Writing Blog Number 2

20240209 Speculative Settings

Speculative Settings

This is worlds that you create wholecloth out of your imagination. A fantasy setting, a new planet for sci-fi, anything in the speculative sphere.

And I will start this by saying something I have already said in the last two posts – draw a map!

But also do some research as to why towns are where they are in the real world. Just putting towns wherever might make for a cool looking map, but if it makes no sense in the economics or politics of your world, then the world-building needs work. Here are some examples of places where settlements would be built and why:
1) Mountains, because of mining or for defence. Maybe they protect a pass through the mountains, and so there would be a stronghold there. If for mining, there is a chance the town would be rich, or there could be a lot of minor shanty towns stuck on the sides precariously. In both cases, there is a chance there would be things for soldiers or cashed-up miners to do and so a seedy underlife would exist.
2) Rivers, because of trade. Boats in fantasy settings are the best way to get large amounts of good transported at once quickly. River mouths would also be where the largest trading towns would exist, so they can receive boats from other areas across the ocean as well as upstream.
3) Forests, because of mining (again) or the timber industry.
4) Fields, as a centre for surrounding farmlands, or as a stop-over for cross-country travellers.
5) Royal cities. These would grow where the most important aspect of the nation’s economy exists. If it’s farming, then it would in the middle of a plain; if a trading nation, then near water, etc. For ease of defence, however, they would be on higher ground, and with access to a quick escape.

What this means is that a history is probably great to work out in your world-building. But that is part of world-building and not necessarily setting.

Sp, one more thing to remember is that the world might be fantasy, but the inhabitants still have to eat, mine, make goods, make clothing, breed animals (including horses for travel). There still needs to be a means of trade (barter, goods swap, coins). They still need modes of transport that make sense for the terrain and people involved. Your world should reflect these inanities of life.

If your world has non-human races, what are they? Are they integrated or, like Lord of the Rings, have their own domains? Do they follow traditional archetypes from mythology (dwarves mine and live in mountains, elves love nature, etc.)? Are they your own creation? Where did they evolve/develop and why? How do they interact with humans? Are there even humans? These are the questions for every fantasy setting to make sense for a reader.

Then you go to the future setting or alternative history setting. What will have changed? Why? In science-fiction, what about the aliens they might meet? Are they like the creatures in the film Avatar and are hexapods (as opposed to all terrestrial animals that are tetrapods)? Are they carbon-based like us? Or something else? Or are they like the races in the Star Wars and Star Trek universes, and just mostly humans with added bits? It’s your story, your call. But it still needs to make sense. Your setting needs internal logic.

Yes, there are a lot of things to look at, and there are many books and YouTube videos on how to put these together realistically.

Before I give you some helpful videos, remember - this is all a part of world-building. You need this as a writer. That does not mean the reader needs it all. Lord of the Rings is a good example. Have you read all the essays and supplementary works? There's your history, your world-building, your explanations. in the books themselves? Not so much.

So, here's 5 videos to start you on your fantasy world creation.

And, remember - make a map. It'll help you and readers love maps!

Some pitfalls in hard world building:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODY21Z9zNCw

Naming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcKMbVXpRRA

Island countries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTYpjsGcKgQ

Mountains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSFIEYmOAp0

Fallen civilisations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdH3RqVNUaE