Worldbuilding ~ guest post by Robin D. Owens

The Speculative Salon is pleased to host Robin D. Owens as our guest today. She's talking about worldbuilding in fantasy and in her new book, Heart Secret. Please join us in welcoming her.

Worldbuilding.  Everyone has a unique world within us.  After all, we are all the center of our own universes (if no one elses), and everything we are is processed through our own experiences and perceptions.

But enough of philosophy.  Writers have individual worlds, too, that they make up, whether it's historical London or contemporary urban fantasy with elves and dwarves...or a pagan society founded by Earth people with psi powers (and with telepathic animal companions) on a planet named Celta.  Like my "Heart" fantasy romance series. :)

Most writers I know put a lot of thought into the worlds they build, whether it's how to name their characters, or how a shapeshifter actually DOES change shape, or whether vampires can walk in the daylight or not.  There is an underlying magical system that the author knows, but might not ever lay out in depth because it could be deadly boring.

And once you craft that basic world and spend time in it, it's extremely difficult to walk away from stories set there...and you add a little bit (or reveal a little bit more) with every book.

On Celta, I have fated mates and it's always a challenge to think of conflict that will keep my hero and heroine apart even though they are made for each other: class structure, reverse snobbery, people with a lot of magic vs. people with none, prophetic dreams that they will die in the future and take their mate with them...I've used all of those, and manage to keep coming up with ways for men and women to complicate their relationships.

Heart Secret, out August 7, is my eleventh book set on Celta, though each couple has their own story.  The hero is Garrett Primross, a private investigator that life has scarred.  He's the sole survivor of the most virulent case of the plague and the Healers want to study him.  The heroine is Artemisia Mugwort, the Healer assigned to observe him while they introduce the sickness back into his body.  And after Garrett and Artemisia both manage to survive that, there's the murdered victim they find, who has ties to the heroine.

So, a little bit of everything...world building, fated mates, sidekick cats with attitude (redundant), and a lot of romance, goes into writing a story set on Celta.  I hope you enjoy it.

Purchase Links:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Secret-Robin-D-Owens/dp/0425253147/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1344028554&sr=8-1

and Kindle:
 http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Secret-ebook/dp/B008EXNO2Q/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1344028554&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-secret-robin-d-owens/1107000569?ean=9780425253144

Author Links:

Old website in the midst of being redone, but with a great many excerpts, maps and general information on my past books:  http://www.robindowens.com

Blog: On Writing & Publishing http://robindowens.blogspot.com

Find me at facebook and twitter under robindowens.

Excerpt of Heart Secret:

Nightmares and a sense of foreboding woke him, so Garrett Primross walked to work as dawn broke . . . hoping that the rare uneasy feeling of doom was wrong for the first time in his life.  In his career as a private investigator he felt in control.  He knew what he was doing.  And at work he might be able to avoid or mitigate any disaster that might be looming that day.

As he approached the back entrance of his shabby office building located in a lower middle-class neighborhood, he heard a cat hiss.

A group of seven intelligent feral cats slipped from the shadows within the alley.  Animals that Garrett used as observers and informants.  They were able to become Familiar companions to people if they'd wanted.  Most didn't.  They preferred the wild and free life – with regular meals and occasional petting.

Garrett had contacts within the fox dens and with the rare wild dog.

Gar-rett! the current leader of the rag-tag band of ferals shouted loudly in Garrett's mind.

I hear you, he broadcast to the group.  Their milling around slightly decreased.

You promised first thing at office We get FOOD! Black-and-White tom insisted.

I haven't broken that promise, Garrett said.

There is a MAN on OUR front stoop.  He has big magic-Flair.  He looks like he belongs around here, but he wears clothes that don't smell of him.  He wants to talk to YOU.

At a little after dawn, septhours before Workbell?  Not a good sign.  How do you know? Garret asked telepathically.

