Where do I start?

[tiefighter35]

So this has happened to me multiple times, where I get in the creative world building mood/ Want to create something. So i open a doc and... Nothing i just have no idea where to start. I have a general idea but i got nothin.
So I turn to the best source of answers and help: Online forums!
so I ask to all the experienced world builders: How do you get past the Artist block and start creating your world?

 

[pmmg]

Well...If i was creating a new world from scratch, I would start with some scribbles on some graph paper and see what it looked like. Then adjust, and then expand.

If I was creating a story around the world, which is more how I do it, I would start with the story, and where I envision it placed. I don't really need to know the shape of everything at that stage, I just start writing and let the world take its own shape. After is grown on me a little and told me a little of what it is, I might go to the map making part.

Dongar walked through the snow of his mountainous land. The sky fire was bright, and glinted off the crystal landscape. It was always light and never dark. He had not eaten for days, and the winds blew loud and cold. But on them, he heard the sounds of other living things--the grunts and bark of lions from the sea--and he could smell the strange brine of salt...


Now to map making....I don't know the world, but I know this part has snow, mountains, and a close by sea... That kind of helps me decide what it kind of has to look like.

 

[Incanus]

For something like this, there may be no 'wrong' place to get started. Wherever you start, you keep adding and adding details.

Like pmmg, I started first with a story idea, then made decisions about where it all takes place. In my case, I went with a pre-history earth, sort of like Middle-earth. I kind of imagined how things may have been when continental drift hadn't shaped things to where they are today, so I used a rough version of what already is and then invented the rest (place names, peoples, etc.)

I worked on it for a few years, and wrote out a large chunk of the history (a 35,000 word doc). I did various research to help inform my choices.

All that said, I have no intention of including this material into the story, it's just so I know how it all hangs together, and I can use it as reference material if/when needed.

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[ThinkerX]

Make a sketch. Write something down. Even if you think they're horrible or 'blah,' it is still better than a blank sheet.

 

[skip.knox]

What sets "normal" mood from "creative" mood? For you, that is. Is the creative mood specifically about writing words? Images? Maps? Music? A game?

If, otoh, you are asking specifically where to start with world-building, well there are a ton of resources online that speak to that. Spend some more time here. Read threads. There's a whole sub-forum about world-building.

 

[Gurkhal]

Maybe start with a list of things you want from the setting? Like mood, what stories it shall support, level of technology and so on. If you make a list of things like this maybe it will help you focus? I know that similar tricks are a great help to me.

 

[TWErvin2]

If you're world building to tell a story (novel, series, short story, etc.), focus on the world building aspects that would be important or necessary for you to tell the story intended.

It should give you a few important starting points to flesh out and a somewhat limited initial scope.

 

[Lead=Dragon]

Pick a Shakespearean plotline and outline how it would work in a fantasy context. I did this for Merchant of Venice - I think Hamlet, Macbeth and Midsummer's Night Dream have been done to death - but there are still another thirty odd to choose from.

"Xu Wenyuan, a merchant, borrows spirit stones from Mo Yuchan, a demonic cultivator, to fund his sworn brother Bai Lian’s entry into a grand sect tournament. The contract demands a thousand meridian cuts if unpaid. Bai Lian wins the hand of his childhood sweetheart and heiress Lan Zhu through three cultivation trials, but Wenyuan’s merchant fleet is lost, forcing him to face Mo Yuchan’s call for repayment. To save her future brother-in-law, the talented Lan Zhu disguises herself as a scholar, and exploits a contract loophole, trapping Mo Yuchan in karmic backlash. Wenyuan's wealth is restored, Bai Lian weds Lan Zhu in a grand ceremony, and Mo Yuchan is driven from the city, setting the stage for future conflict."

 

[Law Wren]

When I start building a world I start by writing down a couple of notes about what I want it to be like. Example: African Inspired, Mythical, fantasy genre, magical wakanda. Etc, etc..
Then I go through and I start filling out informtaion about the world from a template I have. Here's an example from it.

