Worldbuilding Anyone?

[Shaun]

So, when it comes to your worldbuilding, what do you do? How do you go about creating whole worlds or parts of a world? What about creatures, if any, or characters if your world building is more fiction based? Discuss anything you do and why you find it effective.

[Imelda]

I think. It's the most effective tool I have.

And I map, because it's fun and procrastinate-y. :D

[Rafael Domination]

Why didn't I see this post eariler! :D

I have a litteral encyclopedia in my comupter about my own crazy little universe. Actually, it's more of a multi-verse...which spans five Omniverses...but whatever.

I have everything, from countries, to characters, to maps, to building structures, to creatures, to even attack moves. I'm trying to find a program that can make me organize it into a real encyclopedia, but it might be too complicated.

Erm...how I make them? It depends on how many movies watchd, or games I've researched on the internet, or novels I've read, or animes I've seen. Every single thing makes an idea pop up in my head, and I tend to record them...

[Shaun]

World building for me is a really long, drawn out process, depending on what I'm building. I spend more time on my science fiction universes than my fantasy universes. I think the reason for this is that I am not burdened with having to create as much in a fantasy universe and I'm not clouded with scientific research to make things plausible to an audience who should know the laws of physics.
I only have one really elaborate fantasy world, and that's the world in which my blog novel is set (The World in the Satin Bag). The world itself doesn't have a name, but there are two continents: Traea and Dern. Dern hasn't been created yet, I just know it exists and it will represent a highly militaristic English-Imperialist empire--sort of like England during its period of establishing colonies in places like India and the like. Traea I didn't spend a lot of time on in the beginning, but as I got into the story (I wrote it as an experiment) I started really delving into the magic. Traea became the pinnacle of a magical empire, but with equal representation of magic and non-magic folks. It took me a while to really come up with a lot of the stuff. I took heavy influence from English folklore, what little remains of it at least, and some from Irish, Scottish, Norwegian, and early West European folklore/mythology. Take one of the main characters--Pea (or Pantifilus the Extraordinarily Abnormal). I modeled him after an actual race in European folklore known as Erdluitles. I took some minor liberties with the creature, and made Pea a little more humonoid than alien, but there is a scene in the book that takes directly from the folklore. Erdluitles have goose/duck feet and are extremely self conscious about it, so what I did was take this and have my main character, James, accidentally find out when he first meets Pea. It was a perfect opportunity not only to bind the characters together, but also to give a glimpse into the culture of the Erdluitles (and Littlekind in general)--by law Erdluitles who have been exposed must do whatever it takes to ensure that the person who found out doesn't tell anyone else. So, Pea ends up stuck with James (which is ironic because Pea thinks James is completely crazy...but James has never been to Traea before, so his not knowing ANYTHING might seem crazy to a native).
I'm rambling. I just had so much fun taking things from folklore that I think is underrepresented in literature, at least in epic fantasy. I have to work on book two soon :S. I also put myself in a little hole in the end of book one that I'll be resolving with another interesting twist (I didn't realize until after I had written it in the story that the large, wooden sailing ships that had gunpowder fired cannons would only be present in an emerging industrial society, which Traea is not...so I've got a neat way of making it work within the world...)
Worlding building, I think, is a never-ending process though.
For science fiction, I find myself doing extensive research. The universe my current novel (The Lies of Venicia) is set in is influenced by weeks and weeks of research to find habitable star systems to put planets in. The irony is that most of these systems won't be seen, maybe only mentioned, but I had to do the research. I also had to figure out a plausible way to make space travel possible between stars, but also fast so that my characters could actually get around. I didn't want to use the typical FTL drive, it had to be more formal, more realistic, even if it isn't possible at this point and people might think it impossible altogether. I had to research artificial intelligence, brains, etc., all so my story would seem logical to me and not seem ridiculous when I make things that otherwise would seem crazy happen. I researched explosions in space, weaponry, travel in space, etc.
So, I guess for fantasy, I use mythology and don't do a whole lot of research. In science fiction, it's loads and loads and loads of research and not a whole lot of straight-up making it up...

