Constructing a Realistic World For Your Fantasy Novel

World construction is popular for all sorts of reasons, not least because if you are writing a fantasy fiction novel, it is vital to have a consistent background in which to base your scenario. How deep you go into this is entirely up to you and also depends on the novel. While you don’t want to overdo it at the cost of more important issues such as character development, constructing a realistic and plausible world is still important.

There are various aspects towards creating a realistic world and these include scientific research in certain cases, there are constructed and detailed history and culture and, if you want to get really index, you can even create constructed languages to add a certain nomenclature at your civilisation. Indeed great writers such as Tolkien did exactly that.

While many fantasy novels you some degree of magic, it is important to make sure you maintain consistency so that while it might not be realistic, it is still plausible within the boundaries that you set. Remember, you are creating a world so you can do what you want within those boundaries that you set. However, it is important that you set these limits otherwise you will find that your novel will get out of control and lose the reader’s interest.

If you are writing high fantasy, I would personally recommend that you created a world in advance before doing any real writing. You can write the first draft first if you want to get enough background and inspirational on the way, but having an intricately constructed world before you finalise the finished product is essential.

It is being truthfully said that all adventures start with a map and this is particularly true of fantasy. Having detailed maps, drawings and diagrams are a great start. Remember, most of these plans are just for you and for you alone and they are designed to help you maintain consistency throughout your work. This way you can create a really accurate and impressive culture and something that is really going to come alive and step off the page.


About the Author:
Charles Jackson
I am a writer with an avid passion for world design and fantasy fiction writing. I have recently created a resource for other such writers to share my interests and knowledge with. You can find my blog at www.dakana.co.uk Be sure to check for updates frequently as there's a lot more to come!