Databases and Worlds

A friend of mine teaches creative writing in an English immersion school in Seoul, South Korea.  Every once and a while, she asks me to Skype into her class and discuss various writing-related topics.  I have become, in many ways, their writer-in-virtual-residence.

I'm not sure how important that part is to the story, but I've been corresponding with one of her students about world-building.  He wanted to share his database with me.  I wrote back and said, "Uh, I have no skill to judge a database.  How about sending some writing?"  To which, he replied that he has no intention of writing anything until his world is fully-formed, so perhaps I could help him figure out how to organize it?

I felt like Tard the Grumpy cat, when I wrote back, "Nope."

I tried to explain to this young writer, in the gentlest manner possible, the no one reads novels or short stories for the worlds.  We read for character, and, sometimes, plot.  Your world can be rich and as deep as the deepest ocean, but no one will visit it, if it's not populated with interesting people doing exciting things.

That's what story is about.

I asked him to try, instead, to consider a character who would best show off the most exciting features of the world he's created.  One, perhaps, who straddles two cultures or who is on the cusp of discovering some great mystery about how the universe is created. 

But, then I reminded myself (and him) that each writer is different.  For me, the best results happened when I jumped in with both feet with a character and started by figuring out what world-building details I needed, as my character encountered them  or as the plot required them. But, maybe, I told him, he needed to wade in slower to the story, and build his world around himself like water-wings or a life preserver.  It's all good.  Get into the writing water however you need to.  There's no one perfect way.

And, I said, organize your database how it works for you.  I suggested if he needed a model of questions he could ask myself, there was always Pat Wrede's questionnaire: http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/

I also offered that he consider finding a role-playing game manual and seeing if how that's organized will help him. 

I did, however, leave him with this thought:  do you think it matters to the legions of Star Wars fans that there are planets in that universe that are complete impossibilities?  Or, do you think what people love about Star Wars is the classic triumph of good vs. evil?