Creating a World that Never Was

1. Creating a WorldthatNever Was

2. It all Starts Somewhere Most often, stories start with a simple idea that the writer can’t seem to let go. Sadly, too many tales are never told because the one dreaming the idea can't see how or where their idea can take shape. Here are some easy guidelines for getting past that roadblock.

3. Start with Universal Truths: There is always a world in which the story takes place, whether it's under water, on land, in space, or in some non-existent formless void. Once you decide your setting, you are halfway there.

4. Stop and look around: Ask yourself “if X happens in my story – how would that happen?” Then place yourself solidly in an event in your tale and look around. What do *you* see? Are you in a City in your story? Maybe a very old Forest?Or perhaps on another planet? Alone? Befriended? All of these things are your choice (and yes, you can ALWAYS change your mind)

5. Build on what you know: Once you have the sights imagined, fill out the rest of the scene with sound and smell. Remember there is more to imagery than visual input, and if you leave out something as basic as sound or smell, your world will stay two dimensional.

6. Stay away from TooMuch Detail: Describe your settings and characters with just enough detail to bring them to life. Find clever ways to let descriptive terms give away information (do NOT approach this like a MySpace Personals Ad) Remember that only one person is more powerful in your world than you are, and that is the reader. Give them enough to see your world, but not so much that it doesn’t become their world too.

7. It’s not a Technical Manual(unless of course that’s what you are writing) To quote the writer Amber Benson, "If you need a spaceship, you don't have to explain how it works; the reader isn't scanning a technical manual, and the rules of Physics can be easily bent or broken by writers' discretion. It is enough to simply say 'the Rocket went up'; you don't have to explain *how* - it just does".

8. Inner Thoughts and Feelings: Even if you are not writing in first person, the thoughts and feelings of the characters are powerful tools for the writer to use to manipulate the emotions of the reader. Third person perspectives rely on a tad more cunning, usually either by placing the main character in a position of trust where they let out their fears and fantasies, or some less kind method like drugging or torture.

9. This is your world. If you need something to happen, create a way for it to happen.

10. Don’t be afraid to rewrite! I’ve found myself writing Chapter 23 and needing to go back and elaborate on something in Chapter 2, just to properly plant clues or set up a plot centric situation. Unlike the rest of your life, never be afraid to look back, amend, add, subtract and change. That being said, know when to stop, or you will never finish

11. Open Discussion