Hi all
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Now, on to the post on how I approach workdbuilding as a pantser.
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I was asked a question this morning by a writer I am mentoring, about worldbuilding. Specifically, they wanted to know if they needed to sit down and work out all the details before writing, or could they just start writing.
Now, I'm what's generally called a pantser. For those who don't know what means - I prefer to 'write by the seat of my pants' rather than outline heavily. But it's still a misrepresentation of how I work.
There is planning and thought involved before I start writing, it's just that my method of outlining is more languorous and organic than sitting down and mapping out a complete route first.
Photo by Muhammad Haikal Sjukri on Unsplash
(I like getting lost in the narrative-forest and discovering pieces of story and world - but it's not for everyone, and even then, I always know a few landmarks ahead of time.)
If anyone is interested, I can write a post on my pantsing/outlining process at a later date, but right now I'd like to talk about world-building and how *I* approach it
*usual disclaimers apply: everyone has a different way of doing these things. Try something, and if it works for you, use it. If it doesn't, stick it in the toolbox to use if you're ever stuck.*
So, here are my five tips and tricks for world-building:
1: Start with a strong image of a place you can visualise well. Think of it as anchor.
In When the Sea is Rising Red, Pelimburg was based on the old decaying Victorian buildings of Sea Point and Green Point (now long since gentrified, sadly.) I knew the beaches at dawn, the mist coming off the sea. The foghorns and the calls to prayer. I knew the salty vleis and the mud shrimps and the dune vynbos of False Bay. I just needed those elements to cement a place in m y head, and from there I could grow the city and the world *as I needed it to be*, and as the character moved through the world.
2: Never be afraid to have conflicting histories and geographies.
Especially in the first draft. If you get an idea while writing, include it even if it runs counter to something else you've already written. Firstly - histories are often contradictory, as they depend on who is telling them. And, secondly, you can always opt for the better story-choice in edits.
3: Keep track of all your worldbuilding notes (especially if you're writing a series!) with a personal wikibuilder like ZimWiki.
I have so many interlinked notes and references for the Hobverse. There is no way I can remember every detail of every House, every history, every geographical quirk. A wiki makes it easy to cross-reference details and find them in an instant.
4: Watch all kinds of documentaries for fun.
Watch histories, watch wildlife documentaries, watch YouTube docs about chocolate making. You never know when you're going to spot a random real world thing that slips into your fantasy world-building like a missing puzzle piece.
5: Take up a hobby. Take up many hobbies. (Doesn't matter what they are, as long as you enjoy them.)
You would be amazed at how having a hobby can translate directly into worldbuilding. I have friends who do fencing and practice Medieval sword - and while those can clearly inspire fantasy world-building, having a keen interest in gardening or bird watching can do the same. Those interests and hobbies tend to lead to a lot of unconscious research, and that knowledge can be folded naturally into your world building, making it richer and stronger.
And a bonus tip that at first sounds counter-intuitive:
6: Keep your worldbuilding to yourself.
A good writer knows which details of the world *they need to know* so that it informs their narrative and their world, and which to include for the reader's sake. I know my world will have particular operettas and plays that different classes will go watch, but I don't need to explain them all to the reader. (Because that's boring as all hell). All I have to say is something like, 'Jen felt just like Marissa in The Silver Bell after her father had disowned her.' and if I've done my job well as a writer in all my characterisation and other worldbuilding, you'll immediately be able to infer if Marissa is a spoilt princess disowned for being an evil schemer, or if she was a rebel going against gender norms and fighting for truth and justice. You will also know if Jen is the kind of person to go to operas or if she's talking about a bawdy play in a back room theatre.
I don't need to go on and write another paragraph outlining the plot of the opera/play in question. It's just there to make the world feel real - this is a world where people go watch plays, where they wake up early to fetch the milk from the doorstep..etc.
And yes, you can totally hand wave worldbuilding and use an elaborate system of smoke and mirrors. You can imply things with only a few words. There is no need to painstakingly describe an outfit in order to give a sense of time and place, when you can just say, 'lace fell over his hand as he reached to take the letter.' or 'velvet skirts shushed as the women moved past each other.'
Give hints, give small, specific details, but don't overdo it. The reader does NOT need to know everything you do.
I hope that was helpful to anyone wondering about worldbuilding as a pantser, and made you feel less nervous about doing your own thing your own way. :D