November 4th
Let’s look at the world you are writing in. Write down your ideas on paper, or use the World Building worksheet.
- Is this in our world (past, current, or future)?
Is this your own world? - What timeline are you in (past or current) or what has happened between now and the future setting you are in?
In your own world, what are important events in the world’s history the reader needs to know? - What culture are you in? America, Europe, Asia? Make sure you know enough about where you are writing in. If you’re not familiar with Japan’s daily life, it might be better to write about somewhere else. Make sure you have an expert to review your work if you are writing about another culture.
In your own world, is there only one culture? What is the one you are going to be in? Are there several? Do you need to know about the others for this novel? - Our world has the law of gravity and other scientific rule. There is no magic or mythical creatures. Is that your setting or are you twisting things by adding magic or dragons?
In your own world, what are the rules you have? Are they similar to ours? Do you have a magic system? Is there a social class system? - Details can matter if they are important to your plot. Are there national treasures in your world that will become key? Are there legends no one believes but turn out to be true? If you know of any details that will be important – write them down.
Non-Fiction Worlds
If you’re writing a non-fiction story, you’ll follow the same world building steps as fictional stories. Write down what time period you are in, that it’s the standard rules, the culture it’s featured in, and any details that readers will need to know.
If you’re doing a collection style book – build the world of your book. What are the pages going to be like? For a recipe book you’ll need an ingredients and instruction section. Will you add a picture? Multiple pictures? Is there going to be a little story to go with the recipe? Helpful tips?
For a how-to, look at your plot outline. That table of contents or index has your organization, but what will those sections look like? Is it like a text book? Will you have pictures and steps like the Instructable website? Multiple photos? Are you going to need a QR code to link to a video you’ll post?
Textbooks are like the how-tos. You need to look at the table of contents or index you did as a plot outline. How are those sections going to look. Will you be adding things like “Fun Facts to know”, “Helpful Hint”, “Special Details”, “Glossary”? Figure out a basic standard for each section. You can always do unique things a few times, but make sure the general outline is the same to keep it familiar to your readers.
Finish!
Remember to keep it simple. When you have the basics down, you’re done. No need to write an encyclopedia on the world you’re in, or come up with every detail of every section for your non-fiction.
Go on to Day 5 (It will be Tell People. This will be easy for some and extremely hard for others. It’s okay if you want to stay quiet to most. Try and think of at least one person you think will support you in your author challenge.)
Want an Example?
We did our homework! Here’s the World Building Worksheet we filled out. Ignore the typos – sometimes you just have to write and not worry about the grammar.
(Note – Please do not share your actual work online. A.I. bots can and will take anything you post online. Unless you plan to post a free web novel and know your ideas could be taken and used by others – don’t post full explanations on plots, full chapters, or character designs online. It can be a risk if you have something very unique, but for most cases, giving a general plot summary, talking about a favorite character, or mentioning a small thing about your new world is okay. But please do not post everything here or anywhere on the web! We are doing our NaNoWriMo as a fun free challenge and do not mind if it is taken and used somewhere – so we are okay sharing our example with everyone!)
(Go back to Day 3?)
The Badge Archive 