The other day I wandered into a Twitter conversation about world building and just what is important in it. Should you worry about accuracy when you have made up your own world or should you just say," Hey, it's my world and I can do what I want with it!"?
I can't do better than stick in a link to an article written many years ago by Poul Anderson, On Thud And Blunder" I read it in hard copy, can't recall where, but thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I can share it with you, and if you're wondering this about your own writing I do urge you to check it out.
Poul Anderson is one of my favourite writers because there's an Anderson for whatever you're in the mood for. Hard SF? Sure. Space opera, high fantasy, historical fantasy, time travel, humour, he wrote it all. He was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, where he wore armour and competed in tournaments. He knew what horses could and couldn't do. So if anyone knew about world building it was him. And the point he makes in this article is that even if you're writing something set in your own world it will be based, to some extent, on this one, and that there are some things that are just practical common sense- like horses not being furry machines that can be ridden hard all night. And ships not getting you swiftly across the sea. And a city that doesn't have electricity being extremely dark at night, making it difficult for your barbarian hero to rush through the streets followed by the palace guards. For those who think their hero can slice a head or a leg off in one stroke, he suggests trying to do this with hanging meat.
It's strange when people who wouldn't dream of writing science fiction without massive research think they can write fantasy without any, because, hey, there's magic. Even magic needs to have rules. Also, as long as you're creating a world with humans and terrestrial animals and plants, you really have to consider things that could and couldn't happen here.
And then there's culture. If you're going to write a story set in a version of medieval Europe, say, you need to realise how much of the lifestyle was based on the climate, the culture and religion. You can't for example, have an Arabic-style culture in a country with the climate of Norway. That might seem obvious when it's mentioned, but it's amazing how many novels are set in a land with a mishmash of cultures that don't mix. In one novel I read recently, the aristocrats in a hot country dressed and acted like those of eighteenth century France.
You also can't leave out religion. The medieval world was overflowing with it. I remember reading one novel that was set in a country that suggested sixteenth century Europe, in great detail, to the extent that I was annoyed that I couldn't place it - but no one in it seemed to go to church or practise religion in any way. And that's just not going to work, because there would be things in the lifestyle that depend on religion. If you want to create your own religion, fine. Some top writers have done this. But make sure you create a culture that would go with it.
If you're going to take liberties, take liberties with a society you have researched. I read a LOT of books for Wolfborn. I didn't use anywhere near all of the information in the final draft, but it was enough that I could feel comfortable with the world I was creating and the world from which it came. I did take liberties, but I knew what I was taking liberties with. Sometimes my editor would say gently,"Sue, you can't do that. You KNOW that was not around in the twelfth century," and even though it wasn't the real twelfth century, I'd rewrite. Actually, I was flattered that she'd forgotten it wasn't this world. In fact, a number of reviewers forgot it wasn't this world, despite the three moons! By the way, I researched those too, to make sure I didn't get the science too wrong, even though it was a fantasy novel. True, I kept it vague. There wasn't a lot of information. (Actually, I read only recently that we might have had two moons at one time) Hell, I even joined the SCA many years ago and learned what you can and can't do in armour, just so my fantasy would work better!
If you've read George R.R.Martin's Song of Ice And Fire, you'll notice that his world feels very real, because despite the strange climate cycle, he's used real history as his background. Even the armour - there's plate armour in the south and ring mail in the icy north and that makes sense; the folk living away from the centre of commerce would probably still be using grandad's old chain mail; armour would be expensive! He has created his own religions to go with this world, but in the context they work. So if you're going to write an epic, do make sure you've researched the society on which it's based, even if you have to join the SCA and get hit on your helmed head with a rattan sword. It will be worth the effort.
Poul Anderson is one of my favourite writers because there's an Anderson for whatever you're in the mood for. Hard SF? Sure. Space opera, high fantasy, historical fantasy, time travel, humour, he wrote it all. He was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, where he wore armour and competed in tournaments. He knew what horses could and couldn't do. So if anyone knew about world building it was him. And the point he makes in this article is that even if you're writing something set in your own world it will be based, to some extent, on this one, and that there are some things that are just practical common sense- like horses not being furry machines that can be ridden hard all night. And ships not getting you swiftly across the sea. And a city that doesn't have electricity being extremely dark at night, making it difficult for your barbarian hero to rush through the streets followed by the palace guards. For those who think their hero can slice a head or a leg off in one stroke, he suggests trying to do this with hanging meat.
It's strange when people who wouldn't dream of writing science fiction without massive research think they can write fantasy without any, because, hey, there's magic. Even magic needs to have rules. Also, as long as you're creating a world with humans and terrestrial animals and plants, you really have to consider things that could and couldn't happen here.
And then there's culture. If you're going to write a story set in a version of medieval Europe, say, you need to realise how much of the lifestyle was based on the climate, the culture and religion. You can't for example, have an Arabic-style culture in a country with the climate of Norway. That might seem obvious when it's mentioned, but it's amazing how many novels are set in a land with a mishmash of cultures that don't mix. In one novel I read recently, the aristocrats in a hot country dressed and acted like those of eighteenth century France.
You also can't leave out religion. The medieval world was overflowing with it. I remember reading one novel that was set in a country that suggested sixteenth century Europe, in great detail, to the extent that I was annoyed that I couldn't place it - but no one in it seemed to go to church or practise religion in any way. And that's just not going to work, because there would be things in the lifestyle that depend on religion. If you want to create your own religion, fine. Some top writers have done this. But make sure you create a culture that would go with it.
If you're going to take liberties, take liberties with a society you have researched. I read a LOT of books for Wolfborn. I didn't use anywhere near all of the information in the final draft, but it was enough that I could feel comfortable with the world I was creating and the world from which it came. I did take liberties, but I knew what I was taking liberties with. Sometimes my editor would say gently,"Sue, you can't do that. You KNOW that was not around in the twelfth century," and even though it wasn't the real twelfth century, I'd rewrite. Actually, I was flattered that she'd forgotten it wasn't this world. In fact, a number of reviewers forgot it wasn't this world, despite the three moons! By the way, I researched those too, to make sure I didn't get the science too wrong, even though it was a fantasy novel. True, I kept it vague. There wasn't a lot of information. (Actually, I read only recently that we might have had two moons at one time) Hell, I even joined the SCA many years ago and learned what you can and can't do in armour, just so my fantasy would work better!
If you've read George R.R.Martin's Song of Ice And Fire, you'll notice that his world feels very real, because despite the strange climate cycle, he's used real history as his background. Even the armour - there's plate armour in the south and ring mail in the icy north and that makes sense; the folk living away from the centre of commerce would probably still be using grandad's old chain mail; armour would be expensive! He has created his own religions to go with this world, but in the context they work. So if you're going to write an epic, do make sure you've researched the society on which it's based, even if you have to join the SCA and get hit on your helmed head with a rattan sword. It will be worth the effort.
