Don't know what to do with my world.

[Alpha]

I've created a whole world in fantasy/medieval style, with different cities and continents. There's nobility for all of the places, (with family trees, history) and I've designed whole cultures for the people I've created. To the point where I'm writing my own language and I've designed a religion. The only problem is, I do far to much writing as it is.

Currently I have at least three novel's in progress, and I'm worried that if I try to write this I'll never finish it or I'll give up on my other work. But I don't want this entire world to go to waste. Anyone ever had a similar problem to this? I've thought about making an rpg but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

 

[Svrtnsse]

I was in a vaguely similar situation when I started out. I had created a world and I started adding details to it and after a while it got very detailed and a friend of mine eventually got tired of my rants about it. He suggested I'd write a short story about a day in the life of a regular inhabitant of the world - sort of as an introduction to it.
I felt it was a great idea. It gave me the opportunity to test out the world in a smaller scale, without writing an entire novel. The stories I wrote like this varied from one to ten pages (less than 5k words), and were mostly really uninteresting to anyone but me. It did give me the opportunity to explore life in the world though, and it gave me a lot of confidence once I finally got around to writing longer stories.

 

[Chessie]

An rpg would be a great idea. A suggestion also is to write short projects in your world, maybe choose a couple of characters to focus on and go from there. Personally though, I would focus on finishing the novels you have going on first and if you have time/are able to, then write shorts in the world you created. Good luck.

 

[Alpha]

Thanks. I never thought of trying to write shorter things.

 

[FifthView]

But I don't want this entire world to go to waste.

Well, the world's not going anywhere. So you can keep it around and when you feel you have time (maybe after other projects are finished) you can return to it to begin writing the stories or novels it inspires.

A similar problem I have had, one which I think is especially common for new writers, is the tendency to devote long periods of time designing a world and never getting around to actually writing the novel that uses it. Another: Designing a world so well that about 100 different story ideas utilizing it come to mind, and having difficulty choosing just one to write.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Well, the world's not going anywhere. So you can keep it around and when you feel you have time (maybe after other projects are finished) you can return to it to begin writing the stories or novels it inspires.

Also, a world is a big place. You can use it for different stories, about different characters in different parts of the world - maybe even during different historical periods.

 

[evolution_rex]

This is personally why I never make worlds without a specific story in mind. I've been in this situation and I usually just give up on it. I take the key elements I like and jot them down for future use at most. Always think about the story you want to tell before you create your world. I also think that if you created a world and you can't think of any sort of story to go with it, that world isn't invested in anyway (unless you intend to use it for RPG use or you never intended it to be used for a story). I don't really have much advice for you, but if you liked the ideas in your world then take them and see if you can apply them in any of the novels (if they're fantasy, if they're not then I'd doubt they'd work).

 

[skip.knox]

I'm with evolution_rex on this. If you create a world and never write a story, the world simply does not matter. Writers write stories, not worlds.

 

[Gurkhal]

I was in a vaguely similar situation when I started out. I had created a world and I started adding details to it and after a while it got very detailed and a friend of mine eventually got tired of my rants about it. He suggested I'd write a short story about a day in the life of a regular inhabitant of the world - sort of as an introduction to it.
I felt it was a great idea. It gave me the opportunity to test out the world in a smaller scale, without writing an entire novel. The stories I wrote like this varied from one to ten pages (less than 5k words), and were mostly really uninteresting to anyone but me. It did give me the opportunity to explore life in the world though, and it gave me a lot of confidence once I finally got around to writing longer stories.

Excellent suggestion! I also recommend that the OP starts with short stories to explore the world and generally train the writing technique, try new twists with standard troupes etc.

 

[DanJames]

I agree, key the world sit their for a while and work on other stuff. You'll likely cone back with fresh ideas, and just keep note of any you have. That's what I do. I jump between what I'm working on, it's dependent on mood for me. I have all sorts of stuff in the pipeline.

 

[Bruce McKnight]

I would stop working on the world and start doing something in it, whether its a story or an rpg or a watercolor painting. Working in your world will get you to the things that are really important about the world instead of making it a rabbit hole of details. Let the work drive the world.

I also think you would help yourself if you picked something to finish. If you don't want to finish the ones you started, be honest with yourself about why, then decide what you really do want to do. If you don't want to do anything else with your world, don't - no one here will be mad at you.

I am absolutely guilty of taking on works that are too big. I know that and I'm comfortable with it. Maybe I'll finish the fifth draft of that sixth "almost done" novel in a couple years, but I'm ok with it because that's the pace I chose and that's where I prioritized it in my life. I can close my eyes and walk around Darmeria any time I want and that's enough for me.

 

[Swordfry]

Are your three novels part of one series, or standalone books?

I have been in a similar situation. I came up with all the ideas for the major story arcs that will take place in my fictional world over the course of my career, but that was it. So what I did was took a step back, and starting coming up with ideas for filler. If you have not already, come up with a good creation mythos for your world. That's what I did, and in the process I not only got plenty of newer ideas to improve my world, but new ideas for smaller, 1-2 book lone stories that would be "filler" between my major story arcs.

Also, like Svrtnsse said, try just writing small short stories in your world to help get a better feel on it.

 

[Miskatonic]

I've created a whole world in fantasy/medieval style, with different cities and continents. There's nobility for all of the places, (with family trees, history) and I've designed whole cultures for the people I've created. To the point where I'm writing my own language and I've designed a religion. The only problem is, I do far to much writing as it is.

Currently I have at least three novel's in progress, and I'm worried that if I try to write this I'll never finish it or I'll give up on my other work. But I don't want this entire world to go to waste. Anyone ever had a similar problem to this? I've thought about making an rpg but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

You can compile ideas for it to set aside for later while you focus on your other stories. Though I would focus more on the story itself and not the world building details.

I've found myself working too much on back story instead of the present day.

 

[The Stranger]

i have a very similar problem, in that i have a fantasy world that i just have no idea what to do with. I've been working on this world for quite literally eight years, working on and off of it over the years. I've created several different cultures, continents, religions, races, and other such structures in the world, and i honestly have no idea even where to begin with turning it into something other than just this stack of notes. I just really fell in love with building the world and i just kept building on the lore i created until it got to be just this huge behemoth that is sitting on my writing desk.

 

[Barian Bedrich]

My problem was a little bit different, i had a story and start to write and i find out that i need a world, before i can begin to write. So i start with world building and forgot the story.