[jordanisonfire]

Well, my system is quite complicated, but simple once you get the hang of it: basically, I have universes. And each universe has it's own God to rule over and direct it as they see fit. Each God has a different name that reflects what they do, not just inside their own universe, but to all the other, separate universes. For example, the God called Life (whose universe my novels are set in), of course, brings people to life and generally keeps life flowing. There is also the goddess Fate and the God named Death, whose roles are quite simple. They each have their own universes. There is also a separate universe that isn't ruled over by anyone, and that is the Spirit Realm, where all the dead souls go when they have nowhere else to live in that is outside the Spirit Realm.
Now, coming a notch down from all this universe complexities, we have the world where my novels are based (which is currently unnamed). There are other worlds, but these aren't explored as much as this one. The regions of this world are mostly named after the races that live there, or the races are named after the places, rather. For example, the Elves live in Elvaangard and the Dragons live in Dragonia (which, in my novel, has been renamed to Draconia, as the region is now ruled by Draconians). But, other regions may be named from their dominant race's language. For example, the region where the Krann live (large Men, similar to Uruk-Hai, but normal colour and having normal skin), is called Utnark, which means 'land', in their language. The place where the Men rule, Azerstorn, is not actually derived from anything and is just a random name, as are the different provinces of Azerstorn.
As for map-making, well, I haven't got around to that yet. Drawing a map for my lands will be a long and arduous procedure, but I'll do it, if need be. I'll also be writing information books on the different lands and their inhabitants' cultures and such, if my novels have enough success.
Anyway, that was a lot to write. You're probably all bored stiff by now, if you got this far. Thanks for reading, though, if you did! :D

[Shaun]

Map making is really hard to do for science fiction universes. The reason being that there are so many planets and stars it's hard to find the time to map everything out and it's somewhat pointless to do so because most of what you create will never come to life on a page.
On the subject of maps though, I find maps in fantasy worlds to be much more fun that figuring out how to map a science fiction universe (not mapping the planets, but the stars). The cool thing about drawing fantasy maps is I can just make it all up. I'm still trying to draw a map for the land of Dern, which shows up in the second book, but I haven't come up with anything I like enough to represent Dern. I wanted to create a land that would give rise to a lot of sea trade and fishing. Sort of like a continent with an enormous bay filled with large islands.
For science fiction though, I'm at a standstill. I desperately need a visual reference for my universe because the method of travel used is very restrictive. You can't just go shooting off anywhere you want. You have to follow certain routes because to do otherwise is not only illegal, but dangerous. But I need to know where those routes are and it's hard to do that because you have to think in three dimensions in space (x, y, and z). A star that is ten light years from Earth and a star that is twenty light years from Earth could end up being over thirty light years from each other. A star could be up and to the left, down and to the right, etc. And there's no magical, easy way to create all this. You can't draw a 2D drawing of your universe because it wouldn't make much sense. I imagine you could do something like that, but it would be really difficult to figure out where all the stars are...it's something I'm stuck on and I've been trying to figure it out so I have a point of reference for my planetary systems...

[Rafael Domination]

I agree...What I do is use six sheets and use them like a cube. I imagine what the galaxy would look like from each of the six sides of the cube and draw the map like that. It takes a while, but it's as close to a 3-D map as I could get...

[The Grinning Man]

I have an odd way of approaching a universe. Mainly because of my incestuous loves of game design and literature. I try and build a universe with strong symbols, ideas, themes and motifs, often set as binary opposites and/or trinary asymmetrical oppositions. Basically, I make the literary equivalent of Rock, Paper, Scissors or (probably more appropriate) Starcraft.

For instance, in my latest universe, there are three governing philosophies (each assigned a color) in conflict, each with three or so factions (which may be societies, small-scale organizations, cults or species) that interact and fights amongst themselves.

As for the degree of work I do on a universe, I usually start with a fixed base of ideas and throw in anything that seems cool afterwards. I used to write down very little, but I've changed as-of-late, making charts and notes, etc. Mostly I never really have concrete details as for time and location, but do a great deal of improvisation.

[Shaun]

At some point in the future I'm going to figure out how to make a map that puts everything in perspective (stars I mean). I think if I could find a whole slue of pins with little colored balls on the end and of different lengths I can use a piece of hard foam and stick them in, using the galactic coordinates of each star to get an idea how to place them. Then I could use that model to put stuff in the right place.

Or is there some piece of software that will put things in a 3D perspective and I can draw trade routes between them?

[Rafael Domination]

For instance, in my latest universe, there are three governing philosophies (each assigned a color) in conflict, each with three or so factions (which may be societies, small-scale organizations, cults or species) that interact and fights amongst themselves.

Ahhh... '3'. A magic number in my multiverse.

