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“There are many reasons why novelists write, but they all have one thing in common - a need to create an alternative world.”
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Alternate Worlds
Last month in this newsletter, I discussed the basics of building a world from scratch. This time, we'll talk about the other way to create a world, which is to devise an alternate Earth in which to base your story.
It is my contention that almost all writers do this, consciously or unconsciously. By creating a fictional character, the author postulates a different world, parallel to our own. It could be 99.99% congruent, or it could be wildly different.
The key to how different to make the world is time. Speculation about what would have happened had historical events played out differently is a staple of literature: Germany wins WWII; the South wins the American Civil War; England successfully suppresses a revolt in its American colonies; the Plague killed fewer (or far more) people; Shakespeare was a politician instead of a playwright; Caesar drowned in the Rubicon... the further back you go, the more differences there might be between our world and the imaginary, alternate one.
It is not necessary to use a change of such great magnitude, though. One theory holds that small changes can make a big difference down the timestream. In such an alternate world, the changes between the imaginary world and ours would start out imperceptible, but grow in different directions as time moves on in each "universe."
Whichever direction you take, it's best to avoid hitting the reader over the head with the differences between your world and ours. While it's okay to say something like, "The US won the Vietnam war," to establish your storyline, but don't say something like, "Frank's son played with the newest electronic robot, a product of a Vietnam that would not have existed in a world where the US lost the war."
Another interesting exercise, and one that might be especially appealing to science fiction writers, is to write an alternate timeline from some point in history - and then project the timeline into a future beyond our own. Heinlein did this, by default, as many of his related "future history" stories became dated. He ended up developing that alternate world's future, out several thousand years or more.
Again, most authors create alternate worlds just by populating our own world with fictional characters - such as the world Sherlock Holmes inhabited, or that of Frankenstein's monster. It's up to you how far to take it; just remember to make it believable and self-consistent. |
And just because it's too funny for me to pass up:
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Some feedback from last month's world creation newsletter:
Acme  : Oh, I will have my planet, Mr Waltz. Oh yes, indeed Smirk mmmmwwwahhhaaahaa!
Oooookaaaaay. *Backs away slowly*
quinkylar: Wonderful newsletter. I've created worlds completely alien to earth and I have to say that your instructions are a good start.
It is also worth nothing (and I'm not sure if you're going to get there in a future newsletter) that you can create new species of life and lingo for your world, since you essentially have a free hand on what you can do.
That said, it's also worth noting that geographic barriers also effect culture, evolution (if anyone's creating new species), innovations/inventions, religion etc.
That may be a bit too advanced to try as a first try in the world-sculpting areas of writing, but it is fun as long as you remember it all.
Thanks for the comments! Yes, I hope to address some of these things in future newsletters.
Lauriemariepea : hi, robert--
a timely and useful newsletter for me: i'm fleshing out the fictional world in my first novel NOW. appreciate the tips--thank you!
Glad you found it useful. Good luck with the details!
Poplar : Wow this was really good. It contained some really valuable info and I cant wait to go and use it! Thanks
And thanks for the comment!
Also a big thanks to Sticktalker  who sent me comments via email on this month's "alternate worlds" topic before I even wrote it. 
That's it for this month for me - until next time,
DREAM ON! |
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Fantasy: February 18, 2009 Issue [#2898]
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