World Builing
World Building – The Dark Lady Series
Being a confirmed pantser, I usually keep my world building to the necessary minimum. This action in this story is set entirely within an ancient castle set in a mountain valley. I drew myself a map of the valley and made notes on what can be found beyond the mountains. This map served me well through all three books in the series. By the end of volume three, I’d reached a point where if I continued, I would probably have to expand that map to at least cover the entire continent.
I kept the cultures fairly uniform, introduced hints of the religion of the land, and left the use of magic at a minimal level. This may be where a pantser is at somewhat of a disadvantage as comparted to my writerly plotting cousins. The plotter would have detailed the background and a great deal more information on the surrounding settings and cultures before starting out. I often have to pause and consider why things are the way they are, and make certain they fit into the picture I am trying to create.
The limited world building I used fit this particular story well. Events and places off-screen are only mentioned or touched on. When creating a culture, you should consider can it sustain itself. Where does the food come from? What are the neighbors like? Would more of this detail add to the novel or slow it down?
I would highly recommend the use of a map to keep locations and setting straight in the writer’s and readers’ heads. It helps to prevent the author from sending expeditions off in the wrong direction. In my case, the map I created found its way, along with a character bio, into the second and third volumes (Dark Days & Dark Knights) after readers requested them.
Next time, a look at the different style of World Building in The Queen’s Pawn series.
Being a confirmed pantser, I usually keep my world building to the necessary minimum. This action in this story is set entirely within an ancient castle set in a mountain valley. I drew myself a map of the valley and made notes on what can be found beyond the mountains. This map served me well through all three books in the series. By the end of volume three, I’d reached a point where if I continued, I would probably have to expand that map to at least cover the entire continent.
I kept the cultures fairly uniform, introduced hints of the religion of the land, and left the use of magic at a minimal level. This may be where a pantser is at somewhat of a disadvantage as comparted to my writerly plotting cousins. The plotter would have detailed the background and a great deal more information on the surrounding settings and cultures before starting out. I often have to pause and consider why things are the way they are, and make certain they fit into the picture I am trying to create.
The limited world building I used fit this particular story well. Events and places off-screen are only mentioned or touched on. When creating a culture, you should consider can it sustain itself. Where does the food come from? What are the neighbors like? Would more of this detail add to the novel or slow it down?
I would highly recommend the use of a map to keep locations and setting straight in the writer’s and readers’ heads. It helps to prevent the author from sending expeditions off in the wrong direction. In my case, the map I created found its way, along with a character bio, into the second and third volumes (Dark Days & Dark Knights) after readers requested them.
Next time, a look at the different style of World Building in The Queen’s Pawn series.
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