How to become a master worldbuilder

Creating a rich and believable world is essential for immersing your readers in your story. Whether you're working on a fantasy, science fiction, or historical fiction novel — building your world-building skills can help you create a setting that feels authentic to your readers. Worldbuilding is not easy, though (you're creating a whole world, after all).

Here are some tips to help you improve your approach →

Okay, but what is worldbuilding?

Worldbuilding is creating and developing a fictional universe's setting. It's all about creating the rules, history, geography, cultures, and other details that make your world feel real and alive. Worldbuilding is often an essential aspect of science fiction and fantasy writing, as these genres often occur in entirely fictional or fantastical worlds.

However, it can also be important in other genres, as it helps to create a sense of immersion and credibility for the reader.

Worldbuilding can involve creating maps, timelines, and other detailed documentation of the world, as well as incorporating these details into the story naturally and believably.

📌 As a general rule, the more foreign your setting is to your reader, the more worldbuilding you'll need to do. This is why certain types of books (like fantasy novels) are much longer than others.

Why is worldbuilding important?

By building a detailed and consistent world, you can create a sense of authenticity that draws readers in and keeps them engaged. Strong worldbuilding also helps establish the rules and logic of the story's universe, which can help make the story's events feel more believable and cohesive.

How can you become a better worldbuilder?

Practice, practice, practice

The more you write, the more comfortable you will become with building and developing worlds. But if you're new to worldbuilding, you can use our list of worldbuilding questions to help think through all the different facets of your world.

These questions will help you to:

• Develop the history and culture of your world: Think about the events that have shaped your world's development and the dominant cultural and political forces. Consider how these factors influence your characters' daily lives and the events of your story.
• Think about your world's economy and social structure: Consider your world's economy and social structure. How does your world's economy function? What is the social structure? Who holds power, and how is it exercised? These factors can help you create a more immersive and believable world.

Reading widely

You know what they say: to be a good writer, you must be a good reader. Reading can be a great way to expose yourself to the different worldbuilding techniques experienced writers use. As you read, be aware of how the author builds and describes their fictional worlds.

• Read stories set in well-developed worlds: Expose yourself to stories set in well-developed worlds. Note how the author describes the world and how it influences the characters and events of the story.
• Analyse the details and techniques used by different authors: As you read, pay attention to the details and techniques that different authors use to create their worlds. Consider how they describe their worlds' geography, culture, and social structure and how they use these elements to enhance the story. Do they do this with descriptive prose? Dialogue between characters?
• Reflect on your own experiences and observations: Your own experiences and observations can be a valuable source of inspiration for worldbuilding. Think about the places you've been and the cultures you've encountered, and consider how you might incorporate these elements into your writing.

Seeking feedback

Asking for feedback from other writers or readers can be a valuable way to get insight into the strengths and weaknesses of your worldbuilding. The most valuable aspect of this feedback is that it helps you put yourself in the place of the reader, and gives you insight into what is, or is not, clear to them.

• Join a writing group or workshop: Joining a writing group or workshop can be a great way to get feedback on your worldbuilding skills from other writers. Consider joining a local group or participating in an online workshop where you can share your work and receive constructive criticism from others.
• Consult experts: If you're writing about a specific time, place, or topic, it can be helpful to consult with experts or do research to ensure that your worldbuilding is accurate and believable. Reach out to scholars, historians, or other experts for guidance and feedback.
• Hire a professional editor: If you're serious about improving your world-building skills, consider hiring a professional editor to review your work. A professional editor can provide detailed feedback on your world-building and suggest ways to make your world more immersive and believable. If you can't afford an editor, this article may be helpful.

Researching and studying real-world cultures, history, and geography

Drawing inspiration from real-world sources can help you create believable and well-rounded fictional worlds.

• Use reliable sources: When researching real-world cultures, history, and geography to inform your worldbuilding, it's important to use reliable sources. Academic texts and historical documents can be credible sources. Make sure to fact-check your information and be aware of any biases or perspectives that may influence your research.
• Take detailed notes: As you research, take detailed notes on the information you gather. You can also keep track of your findings in First Draft Pro to make it easier to refer back to specific details as you write.
• Consider how your world may differ from the real world: While researching real-world cultures, history, and geography can be a helpful way to inform your world-building, it's important to remember that your world may differ from the real world in significant ways. Considering how your world may be different can help you to create a more unique and imaginative world that is distinct from the real world.

When using real-world sources, make sure to recontextualise them appropriately, and always be respectful when writing about cultures that are not your own.

Creating detailed maps and histories

Developing a detailed map and history for your fictional world can help you visualise and understand it better and make it feel more believable to readers.

• Start with a basic map: When creating a map of your world, start by drawing out the basic physical layout, including locations such as cities, mountains, and bodies of water. You can also include political and cultural boundaries, if applicable. As you develop your world, you can add more detailed features and information to your map.
• Start with a timeline: When creating a detailed history of your world, it can be helpful to start by creating a timeline of important events. A timeline can help you keep track of the events and their order, making it easier to refer back to specific events as you write.
• Test your map/timeline: Once you have completed your map/timeline, test it out by using it to navigate a scene or event in your story. This exercise can help you to ensure that your map/timeline is accurate, and it can help you to identify any areas that might need further development.

👉 Read about using real-world inspiration for fictional map-making, map-making tools for fiction writers, and map-making tools for sci-fi writers.

Using prompts and exercises

Prompts and exercises that can help you practice your worldbuilding skills. For example, try creating a timeline of important events in your fictional world, or write a story set in a specific location within your world and describe the environment and culture in detail. And when in doubt, add dragons.

• Write descriptive passages about your world: To help your readers visualise and understand your world, include detailed descriptions of its culture, geography, and history in your writing. Use sensory language and specific details to bring your world to life and help your readers feel like they’re a part of it.
• Write a scene that takes place in a city you have never visited: Choose a city you have never visited and write a scene that takes place there. Use your research and imagination to create a detailed and believable setting that brings the city to life for your readers.
• Write a scene set in a world with a different technological level: Choose a technology level that is different from the one we are familiar with (either more advanced or less advanced), and write a scene set in a world where that technology level is the norm. How does this technology level influence your characters' daily lives and the events of your story?

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