He said your name to the door, but the door was quiet.  Then he looked at Us and told Us, but We ignored him.  You can talk to him, but We get Our FOOD first!

That's the deal, Garrett agreed, though his curiosity was ruffled.  But so were the hairs on the nape of his neck that warned of trouble.   

The young and slinky short-furred black cat slipped around the corner of the building at the end of the alley.  I got close.  He did not see Me.

Maybe not, but if the man had great psi power – Flair – Garrett would have bet that the guy had sensed the intelligent animal.

He did NOT sense Me with any of his Flair, the cat, also a tom, insisted.  He smells like rich.

Garrett grunted, probably a nobleman.  A spot between his shoulder-blades twitched and the damn foreboding increased.  Sounded like a man with a problem.  A high-class client usually meant a tough problem.  The last one had included theft, kidnapping and murder.

And he smells like a long-eared, ball-tailed housefluff Familiar companion, the black cat that Garrett called Sleek Tom continued.

More interesting, but still not enough data for Garrett to figure out who the guy might be.

And he smells like RESIDENCE.

Only the greatest nobles on the planet lived in Residences – houses as intelligent as these animals, and a lot longer lived.  Interested, Garrett asked What do Residences smell like?   

Cats would sometimes answer, but usually not unless they wanted something from him.  He made it a point to always be in the credit column with intelligent cats, giving them information without expecting payment.  It had irked him at first, then he'd shrugged and accepted it as a cost of doing business.

This time, again, there were many replies.

Special housekeeping spells for pee, said the brindled tom.

And for puke, said the fat brown tabby female.

Thick, rich, nose-stop smoke smells for rituals, said the leader.  Sniffing lustily as if proving he could.

Expensive incense, Garrett translated.  The twenty-five FirstFamilies – descendants of the colonists who had funded the trip from Earth – all resided in sentient houses.  Garrett ran through the lords mentally, but didn't come up with any reason why a person so powerful would want to hire him.

A yowl went up, followed by more.  We get Our FOOD!

Garrett winced.  FINE! he yelled back at them telepathically.  Stop that caterwauling, NOW.

They did, having learned by experience that when he gave such an order the consequences of disobedience could be major.  Like a delay in being fed.

Now they ringed his feet, staring up at him narrow-eyed.

Author Bio:

RITA® Award Winning novelist Robin D. Owens credits the telepathic cat with attitude in selling her first futuristic/fantasy romance, HeartMate, published in December 2001.  Since then she has written eleven books in the series.  Her five book Luna series included average American women Summoned into another dimension to save a world.  Her new Mystic Circle series is a mixture of contemporary urban and romantic fantasy set in Denver.  She is profoundly thankful to be recipient of the 2004 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year award as well as the 2011 Writer of the Year Award, the Colorado Romance Writers Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2010 Best Paranormal and Best of the Best Daphne Du Maurier Award.

Somewhere Out There And Naked

Yes, the scouts of the spec salon are in Savvy Author’s boot camp. Thirty days to write a first draft. For me it feels like free falling without a parachute or bungee jumping without a cord. It’s like a dream where you’re naked in front of crowd of people wondering how the hell you got there. It’s strange, exhilarating, and frightening at the same moment.

Why in the world would I do this? Because having a deadline and a goal pushes me. It pushes me out of my comfort zone. Yikes! Normally I would take the time to mull over scenes in a story and let it blossom on it’s own time. Or wait till my muse is willing to show up. This time, I’m flying fast.

What I’m trying to do in this first draft is to get the story out of my head and heart and on to the paper. In those times when my heart sings out with the story it feels good and I know I’m on track. Discoveries are plentiful like finding out some scenes need more worldbuilding. But, the most exciting breakthroughs pushing me onward are moments when the characters show me how to bring it all the way home.

As writers, we have different ways of getting the story down and ready for someone to read. The mode of transportation to our destination point is only valid if it works. That’s all we can do. Find out what works, hop on, and ride it all the way home.

