The last area that we are going to look at before putting everything together is the environment. This is inclusive of geography, weather, and wildlife. There are a lot of world builders out there that love the idea of drawing maps – if you are one of them, then this is the lesson for you!

 

Let’s begin with geography and weather. This can play as large or small a role as you like in your story and can get pretty in depth if you want it to. There are a few main things to keep in mind when creating the physical layout of your world. First is sources of vital elements – in humans, for example, we need a water source in order to survive, and thus we build near rivers and lakes. We also like access to other resources such as gold and oil, however they are not vital to our existence. Now, you may have decided that your people do not drink water, instead getting their nutrients elsewhere – that is entirely fine, but there will still be something that helps them to choose where they build towns and cities. The land should also have resources that are plentiful, rare, valued, or fought over. This could be due to aesthetic or practical reasons, but there should definitely be a reason for why their level of importance. The second thing is to look at the logical structure of where you place things – a river, for example, runs downhill rather than uphill, unless you have decided to mess with gravity. Again, it is fine to do so, so long as you have thought of the ramifications of your changes. There are other geological factors to consider and you can spend as long as you wish researching things such as where mountain ranges are likely to occur, the effects of volcanoes and other natural formations on the areas around them, and anything else you can think of. The final main thing to keep in mind is the climate and the weather. Think about whether your world will have four seasons or a different number, and what effects these seasons have on the occupants. Could a harsh winter cause migration, hibernation, or some form of technological advancement that has been developed to overcome it? This could also have an effect on the occupants – perhaps they thrive in the cold, but overheat in warmer parts of the world. Weather can play a major part of your world if you wish, affecting infrastructure, tourism, technology, or pretty much anything else you can think of.

 

Next we are going to look at wildlife - both flora and fauna. Think of the wide variety of flora in our own world: we have basic plants such as grass and flowers, plants that produce food such as apple trees or carrots, medicinal plants such as various herbs, plants for clothing such as hemp and cotton, and recreational plants such as tobacco. There is flora that is beautiful, carnivorous, unbending, fluid, and everything in between. Even without looking at magical properties there are so many roles that plants can play in your world! As for fauna, there is just as wide an array to choose from or options to create your own. You might want animals that pose a threat to your occupants, animals kept as pets or workers, magical animals that can be useful, a hindrance, or both, or animals used for food, clothing, or hunting. Another thing to keep in mind is the effect that your occupants have on animals – do they breed them, and if so, for what purposes? Has there been any ill-effects as a result of in-breeding or cross-breeding? Are there any creatures intelligent enough to rise against your main occupants, or to fight for them – if there are, why would they do so?

 

Finally, we are going to talk about the creation of maps. Once you have decided on some of the above information, you can start to create a map of your world. Think about what point of view you would like to create your map/s from. You might make one from your own perspective that encompasses the world exactly as it is, but it also can be a very informative exercise to draw one from the point of view of one of your characters. What mistakes might they make? What areas would they put the most detail into, and which ones the least? Think about the markings you would use – if a character was making a map for a friend to travel, for example, they might mark that a particular forest is full of trolls or wolves, or that there is a pathway carved through a mountain range with a welcoming group of dwarves in its midst. There might also be a sign that snow falls ten months out of the year (if years is the measurement of time you’re using!), that a city has been abandoned due to floods, or that there is a secret goldmine hidden at the bottom of a deep valley. Think as well about trade routes, distances between towns, cities, and countries, and how long it might take to get to various destinations based upon their method of travel (a handy guide for this is located in the resources section if you’re interested).

 

Well! That’s it for the main part of world building! By now if you have been taking notes and extrapolating further questions from the ones posed, you should have a relatively detailed world in which to base a story. Remember, there’s always more questions to be asked, but eventually for your world to be enjoyed you will need to move on to our final lesson in which we learn about putting all your ideas into the form of a story.