TOPIC IN FOCUS #2 -How do you like your world-building?

[Karin]

Sarah wrote: "@Karin--Thanks for replying!

I'm interested in your writing process. It seems like you a specific approach to it and I'm curious whether you have always done it this way, or have you changed you..."

Joshua and Gail, you want to chime in here too? It'd be interesting to hear everybody!

1. I do change up my process as I learn, and each book, I've learned, behaves differently. That being said, I've also figured out some things about myself as a writer and realized that usually I like having a 'fluid map/outline' of where I'm going. It saves time and frustrating flailing around in the middle of the book, not knowing which direction to go in. As for style, if you mean the style of the writing, I completely adapt that as best I can to the type of book I'm writing, so that every book has a different 'voice'. My authorial voice will bleed through no matter what but I don't want all of my books to have the same tone/cadence/voice/language style ... I think that defeats a lot of the purpose of writing different kinds of books. There's a difference between the styles of my SF and The Gaslight Dogs and that was on purpose.

2. When you have an idea for a story but haven't got a lot of the nitty gritty details yet, how do you go about getting that story out of your head and into a comprehensible form for the reader?

I let it steep. I read a lot for inspiration (non-fiction things pertaining to what I'm writing about). I ask questions about the characters and the world. And if I'm not under a big deadline I let it steep until I feel I know enough about the world and characters to start writing in it. But I also allow for inspiration, so random things pop up sometimes. But...that being said, I started writing a post-apoc SF with very little idea of much and it's writing pretty quickly - but that's because I made a decision not to do things like I used to and just free up my process.

3. Do you come up with major plot points and do an outline and fill in from that framework as you go? Or do you just let the writing flow and then go back & edit and rearrange as needed?

Both! Depending on what stage of the book I'm in. I'm not someone who needs 100% plotting before I start. As long as I know the end and the major brush strokes of the rest of it, I'm good.

When you're writing a story with a comnpletely new world to build with it, do you make a concious decision at the beginning on how detailed you want/need your world to be, or do you let it develop more organically as it's needed?

Both. I know naturally I'm not a writer who writes bricks (600 page novels) so my stuff tends to be pretty pared down, but at the same time I want to tell enough to get the point across in tone, information, atmosphere. I'm not Terence Malick who spends long 10 minute shots looking at landscapes, even if I appreciate his work as a filmmaker and think it's beautiful. I want people to know the world, for it to unfold naturally, and not scrimp because people have short attention spans. But at the same time not to be self-indulgent with it. :)

[Karin]

You shouldn't be daunted! It takes commitment and discipline like anything else, that's all. :) And desire. And some talent. But really none of that will help you if you don't have the discipline...so as long as you have that you'll finish something you want to write.

1. Ideas come from everywhere. Experience and what I see in the world. And what I'm personally passionate about, so for everyone it's different.
2. Nope and nope. :) I don't make it a habit of talking a lot about my non-writing life though, just a personal choice.

[Karin]

Aw, thanks for being interested! I guess the topic's kind of died off? It was great fun and really interesting to read everyone's replies.

Thank you!

[Sandra]

Karin wrote: "Aw, thanks for being interested! I guess the topic's kind of died off? It was great fun and really interesting to read everyone's replies.

Thank you!"

I was just checking the dates to see how much time elapsed between #1 and #2. It seems like interest in #1 spiked up again when we started #2. I'll leave it open, as people often come along later to post. We'll post another subject with new writers around 2/15.

And thank YOU and all the writers who are contributing.

[Sandra]

Since this topic seems to have died a natural death, I'd like to extend special thanks to Karin Lowachee, Joshua Palmatier, and Gail Z. Martin for your willingness to participate and share your ideas with us about this topic!

Others, of course, can feel free to continue posting as thoughts occur to you.

[Karen]

I love epic fantasy, Tolkein and Martin and Hobb. To me, successful world building is both subtle and pervasive, it is not just geography or flora or fauna, but considers culture and religion and economies and history. Successful world building is not just a stage, it must influence the hopes, dreams, and in-bred prejudices of the characters.

[Keryl]

Karen wrote: "I love epic fantasy, Tolkein and Martin and Hobb. To me, successful world building is both subtle and pervasive, it is not just geography or flora or fauna, but considers culture and religion and economies and history. Successful world building is not just a stage, it must influence the hopes, dreams, and in-bred prejudices of the characters. "

Good point. That's a very succinct way of putting what drives me so crazy about a world that looks like medieval Europe filled with what appear to be modern day Americans.

It's not enough to set the stage carefully and create beautiful scenery, you need to consider how people raised in that sort of world should act.

[Eli]

Stephen wrote: "The writer must be able to convince the reader that he knows what he's talking about. But, that said, the writer doesn't have to tell absolutely everything he knows. It's a delicate balance. Not en..."

I agree, the must be room in the description that would let the reader build a little piece of the world in his or her mind.

[Karen]

Check out this Guest Post on building fantasy worlds. It agrees with much of this discussion.
http://en.risingshadow.net/articles/1...

[Sandra]

Karen wrote: "Check out this Guest Post on building fantasy worlds. It agrees with much of this discussion.
http://en.risingshadow.net/articles/1..."

One point for sticking to the topic. But kind of a sideways attempt to self promote, don't you think?