Even though I’m feeling ‘somewhere out there’ it’s a ride I’m happy to be on. Excuse me while I grab a towel.

Let me leave with you a quote from John Campell:
A bit of advice given to a young Natve American at the time of his initiation:

"As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm,

Jump.

It is not as wide as you think."

I'd like to know how your ride is going?

Till next time,
Elizabeth

Talking Hands In Worldbuilding

Can a gesture make or break my story? Hardly. In fact, it’s probably at the bottom of the list of things I need to think about to make my story a best seller. But, it is an out of the ordinary way of putting a face to my worldbuilding, especially the culture in the story. An image of Mr. Spock and his hand greeting pops into my head and standing right behind him is a whole culture of what it means to be Vulcan. “Live Long and Prosper.” A great gesture that lives on beyond the series.

In the mountains where I live, the old-timers will drive down the road in their old trucks and gesture to the oncoming cars or trucks checking out the reply. A greeting, yes. But it’s more of a non-verbal question and answer dialogue with fingers. As the oncoming vehicle approaches, the old-timer will lift one solitary finger of the left hand, the pointer. The gesture is saying, “Howdy. I’m from here. Who are you?” The response could be a “howdy back,” using again the one finger signal, indicating, “I am not a stranger.” As the vehicles pass, the drivers will eye each other and bob their heads. Confirmation made. Other responses could be lifting four fingers of the left hand with the thumb hugging the wheel, a two finger wave, or no reply at all. These responses say to the old-timer,“flatlanders, or downlanders, or folks from off the mountain.” These are only the surface meanings of the gestures. I would think that what's underneath is the only reasons for having a specific gesture that can give bulk to a character or a society.

Of course, any worldbuilding I can think up needs to be more than window dressing. Going back to my mountain gesture, what if in my story the main character is traveling through a secluded mountain region where there are two warring factions. What if not knowing the right greeting could get him killed.
I would love to know what gestures, if any, in books or movies have stood out in your mind. Do you think a gesture can help describe your character or the society in which you’re building?

If gestures interest you, here’s a site that describes a fistful. Chuckle.
http://www.juliantrubin.com/encyclopedia/psychology/hand_gesture.html

Till Next time,
Elizabeth

The Devil Is In The Details, If You Like That Sort Of Thing

A funny thing happens when I sit down to write a blog post. One minute I'm in my study at home, then without even a nudge of conscious effort I'm transported into the hazy ambience of the Salon. In some ways it's not so different: I'm still surrounded by tall shelves packed with books and there's an old, beat-up wreck of a desk piled high with papers and writing tools. But the bright sunlight from my desk-side window turns to flickering candlelight, my laptop and speakers disappear, and the room expands in order to accommodate a plethora of comfy chairs and couches. I pretty much imagine a loose version of what our banner implies.

But if I look closer I start to see the smaller details. The sketches scattered over the tables and walls depicting hot-air balloons and aerostats in various stages of development. The scent of my favorite incense, Nag Champa, mingling with the aroma of strong, dark-roast coffee. My Salon has a slight breeze coming through the wide open windows which reveal a stunning panoramic cloud view from the lofty tower. I’m pretty sure my own balloon is tethered just outside, toys and games gather in every nook and corner, and there are two very familiar cats curled up on the cushions. I can’t help thinking how an invented place such as ours acquires a life of its own with a slew of unique personas.

Does Melanie's Salon buzz with the sound of shuffling automatons circling the room to refresh our drinks? Are there massive medieval tapestries falling from the vaulted ceiling in Elizabeth's? Would I hear the faint tinkling of a classical piano accompanied by chirping birds in colorful hanging cages within Stacie's? Is RJ's close enough to a rocky shoreline that I can smell the salt air? Can I visit Marilyn's Salon and use the fine china dishes while walking barefoot over oriental rugs? I’m probably way off on these (sorry ladies), but I think you get the idea.

