Building a world that doesn't get in the way
Once you're fully prepared, writing by instinct comes naturally
Authors of genres that require world-building typically do a lot of research. Most are already experts in something. But no matter how much know-how comes preloaded, they still need to fill in the blanks.
When I wrote my first epic fantasy series, I read a lot of books—from The Art of War to Horses for Dummies. I kept my research books in their own bookshelf, and one day I counted them. There were seventy-five. Not a world record, but it impressed me. (Keep in mind, this was a few years back when some people still bought books made from paper.)
In addition, I interviewed a dozen people whose expertise included martial arts, medieval weapons, and herbal medicines. I also took an hours-long hike in the mountains with a well-known naturalist and peppered him with questions about caves, rocks, rivers, trees, predators, prey, birds, insects, bushes, wildflowers, herbs—you get the picture.
The research process took about three months. Afterward, I was ready to write. But I wasn’t just writing a novel. I was also building a world.
Once you’ve written an epic fantasy series, you read other epic fantasy with a different eye. Sure, you enjoy the story as much as any reader does. But a part of your awareness pays attention to how authors do their thing. George R.R. Martin comes to mind. I became enthralled as much by his world-building as I did his storytelling—and not only the world-building but also how masterfully he wove it into his narrative.
I’ve read scifi and epic fantasy that threw me a bit because it felt like the author wrote it in a foreign language. The world-building skills might be terrific—but dare I say it, sometimes too terrific? I don’t want to bog this down with a slew of debatable examples, but sometimes a house is just a house, a horse just a horse, and a shoe just a shoe. Writers who make up different words for every conceivable object risk losing readers who aren’t as well-versed, IMO.
To me, a writer is like an athlete. The “research” part of an athlete’s game is lifting weights, running, stretching, eating well, performing countless drills, watching hours of film, and practicing, practicing, practicing. But when the actual game begins, all that fades into the background. Instinct (honed by years of preparation) takes over. If it doesn't, the athlete looks wooden. A superstar’s exploits look effortless.
While writing my upcoming novel—book 1 of a middle-grade epic fantasy trilogy titled Dark Circles—I tried to let the words flow more instinctively. My world-building became less intense, drifting naturally in and out of the narrative. Dark Circles is less sophisticated than The Death Wizard Chronicles, but perhaps it’s more digestible.
Gametime is playtime.
I consider fantasy the hardest genre to write because of the world building. It's quite an art to provide enough world that the reader feels immersed--but not so much that the pace drags. Congratulations on your upcoming series!