Personally, nowadays, I try to go beyond the numbers two or three. I've just recently added a fourth race to my GuN DrU1d genre (maybe I should post it on this site...it's a massive, dimensional war between the Technology, Magic and Nature Factions, with a central plot, obviously), and I'm considering a fifth. I'm getting to the part where I can move on to the sixth and seventh aspects of my own little realm...

But, I also like to focus on the more down-to-earth aspects of my worlds. What do my charcters look like? Any creatures there? How are the societies like? The overall atmosphere? I try to give them a unique feel, so that they don't seem like hlaf-baked rip-offs with puke-worthy names and descriptions. I also have a habit of drawing them, so that kinda gives me an advantage...:D

[Eve]

World building. It seems really complicated and there are so many thinks to do. Firstly, I would think how God created the world. It would be dark so I need light. I can give the creatures something bright and shining. Physically and rationally.

For creatures, they would need to have balance. So I'd give them 3-4 legs. They must have knowledge about their surroundings, so, sensitive outer coverings and holes in their body for sight, touch, taste and smell.

[The Grinning Man]

Personally, nowadays, I try to go beyond the numbers two or three. I've just recently added a fourth race to my GuN DrU1d genre (maybe I should post it on this site...it's a massive, dimensional war between the Technology, Magic and Nature Factions, with a central plot, obviously)

Nature and technology feature in my universe as well, but in a way that's more fueled by my readings from AP US History. :P Natural order (chaotic in a way), versus human order, versus a nihilistic chaos, extrapolated in as many ways as I may see fit. I just love the way it all interacts, in history and in fiction.

EDIT: Also, I'd love to see your piece. :) It sounds like it'd be interesting.

[Rafael Domination]

chaotic? what do you mean?

And about world building...I try to come up with as much anomalies and unatural things to spice it up, but I do try to remain a little realistic at times...

[Carraka]

Hmm--I'm not really clear on how I world-build. That's probably because I've created so few worlds. There's the roleplaying world that, um, none of you know about. Fortunately. And there are other worlds that I haven't really named, but they each have their own stories --

And then there's the EC world. I think my world-building comes from a lot of thinking. I'll come up with an "idea", like "carnivorous horses". Then I start thinking about the effect these horses would have on the society, and how they interact among themselves, etc., and eventually I get more and more ideas until I have -- more ideas. These ideas can consist of plot, setting, history, systems, other kingdoms, religion--anything, really. And then I take those ideas and I brainstorm more. And then I take those new ideas, etc.

So -- I brainstorm a lot. I suppose that's a legitimate answer?

[The Grinning Man]

chaotic? what do you mean?

In the sense that law and order is flexible, organic, not based on written code.

[Rafael Domination]

I see...

Very unique...I like it! :D

I can only dream of the day when I can animate my world...

[Eve]

I see...

Very unique...I like it! :D

I can only dream of the day when I can animate my world...


With flash?

[Rafael Domination]

Nope...when I grow up, I might buy Maya, or other top-tier programs and a powerful comupter to go along with it...then, my worlds will truly blossom...

[Eve]

Nope...when I grow up, I might buy Maya, or other top-tier programs and a powerful comupter to go along with it...then, my worlds will truly blossom...

Trust me, Maya is not a very fun program. I'm from computer club in my school and we use Maya.

[Rafael Domination]

Any suggestions?

Flash sounds good too, but I'm still getting the hang of it...

[Shaun]

The current world I'm working on is actually a fake world. It's a world I've invented that was invented by characters within the normal world that I've also invented, all within the story I've invented. Does that make sense?

Basically the premise is set in a near-future (maybe 100 or 200 years from now, which isn't that far) in which AI controlled virtual worlds (sort of like the Matrix) have become the predominant mode of life. If you're not able to jack in, you're a complete loser. The offshoot is that people who are jacked in rarely hold jobs, so people who can't jack in tend to hold all the remaining jobs, which are few because the AIs basically control the world anyway.
As for the world within the AI world. I've set it up so there are things called Domains, which represent different levels of the virtual world. You have to earn passage to different Domains, sort of like a game, only you 'live' within this virtual world. Each Domain has an entirely different purpose and is of interest to different people. The Domain I'm primarily working with is the Third Domain, which is a Domain of Art and Justice. The main character happens to be living her fantasy as a detective in this Domain.
There's also the idea of humans being able to manipulate the AIs, which does occur because the character that ends up dead in the beginning of the story (the case that the MC is working on) actually created two side-Domains (there are 14 AI controlled Domains), and these two are pretty much complete chaos. Rogue AIs wander around, people are dying or murdering or a combination of the two, and basically everything you can imagine that is bad about the real world occurs there. It's been a lot of fun designing the Third Domain though. Sort of combining all these artistic elements with the fact that the MC is a detective. The murder mystery aspect is a lot of fun too. I'm slowly doing some awesome things with the Third Domain.
I hope to explore the other Domains too, because each is unique. That's 14 worlds I have to create :S, plus the fifteenth and sixteenth, if I ever have a character go there...