Bottom line, specific details can be a wonderfully personal glimpse into a character’s world, but focusing too much on the minutia in every scene and location is unnecessary and sometimes a bit boring. What really matters is getting across the general vibe you want to portray and letting everyone else fill in the blanks to their liking. The important stuff will set the tone: it's cozy and congenial and serene in the Salon. I kick back with my friends, tell a story, crack a joke, have some tea and all is right in the world. Whichever one we happen to be in.

When I Was A Kid...

Have you ever wondered if you were an alien from another planet or an heir to a lost kingdom? Well, I didn’t think I was a princess, perhaps a ballerina, but certainly I thought I had lived in another time. Growing up, I imagined I lived on a distant planet and somehow was transported through space and time by a portal to earth. No doubt, the movies I watched as a child fueled my imagination and my thinking.

Recently, I’ve wondered which movies have influenced me as a writer. Rummaging through the cobwebs in my brain, I remembered how certain old films stirred up my emotions. Four wonderful films come to mind that still haunt me. Casablanca, The Red Shoes, Wuthering Heights and King Kong. They were stories filled with passionate characters that lived beyond the flat screen. I hear the music and I’m there. I can hear Rick from the film "Casablanca" saying "If you can play it for her, you can play it for me." That's what I want to achieve in my stories, the same kind of magic that will transport my readers off to another world and leave this one far behind.



Although different genres all of these films have a common theme of love with a twist. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you are, love pushes and pulls you beyond your comfort zone.





As writers, I think the possiblities of what we can get from films are enormous, besides what a cool way to learn. What films stimulate your imagination and influence your world of writing?

Till next time,
Elizabeth

Sticky Notes are My Friends

Most of my ideas happen when I’m working on something else. I may be reading sales ads and the light bulb turns on. Heck, I can be staring at the wall and an idea pops in my head. But sometimes I don’t have the time to write it all down and need to research before committing the idea to my file. If I write down key parts of my idea, I will remember it for later on. So I write my ideas down on sticky notes.

My monitor is my holding place for those beloved notes. There is a note to research a subject, information on my characters, dialogue I’m going to use, and much more. They are my mind on paper like Twitter is your thoughts online. I placed them in one location because sometimes those little notes fall off. (It has nothing to do with the fact I take them off, write more on them, and place them back on the monitor. *whistles*) They all gather at the bottom of my monitor, and I can pick them up to replace the sticky back or start a section in my file for it. Otherwise, an idea will be lost somewhere in the house and I’ll find them when I no longer need them.

The real beauty behind sticky notes is the different colors they are available in. Currently, I’m using three colors to decorate my monitor. Pink is for things I’m for sure going to include in my WIP. Blue is for information I need to research. Lime green is for anything related to characters, setting, scenes, and plot. I place the notes on the monitor based on type: on the top research items, on the bottom items you are going to include and either side for everything else.

When there is no more room on my monitor, then I’m behind on updating the file for my WIP. It is time to sit down and work my way through each sticky note. File the ones I just completed, or I put back any I still need to work on. All notes are taped onto paper once I finished with them. That way I can reread them at a later date.

My system may be a little off the wall but it works wonders for me. Do you use something similar or something else to write your ideas down?

Your Character's World

I was originally going to put up a picture of a paper doll. You know the kind with the metal brads through the shoulders and hips. As I was gathering my ideas about building the character's world I realized that I was only thinking about humanoid characters, characters based on the physical world we as humans live in. I was seeing only superficial world building.

Superficial worldbuilding is not a bad thing. Here's my original idea for this post. Take that paper doll image and fill it in. What do its ears look like, its eyes? How many limbs? What kind of skin? Does it have any? As you can see, building a character like this is already interesting. Now, add things the character carries or wears. Where do they come from? How did the character come by them? See? We have another level of building a world from the character out, taking us to a different aspect of the world: its economy.

