Logistics

[Lyons]

I find myself half picturing my world and when I go to write I always find myself exploring the logistics of food water imports and exports. This seems to always worm itself into my drafts. Should I ignore this and just assume everyone can access food/water unless pertinent to the story?

Thoughts appreciated

 

[Devor]

If it were me finding myself saying too much about a topic like that, I would try to decide that the topic isn't worth more than maybe 20 or 30 words and try to keep to that.

 

[CupofJoe]

Unless your world is very fantastical and alien, where these logistics would become important, it might be that just a short and occasional references are enough.
They could be about having to hunt for some game as supplies are getting low or filling up the water bottles at a clean stream or gather firewood et al. This would let your readers know that those sort of things are going on and help with a bit of picture painting for your new world.
But on the whole it is like people going to the toilet in films [and books]... they must do it but you rarely see/read it unless there is a very good reason...

 

[KC Trae Becker]

This may be too basic to be helpful, but mostly you just what to include events that are really interesting or relevant to the plot. Ideally you want events that do both of those things at the same time.

If your exploration of logistics don't accomplish either of those goals cut it from the manuscript and save it in your notes for your own reference. It may be stuff you need to know, but will bore your readers.

 

[Steerpike]

@Lyons:

There is one school of thought that says such details should only be provided if they impact the story, but keep in mind that's just one avenue of thought and it relates specifically to producing a certain type of work (i.e. one in which everything is streamlined down to what is necessary to advance the story or characters).

If you look at the body of published fiction in the genre, you'll see this is not the only approach. In some stories, the setting itself becomes so rich and deep as to practically become a character in and of itself. In such stories, the author may well provide numerous details of the world, it's inhabitants, their politics, customs, sociology, and the like, even when those aspects don't impact the story line directly.

The thing you need to ask yourself is what kind of story you're going for. If the former, then you are better off cutting this kind of detail. If the latter, which is certainly a valid choice, then you may wish to include it. If you do choose to include such details, your job as a writer is to communicate them in a manner that still engages the reader and keeps them interested.

 

[Terry Greer]

In my view this is the sort of thing that can make a world come to life. Obviously you don't want to make it dry and manual-like, but an explanation of how and why the world works is one of the reasons that I read fantasy.

Obviously everything has to be integrated into the story but, for example, Dune would have been a minor SF novel if the whole ecology wasn't worked out.

But as Steerpike says - that's not for everyone - but its the sort of questions I ask myself when I read as it makes these fantasy worlds more real.

 

[ThinkerX]

With a bit of thought and careful word choice, such details can be worked into the story.

Say you have a really large ancient metropolis - something on the order of several hundred thousand people. A city like that is going to have long lines of wagons (or barges, or something of the sort) entering and exiting the city constantly. These wagons or barges or both will choke the streets and canals. So to get anywhere, your characters will have to play 'dodge the wagon' - which maybe helps, or maybe hinders what they are trying to do.

 

[Terry Greer]

Figuring out a setting's logistics can be really useful -even if its only hinted at in the story.

For example if you have a desert city then rather than explain how it gets its water use something like a Qanat:

Qanat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(or a canal etc.) The story can then use this as part of a route in or out or through the city as used by some of the good or bad guys.

In the same way ports and warehouses can be fantastic settings, as can markets and any civic or municipal building or location.

You then kill two birds with one stone - explain logistrics AND get a cool setting for some of the action in the process.

 

[Bearman1]

I like to figure all of these types of details out before I begin writing, even if I never include them in the actual story.

I think its clear to the readers when the author knows exactly how his world works. I'm reading Wheel of Time right now and it is so obvious that Jordan 100% understood his world, even though he doesn't go into great detail about trade or supplies.

Smaller details like this, I think, make a world much more believable.

 

[Bortasz]

Do you write story about surviving after apocalypse?
Do you story is about surviving in alien hostile world?
Do you heroes cannot buy a supply of food and water?
If yes write about acquiring food and water.

You write about water on desert.
You write about acquiring food when heroes can starve.
You write about acquiring food and water to show how resourceful and adaptable heroes are in hostile environment.

 

[Bruce McKnight]

You don't have to put anything referring to it if you dont want to, but it can open up some plot lines and give the world depth.

If you don't include anything, you do have to at least put some thought into it for world-building purposes so that you don't end up with a world full of glaring impossibilities like a medieval city with five million people up in the mountains with no farms or trade routes.

Maybe there's food wizards or some other means, but if it's not obvious, you should probably explain it to avoid turning off readers.

 

[robmatheny80]

I'd say yeah, let the story work itself out and once you get through a draft, start implementing some of the logistics. The only time I'd recommend getting it nailed down ahead of time is if the plot is contingent on these aspects of your world.