1. Name:
   1. What is the name of their culture:
      1. To them: Ilanga
      2. To Others: Nolaka, Davu, Inyakatho, Ayanda, Busiso
   2. Significance of their name:
      1. The Ilanga in Ilanga mythology is another name for the Sun, who they see as their ancestor.
      2. Nolaka means aggressive it represents their ability as warriors. It was given to the Ilanga by a now extinct african Tribe.
2. Demographics/Geography:
   1. What continent are they located on: Ashisa
   2. What countries are part of this culture:
      1. Nolakaland - Named for their aggressive warrior tendencies. Central. - Yoruba
      2. Davuland - Named for being the legendary birthplace of the Gods. South. - Zulu
      3. Inyakatholand - Named for the Northern Territory it occupies. North. - Igbo
      4. Ayandaland - Named for being a place of increasing growth. West. - Egyptian
      5. Busisoland - Named for being a place blessed by a god. East. - Swahili
   3. What cities are part of this culture:
      1. Ukuntwela: The City at the heart of Nolakaland. Founded Kuqala.
      2. Kwabakhulu: A city deep in the heart of Davuland. It is said to be the birthplace of the twins Taye and Kehinde. Home of the Citadel
      3. Ayize: A city in Ayandaland. Named in honor of an ancient queen who is the ancestor to multiple royal families.
      4. Buhle: A city in Busioland built completely in white stone to honor Okungafi.
      5. Gatsha: A city in Inyakatholand that was built into a low tree branch of a giant tree. A Lot of Inyakatholand is made up of Gatsha’s massive tree cities
   4. What villages are part of this culture: Total
      1. Nolakaland:
         1. X
         2. X
         3. X
         4. x
      2. Davuland:
         1. Kamoya: A village supposedly outside the cave that leads to the spiritual plane.
         2. Amazolo Okusa: A village by a crescent moon shaped lake dedicated to Umame
         3. Imijondolo: A village outside the city where Outcasts and the lower class live
      3. Ayandaland:
         1. Olwandle - A coastal village full fishermen.
         2. Utshani Shisha - A village located at the base of Bakhili’s volcano in the desert.
         3. X
         4. x
      4. Busioland:
         1. Ipharadisi - A beautiful village near flower meadows
         2. Kwenkungu - A village so close to a waterfall it creates a permanent mist. And close to the Aziza and Izulu
         3. Ehlathini - A tropical village that acts as the home of the Aziza
         4. X
      5. Inyakatholand:
         1. VIllage in the Trees
         2. Village in the Trees

 

[Prince of Spires]

Two things work for me.

The first is that I worldbuild together with a story. When I have a tale I want to tell, I start thinking about the setting of that tale. The protagonist has to be somewhere when the story starts. Where is it? Town, city, or countryside? Is there anything that stands out as different from our world? What is needed to tell the tale?

The other is that I use the snowflake method to worldbuild (at least, I think that description comes closest). I just start with one thing, one idea, and write that down. That one idea has some implications for a few other things. For instance, say you have an empire. Is it growing, shrinking, or stable? If it's shrinking, who does that shrinking? That sort of thing.

I write down those other things, and look at what the implications of those things are. I slowly build it up. From there I go back and change things as I learn more. I expand and change.

Two other pieces of advice. I use OneNote to worldbuild. It works better than Word, simply because I can create a page per thing I worldbuild and I can organize stuff and move it around easily.

And forget about inspiration and creative moods. Take a club and pummel it until it stops moving. Then just sit down and type what ideas come into your head when you think of the world you want to build. Inspiration is overrated and not needed.

 

[Dylan]

So this has happened to me multiple times, where I get in the creative world building mood/ Want to create something. So i open a doc and... Nothing i just have no idea where to start. I have a general idea but i got nothin.
So I turn to the best source of answers and help: Online forums!
so I ask to all the experienced world builders: How do you get past the Artist block and start creating your world?

Blank page stare, i think we’ve all been there.World-building can feel overwhelming when you’ve got a million ideas but no clue where to start. My go-to trick? Start small. Pick one tiny detail a unique creature, a weird tradition, or even a cool landmark and build out from there. Sometimes just doodling a map or writing a random scene can spark ideas.

Also, don’t stress about getting it perfect right away. World-building is messy, and that’s part of the fun! Let your imagination run wild, even if it feels silly at first. You can always refine it later. And hey, if all else fails, binge-watch some fantasy shows or scroll through Pinterest for inspiration.

 

[Fidel]

So this has happened to me multiple times, where I get in the creative world building mood/ Want to create something. So i open a doc and... Nothing i just have no idea where to start. I have a general idea but i got nothin.
So I turn to the best source of answers and help: Online forums!
so I ask to all the experienced world builders: How do you get past the Artist block and start creating your world?

Ah, the dreaded blank page stare, we’ve all been there, let me just give you my own tips mate

Pick one thing that excites you (a weird tavern, a cursed coin, a rebel slogan) and vomit-draft around it.
Steal from history/myth, then twist it (what if Rome… but underwater?).
Answer a random prompt like "What’s the dumbest law in this kingdom?" or "Who’s the most hated person here, and why do they deserve it?

i think this is it.