That's not my original idea, by the way. It came from a now-defunct podcast called "Shakespeare and Dragons" (you can still find the podcasts online here. Not all of the files work so if you can't download one version, try the next!). Focusing on the world this way is another means of managing the complexity of the worlds characters live in.

So, what is the idea I ended up with? It's this: What kind of world created your character? Take our friend Sarah. What kind of world created a woman who buys sex like coffee? We assumed it was a world a little like ours, similar cultural system (since there are places where sex is nearly as easily come by. Amsterdam, anyone?). However, this is SARAH, a female. How is her world different from ours? We assumed that her purchase was taller than she was, had a particular set of sexual organs that fit hers in a particular way. We also assumed that her purchase of sex was casual. What if she is making a necessary purchase, that the function of the process was reproduction and the use of non-bonded partners created a drone workforce? Oh, and she is not the womb! What kind of story will you write, now?

You got werewolves? What kind of world made them? Even if it is our more familiar world, what about it is so different that werewolves emerged? Or vampires? Think alternatives. We have alternative histories in Steampunk so, how about alternative evolution? Alternative cultural development?

After extending my image of Sarah, I started thinking of her society as being based on the life of bees or ants. It's not an original world, I'm sure, but it gives me another idea. What if instead of werewolves we were wolves? What would the world look like if it was based on wolf society? Wolf culture? What if Sarah's world were based on the wolf?

Just asking...

Go Eclectic or Go Home

RJ made a really good point yesterday when she said that it’s important to put a new spin on common trends in order to present something fresh to readers. It’s easy to say we should just avoid tropes that we’ve seen over and over again, but I prefer to keep an open mind and leave all options on the table. After all, every story has been done a million times anyway, so to discount any component solely because the market is crawling with similar ones is not exactly productive.

This is why I love all the genre merging going on right now. You can sit down with the spark of a new story and take it just about anywhere. Want to write a paranormal ghost story? Make it a fast-paced political thriller. Dying to take on a werewolf novel? Maybe it takes place in outer space. Like Dragons? Combine them into a weird west tale. Sure, some of these are a little off the wall and may never work as a novel, but a new twist is worth exploring.

And now I can't control it; my mind starts reeling with literary flights of fancy. A coming-of-age horror story. A dystopian romantic comedy. Time-traveling celebrity gossip reporters sucked into a historical murder-mystery. The possibilities are practically endless and the results are so much more fun than formulaic genre fiction. Some of these have been done before, but at least they don't feel clichéd or uninteresting. Combined with solid writing, even quirky ideas can appeal to a broad audience. How many people probably thought Brian Jacques was crazy when he said he was penning an epic fantasy about rodents?

Despite what the title of this post indicates, I don't necessarily believe every story has to be wildly innovative. All I'm saying is that we may not need to ignore the standards, but we should do what we can to improve on them. That's part of the fun of being a writer. When we build our worlds, we get to ask the big 'What if?' It can't hurt to follow that original notion with an enthusiastic 'Why not?'

Everybody's Got To Eat

What do you mean you haven't fed them? Beasties and story people need to eat. Beasties eat story people and they usually like them raw without any dressing. Story people on the other hand prefer their food, as a rule, cooked. It doesn't matter where home is to your characters. Whether it's on this planet, or two stars over, or in a completely different time-period they're going to get hungry. So, before those beasties munch away at your starving hero you need to feed him or her.

Where shall we start? Fast food? Why not? Fast food has been around long before the Golden Arches took over our eating habits. In the future, you can be sure after we have colonized other planets there will be little space ships pulling up to a fast food chain along the Milky Way.

For now, let me take you to London in 1890 where my work in progress, "The Doll Maker" takes place. In this cold, grey world fast food and street vendors were an essential part of the day-to-day living. One particular young character in my story has told me he thinks about food all the time. Don't you Sebastian?

