Garren Jacobsen
Auror
Hi, I'm Brian, and I have a confession to make. I am not a fan of world-building. It's not that I don't like making new and exotic locales, I do, but sometimes world-building is boring. Hear me out on this.
So my world building is pretty minimal. I rough sketch some basic things: magic system, basic governmental structure, and other things. But I never get too detailed. I don't have a 10,000 year history with various heroes and myths. I loathe writing about battles I merely mention in passing. In fact, for most of my original worlds I don't even have maps. I have religions and they worship a deity. I couldn't begin to tell you what their tenants on most topics. I have no idea what their rituals look like. But the religions are there. Food, pfft I have no idea what spices they use. Other small details that while interesting are relatively unimportant to my stories.
Where I do my world-building is on subjects that directly affect my story or only have one degree of separation of affecting my story. Take for example one book I am writing The Fallen. The story is about a kid who gets orphaned, becomes a Force Mage (name is a work in progress; these guys can manipulate gravity and motion), a spy, rebel, and eventual ruler of a kingdom. Do you know what I know about the government for that world? That there's a king and some lords and some other workaday peasants that have no say in how the government functions. I have a scene where the kid starts down this disillusionment path by seeing justice for the murders of his parents denied by his king. You know what I know about the legal system? Murder is bad. There are two judges, called the Voice and the Hand, two "attorneys" and the Hand makes the decision while the Voice relays the decision. Beyond that, I have nothing else. Not how attorneys become attorneys there. No idea what the property laws are, or contract laws, or anything else.
Now for another story their magic system is tied to their legal system. I know a lot of their common law doctrines about property, torts, contracts. I know their philosophies about where laws and rights come from. How the government and legal systems work. The structure of the legal system. I'm currently working on court procedures. All of that is important to the series since 1/3 of the tension comes from the legal system. (Think a fantasy John Grisham novel)
So I have to ask, how many of you do what this barebones world building? By that I mean get down the stuff you need for the story and get to writing. Then while you are writing just add a couple of things here and there to spice up your world and make note of those additions later so you don't lose track of them. Please tell me I am not the only one.
Also, any advice for a noob like me that does this kind of thing? What are some pitfalls for world-building this way?
So my world building is pretty minimal. I rough sketch some basic things: magic system, basic governmental structure, and other things. But I never get too detailed. I don't have a 10,000 year history with various heroes and myths. I loathe writing about battles I merely mention in passing. In fact, for most of my original worlds I don't even have maps. I have religions and they worship a deity. I couldn't begin to tell you what their tenants on most topics. I have no idea what their rituals look like. But the religions are there. Food, pfft I have no idea what spices they use. Other small details that while interesting are relatively unimportant to my stories.
Where I do my world-building is on subjects that directly affect my story or only have one degree of separation of affecting my story. Take for example one book I am writing The Fallen. The story is about a kid who gets orphaned, becomes a Force Mage (name is a work in progress; these guys can manipulate gravity and motion), a spy, rebel, and eventual ruler of a kingdom. Do you know what I know about the government for that world? That there's a king and some lords and some other workaday peasants that have no say in how the government functions. I have a scene where the kid starts down this disillusionment path by seeing justice for the murders of his parents denied by his king. You know what I know about the legal system? Murder is bad. There are two judges, called the Voice and the Hand, two "attorneys" and the Hand makes the decision while the Voice relays the decision. Beyond that, I have nothing else. Not how attorneys become attorneys there. No idea what the property laws are, or contract laws, or anything else.
Now for another story their magic system is tied to their legal system. I know a lot of their common law doctrines about property, torts, contracts. I know their philosophies about where laws and rights come from. How the government and legal systems work. The structure of the legal system. I'm currently working on court procedures. All of that is important to the series since 1/3 of the tension comes from the legal system. (Think a fantasy John Grisham novel)
So I have to ask, how many of you do what this barebones world building? By that I mean get down the stuff you need for the story and get to writing. Then while you are writing just add a couple of things here and there to spice up your world and make note of those additions later so you don't lose track of them. Please tell me I am not the only one.
Also, any advice for a noob like me that does this kind of thing? What are some pitfalls for world-building this way?