people, and question the impact of territories and boundaries on the population. Delve into demographics, languages, and the nuances of communication.

Explore and Define Day-to-Day Realities: A Glimpse into Daily Lives

Wonder about the daily lives of your characters. What do they do for work? Where do they reside? Consider the societal realities you've explored and envision an education system. Explore unique aspects of how people in different class systems and age groups entertain themselves.

Bring it Back to Your Cast of Characters: The Heart of the Story

Once the foundational elements are in place, turn your attention back to your characters. Who are they, and what external goals do they strive for within the world you’ve constructed? How does the world itself become a source of conflict, shaping their journey?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Creating a vast but nonspecific world

Beware of crafting expansive yet vague worlds. Provide specificity as to how this world impacts who lives there, specifically your characters. Remember, it’s about relationships and impact.

Procrastination: Trust Your Process

Worldbuilding styles vary—some wait for ideas to ripen, while others weave worldbuilding into their writing process. Trust your style; there's no right or wrong, but be on the lookout for procrastination and fear of starting. Practice self-awareness, accepting that perfection is impossible, nor is it the goal. The goal is a finished first draft, and for that, you must write.

Worldbuilding doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming

Worldbuilding can be overwhelming, and we can easily get lost in the process. The key to making it manageable is approaching it with curiosity and asking a series of strategic questions, progressing from broad to narrow. By homing in on impact and relationships, this method streamlines the creation of a dynamic world for readers to immerse themselves in and enjoy.

Here are my favorite worldbuilding resources:

A Worldbuilding Guide for Fiction Writers PDF—A Simplified Way to Worldbuild

Favorite Book on Worldbuilding:

Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction: How to Create Out-Of-This-World Novels and Short Stories by Orson Scott Card, Philip Athans, Jay Lake and the Editors of the Writer’s Digest.

Favorite Organizational Tool:

Milanote This is by far, it’s my favorite tool! Milanote is a way to organize … well, everything! Its easy drop and drag, point, click, and link features are great for creating vision boards and keeping track of worldbuilding, character profiles, plot, and story structure. Everything! I love that I can send my Pinterest inspiration directly to the Milanote clipboard!

And the best part is that it has a FREE plan. If you refer a friend, you get more space on your account. Hence, my affiliate link. So if you like it, share it!