Sebastian: Aye. Though, since I've been working at the theatre, not the Penny Gaffs mind you, I eat more regular. I work the ghost-making machine for the plays that needs'em. Ghosts. It's a good living, better than I had before.

EWG: What's your favorite food to eat?

Sebastian: Hard to say, Miss. When you haven't eaten in a day, what you like is different than when you've had a morsel a few hours before. Ain't it? When the gnawing in my stomach is so bad and that's all I notice. It's a cup of hot soup, I wants. I could see a piece of beef or mutton in the cook shop and it does nothing for me. For a penny, I can have two cups of pea soup. Soup makes me feel safe and toasty like a warm bed.

But, if I hear the Tatoes man calling, "Tatoes. Hot! Hot! Hot! my mouth waters something bad. As soon as I catch sight of the steam coming out the the guv'nor's red tin can, I've got to have one. Hot tatoe with butter and pepper. Makes you feel right good.

EWG: Potatoes with butter, yumm. What about something sweet?

Sebastian: Ah, sweets are for them that have had their stomach filled. Besides, it's gone before you've even had time to enjoy it. When you only have a penny to spend, a sweet dream is not going to fill your stomach. Listen Miss, I need to get back to me job. Best not to stand here too long, if you get my meaning. I can walk you to where you need to go.

EWG: Thank you. I'll be all right.

So, what do your characters want to eat? Yes, I know feeding your story people seems so small when you have a whole world to build. But remember, whether or not you choose to use the information gathered for your worldbuilding will depend on if it enhances or contributes something to move your story forward. Certainly if you don't use the research it will still enrich the image in your mind of the world and characters you are creating. Ultimately, it will be a world your readers will want to call home or at least stay for awhile. By the way, what's for dinner? I'm hungry.

PS: Here's a great site for Victorian England research: www.victorianlondon.org

A New World Awaits

Creating a new world for your high fantasy novel series is exciting and a major undertaking. To start, here are some questions you may have asked yourself and the answers to them.

Where do you begin?

The easiest way to answer this question is to start at the beginning of the storyline. What happens around your characters will give you a place to start building. Describe the place they live in, customs, and the relationship between everyone. You can fill the other parts of your world later on. First worry about the immediate surrounding and the rest will fall into place.

How much information should I write in?

There is no need to write down every detail you can think of during the first draft. You are leaving yourself the room to make changes later on in the draft. I avoided a major rewrite for my current WIP because of this. Make sure you note down the changes you need to make. When you make the changes, mark them off.

How am I going to remember all my ideas?

Write down any ideas either in a notebook or on the computer. Be sure you can find the information with ease at a later time. When you spread out the information, it becomes harder to find later on. Create a filing system to avoid the confusion and always keep it up to date.

Any pitfalls when it comes to world building?

World building will trap you. When it does happen, you will not focus on writing the novel. I trapped myself on many WIPs before I realize the key is to balance writing the first draft and creating the world. It may be hard at first especially when the inspiration to research your ideas takes over. Divide your time between the two equally. One hour of writing for every one hour you research.

Remember, your mind will change as you write the first book of your series. You'll learn what will or will not work for your new world by writing down the book. No matter how much world building is done, the novel must be written down for readers to live in the world you created.

The Ordinary World

When we hear about the Hero's Journey or three act structure or the main character's back story, we sometimes hear the phrase, "ordinary world", or the state the character is in just before the story starts. Lately, I've been thinking about how we can use the character's ordinary world as a way to manage our world building.

Think of one thing you do in the course of a typical day.

I had coffee this morning and I don't know where it came from. I just went to the coffee shop and ordered it, expecting it to be there. I remember, a long time ago, that I decided that if I ever ended up in a strange world the first thing I would do is find coffee, get myself grounded over a cup of coffee. Then I wondered what would happen if I ended up in a world where ordering coffee was illegal (Kristine Kathryn Rusch does something similar in one of her Retrieval Artist novels). So, to continue the pursuit of coffee. I expected the coffee to be there. Why? Because that it my ordinary world. In my ordinary world I don't have to think too hard about getting a cup of coffee. Or a banana. Or a rare steak. Or sex. Okay, maybe I'd have to do a little work for that last bit, but that could be the beginning of a new world. What kind of world would it be where it is easier to get sex than it is coffee? Or as easy to get sex as it is to get coffee in my ordinary world?

