I’ve spent a lot of my writing time lately working on the world document for an unannounced TTRPG/fiction setting that might have something to do with this pirate novel I wrote (shhhhhhh!). It’s interesting work; as a writer, I don’t put a ton of time and effort into world building before I start a new story, so I feel like I’m exercising a set of muscles that doesn’t normally get this kind of a workout.
For instance, my world building process with Deviant Magic has been very plot-driven. I’ve always had a very broad idea for the setting: modern world, magic and fairy creatures are real, memory-wiping dust and intricate conspiracies keep humans separate from all that. I’ve added more detailed lore as the plot of my novels has needed it, with an eye toward making those pieces and parts interconnect with and enhance existing parts of the setting. That’s just how I work.
But when it comes to setting up a sandbox for other writers and tabletop gamers to play in, that just ain’t gonna fly. I mean sure, I’d love to talk things through on Zoom or Discord or carrier pigeon whenever anyone wants to discuss the setting, but that’s wildly inefficient and just not the point of the whole “make a coherent world book” task. Instead, I’ve had to very methodically work through the basic parts of a setting, filling in the blanks with the help of a very thorough questionnaire put together by a very talented games director. A nation, for instance, needs a location, a government, a religion, currency, folklore, famous people, a military, a general level of technology, a history, consistent symbology, architecture, food sources, imports, exports, and so many other things that facilitate storytelling in fiction and in game. I’m trying to make sure I answer all the questions before gamers and other writers know they even need to ask them.
As I’ve progressed and reflected on what I’m doing, the goals of the project have really crystallized in my dumb lizard brain.
- Give characters within the world things to do.
- Add context to the world to make those things compelling.
- Create opportunities for conflict to jazz it all up even further.
- Keep it logical and functional within the rules of the setting.
Or, to summarize it even more succinctly: I’m setting up but not completing a large set of smaller stories. From that perspective, the history or lore of the setting is essentially a collection of more complete stories. For instance:
Lore/history: A powerful geomancer appeared out of nowhere to aid a kingdom in constructing a defensive wall that saved its bacon against an invading empire.
Story setup: One of the geomancer’s students has begun to suspect that these abilities are not natural and that their mentor is not entirely on the level.
Now we’ve built a sandbox! There’s a story to tell here, with existing events and characters to build from. A fiction writer could work from the perspective of that suspicious student, sending the character on a journey of discovery to learn more about their mentor and themselves. The DM of a TTRPG could use this bit as a jumping off point to send their players’ party off in pursuit of the main geomancer, with a big showdown and reveal at the end of the adventure. Creative people can take this combination of setting, character, and history–this little proto story–and spin it into whatever fits their fancy.
Best of all, building this way results in a world that feels dynamic, loaded with possibility, and–most importantly–alive. Regardless of whether you’re creating a setting for yourself or for others, for prose or for gaming or for OnlyFans, seeding it with the beginnings of new stories will help you find success.