World-building: More Than Just a Setting

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Before we start on the first article of the year, I'd like to wish you all a belated happy New Year. Although 2021 looks set to be as chaotic as 2020 while society navigates through the pain and confusion of the last twelve months and the ongoing crisis and tries to find a way to move forward, at least the initial shock of the situation has passed. I'd like to think we are all psychologically a little more prepared for the challenges that face us this year and that we shall be more resilient as a result. I also truly believe that writing creates a haven for the mind, like a little bubble encapsulating us in a place outside of time and normality. It helps us to keep hold of our sanity.

The old saying that truth is stranger than fiction has had quite a renaissance recently. And the phrase you couldn't make it up! Don't be put off. You can still make up anything you want to tell a story, but the first place to start is to imagine where that story will take place. And visiting where it takes place is as good as taking a holiday or a night out under current conditions, let's face it.

But, have you ever wondered what the difference is between world building and setting? Possibly assumed that, surely, they are the same?

Well, yes. And no.

An aspect I teach as part of my class, How to Build Character from Setting, is that setting is more than just a place. It's not just the landscape, but the period and people, too. Rather like a studio or stage setting, it incorporates props and costumes to bring this backdrop alive.

The setting is about the sounds, smells, and atmosphere, tangible details to help the reader see, hear and touch. So, how does world building differ?

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Too little world building can result in the reader wondering too many questions - how was that possible? What do all these strange names mean? How does this magic system work and how did the protagonist come to having this power (ditto on science)? From where did this knowledge originate? What are the laws of the land or rules of the game, and how do they apply in this situation? What does this world look like outside of this character's narrow tunnel of vision? How does it think?

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The common denominator with the two book-series examples, and what makes them ripe for television and film, is that they have equally strong characters and plots. The world does not smother the story.

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Attention to setting is the first item on the checklist. Are there enough sensory details? What do the 'walls' of the world look like?

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Religious practices and rituals also need a good think-through. What are the beliefs, why are they important and how do they affect the characters? How do they influence plot events, if it's central to the story or characters' motivations?

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One in particular that I recall was set in a smog-filled city and the people worked in a mill, but other than those two details, there were no indicators of when or where the story took place -- was it Victorian London, a dystopian future Earth or maybe an entirely different planet/world altogether? This is particularly relevant if the story contains speculative elements. Were it Victorian times, the rich tapestry of the British Empire - at its height during that period - didn't feature at all. Doesn't have to be heavy-handed, but some indication of the fashion of the era or a mention of a relevant event or opinion that characterised the time would have quickly resolved that question. Same of a future Earth or a far-flung otherworld. Just a glimpse into the sphere beyond the central premise and characters is sometimes all that's required and is easily remedied with an author in edits.

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These specific areas won't necessarily be relative to the story you are writing right now, but I encourage you to think a little outside the sphere of your main character's mindset and contemplate what happens outside their personal bubble before deciding if it provides relevance and context to your overall story.

As odd as it may sound, it is a factor in your world building. And world building helps contextualise why and how the things that occur in your story are happening. With short fiction, you have to pick the strongest and most specific details to create the same dimensions as a full-blown novel. In longer stories, the threads of ramification span much further because the horizons of your story world are so much wider.

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Which ones are pertinent to contextualise your story and have you applied them?