starting from scratch

[r.stubbs]

ok so over the past few years I have lost a lot of my notes due to ex's stealing and other people throwing stuff away before they knew what they were going through. so what I wanted to ask where is the best place to start rebuilding my world? is there a list I should follow? thanks for any help you can offer

 

[Caged Maiden]

I'd start with the story. My "notes" usually consist of a dozen potential character names, a short bio, and the beginnings of an outline before I get so excited I can't NOT write. So I'm not sure what you NEED to begin, but I need very little. I'd begin with your character and the opening of their story. Let the details of your world (as you remember them) unfold as you write.

 

[WooHooMan]

Same place you start with the plot: the tone. Do you want it to be a dingy, dark Medieval type setting or an ancient utopia? Do you want the setting to be alien or familiar? Once you get the tone, you plug in elements that will create that tone. I'd recommend starting with the inhabitants. Then shape the setting into an environment that will suit those inhabitants.

That's generally my process.

 

[r.stubbs]

thank you both so much for a being so fast to answer. I have been working on the characters for a night and today I did the kingdoms and I am now working on a maps of the 2 kingdoms the first book is centered on

 

[Saigonnus]

I don't usually need much either, an inkling of a plotline, a character or three and the basic idea of what the world is like; desert, temperate, frozen north or whatnot. As I go along though, I find I need more and more and take notes on characters, places, make a basic map for continuity.

 

[r.stubbs]

at first I wasn't going to do anything other then a few characters but seeing how I want to do more then a book series I thought it wise that I go ahead and built the world from the ground up

 

[shangrila]

I always think it's best to let things grow organically. So the best advice I can give is to experiment; maybe come up with a character, or a world concept, and write a little to see how it works. If it sucks, ditch it. But more often than not creativity will win through and it'll work in one way or another.

For example, I always wanted a flame wielder for a mage, but elemental magic is so overdone that I wanted to avoid it like the plague. But after some work I ended up with a temperature regulator...eh, the point is, let things grow as they grow. Rigidity in story telling is a writer's worst enemy.

 

[Abbas-Al-Morim]

World building is as much (if not more) a hobby of mine as writing stories. Sometimes I'll write a short story or legend as part of the world building process. I'll chart out the lands, write about cultures and races (though to be honest, I usually stick to humans), and I'll think about religions and political intrigue (both internal and geopolitical). Usually I have a very good image of what I want in my head and then I start writing things down and adding ideas as I go.

 

[r.stubbs]

as of right now I jump around so I have some deities done a few of the main characters both good and evil and a few kningdoms started as well. all of you have given some pointers. thanks