[The Grinning Man]

The current world I'm working on is actually a fake world. It's a world I've invented that was invented by characters within the normal world that I've also invented, all within the story I've invented. Does that make sense?

So very meta...

[Shaun]

Care to explain?

[The Grinning Man]

Care to explain?

What I was getting at is that it was very post-modern (the Greek equivalent to Latin's "Post" is "Meta"). Worlds within worlds within worlds.

[Shaun]

Ah, okay, I see. That makes sense. I hadn't thought of it like that before!

[Rafael Domination]

Sounds interesting...be sure not to make wind up like the Matrix or Hack/Sign...

But then again, with your skill level...I doubt that would happen...

[Crocolyle]

You're so post-modern, Mitch. But as long as we're diving face-forward into antiquated pasts (that was a reference to the Say Anything song "Admit it"... I apologize)...

Wow, Shaun, that's pretty complex. I actually am unable to really create detailed fantasy worlds. For example, in my novella (which I finished... but is a bitch to revise), one of my few true fantasy stories, I have it take place in some random part of fatnasy-ish Scandinavia sometime around the iron age or maybe a little later. Clearly, I don't follow myths or history perfectly (mainly because I don't know exactly how things were, what people believed exactly), but I use it to base a lot of my world on. Though at the same time, why I do consider it happening in our world, I make very few references to place names (my novella isn't epic, high fantasy. It takes place in two small villages) and I drew no accompanying map. Also, I don't refer to any god or goddess in the Norse panethon by name, calling them stuff like the Earth Mother (Frigg/Freya), the One-Eyed God (Odin), the Crone from the land of mist (Hel). So while it happens in the real world, I at the same time disassociate it from the real world and from real history or real mythology (Basically to prevent people from pointing out stuff like - "hey that was a belief held late in the Viking Age, when yours seems to take place before it or early on.")

Also, I disassociate it from the real world, because I do include the supernatural. Not as strongly as most fantasy stories do. Also, I tend to not include any fantasy races - though I considered having a trollish figure (a troll is mentioned, but more of as a tall tale) or a dragon (though it would've been more like a massive snake or lizard, in the style of Fafnir in the Volsung Saga) or maybe a dwarf (though I thought better of it. On an unrelated note, did you know the Norse probably imagined dwarfs as being almost identical in height and appearance to humans... just really pale with black beards? Also, the suns rays would turn them into stone.)

Most stories I write are contemporary horror or are just simply real world stuff, though. Or like (watch as I shamelessly plug another one of my stories) in "The Moment of Doom" --available in the members' only story forum-- I have it take place at nonspecific time (well happens a little after noon. I guess I mean era) in a nonspecific place with nonspecific people (though it has been suggested that I at least mention what the characters look like... I gave them Christian names though).

Sorry about the amount of digression and lack of a logical development.

[Rafael Domination]

Ah...Norse Mythology...probably my favorite besides Greek...

I've recently started working on a fantasy world (what have you guys done to me :D) and I've added a bit of Steampunk tech in it...

It's basically about this teenage Orc named Wulf, with a human Knight's heart in him, who's out hunting down every magical being in this world, from wizards to dragons, because in this world, Magic is considered the opposite to Nature, and everytime someone uses Magic, the fabric of Reality weakens and soon, Gaia's Tempest, an apocalypse conjured by Mother Nature, would cleanse the world of all life. Then, life would begin anew, and life would discover Magic again and use it to build civilizations, which would cause another Gaia's Tempest, and the cycle begins again. The orc nation is a product of Magic, when an arrogant wizard cursed an entire nation, turning them into barbaric beings forever destined to fight on the wrong side when war came, making sure everyone hated them.

Now, Wulf is desperatly trying to prevent this cycle. And...I can't reveal too much of the plot now...

Erm...

About the world...it's too distasteful for me to cook up a stereotypical fantasy world, so I decided to inject a little anime eccentric-ness into it. You got really weird, but grand landscape and characters, fashion, etc that borders on traditional western fantasy styles and anime styles. It's a working progress to unite these two styles, but hey, I'm getting there...