One advantage of thinking of worldbuilding from the ordinary world of your characters? You get your reader oriented more easily to the novelties. You are starting in their ordinary world also.

Sarah stopped by the local discount market to pick up her two-buck chuck, deciding she wanted a skinny redhead this time. She was tired of the hunky blonds. They spent more time in front of the mirror than she did.

Running her thumb over her scanner she added the SKU to the barcode and headed for the transport tube. She didn't care that her more upscale neighbors saw her chuck half-naked. She knew for a fact that theirs were no better. Just dressed for the service. They all had the same equipment, did the same job. She could afford more but why waste the credits? It was a job. Kept people off the streets. Provided revenue for the state. Kept down violence and disease.

Sarah shrugged. Not bad for a couple of credits.

So, in less than 150 words we have met Sarah in her world. I have no idea what kind of world it is except for the details I've put here, but I'm now curious. Maybe not as a reader, but as a writer I am. It's an idea I didn't have half an hour ago.

So, here's a challenge. Think of something in your ordinary world, something that is so ordinary you don't have to think about it. Now, make it complex. This is the opposite of what I did. I took something that was for complex for me (getting sex) and made it as easy as buying a cup of coffee (easy peasy). How about getting out of bed? Or getting the mail? In what kind of world would those things be difficult? Can you, in a sentence or two, create an ordinary world that is far from ordinary?

Irresponsible Worldbuilding

I am incredibly excited to get the ball rolling here in the Salon. This is our first official month of blogging and I want to thank my fellow Scouts and all our friends on and off the web for being such wonderfully supportive people.

Jumping right in. I have a confession to make about this month's topic: I don't really do a lot of worldbuilding. You’re thinking: ‘How can that be? Steampunk is all about creating an alternative Earth, or even a whole new world altogether’. I’m not saying it doesn't get done. Sure, I make a few notes in the brainstorming phase (mostly back-story), but once the writing begins I do the only thing an effective captain can do to keep the ship running smoothly. I delegate.

I let my meeps (yes, I have a silly nickname for my characters) do the worldbuilding. It's not because I'm lazy, really. It's just that I think that the heart of worldbuilding is in the details; the little things that meeps know and observe on a daily basis; the stories and opinions that express their particular worldviews. I let them tell me those things as I go, and that's how I discover what's important to them and the story.

For example: I wrote a scene last week in which my headstrong biologist, Atalanta, is traveling on a steamboat operated by the Corps. They are a group of influential scientists that are basically like a Victorian-era Big Brother and a very important aspect of my alternate world. I could spend hours writing out the history of that organization and every move they've made leading up to the current state of affairs, but just the thought of doing that makes my head go all pear-shaped. Instead, I let Atalanta point out the good stuff.

She notices a large mural depicting an epic battle between a legendary airship and a drakon, an event that according to the plaque on the wall occurred decades ago. It turns out that Atalanta’s grandfather was on board that ship during the attack and she’s heard the story many times since childhood. In a fairly short part of this scene I learned a lot about her world, including tips about drakons, her family’s history, and Corps policies. It’s a lot of info that comes across in just a few paragraphs and I didn’t do any planning ahead of time.

Obviously, I’m simplifying things a little. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with deep worldbuilding. Some novels are the type that need detailed planning, lists, maps, etc.; it just doesn’t work for me. Doing it my way requires some note-taking while I’m writing the first draft, but it still seems easier to let the meeps do all the heavy lifting so I can focus on the story.

Cheers all!
Ella