I love worldbuilding. It's got to be one of my favourite parts of storytelling. When worldbuilding, I try and figure out where the differences are. What about different countries make them separate, rather than the same. These cultural/political borders are more important to me than the physical borders. Though, in fact, sometimes you discover physical borders while exploring these other ones. But, nevertheless, there is an inherent power to understanding what makes us different from each other. From it, we can shape what defines us as individuals, but more than that, it will also allow you to figure out where likely conflicts arise. This is an invaluable resource when developing plot and conflict further on in the story.
In my most recent story, Fractured Bloodlines [an upcoming graphic novel], I made the defining difference between these three cultures be magic. Magic, such a unifying force, being the very thing that divides people. In one country it's viewed as something very physical, power, and inherently necessary to keeping balance in the world. It's looked at with reverence. In another country it's viewed as being nothing more than a science. And from their scientific study of this force, they have created things no one else has ever even dreamed of. Then to another it is seen as being something extremely spiritual. A personal crime to use it, except for religious context. From those concepts, I thing extrapolated and began crafting their cultures.
I created their legends, based off what I understood to be their values. Those legends soon became the foundations of a religion, or political power. Or both. At this point I begin to see conflicts, on a larger scale than previously in this world's history, when communities were smaller. From these conflicts, changes occur and radical new ideas are developed within the adjacent possible of their spiritual beliefs. Here, we begin to see the changes that will make these separate kingdoms go in drastically different directions.
In the case of this story, I had a rough concept of what I wanted for the story concept before I began worldbuilding. I had an idea of two separate characters entering the capitol of this Empire, at the dawn on an industrial revolution. They don't know each other, but they are coming to the city for similar reasons. These similar reasons, however, take them to two separate sides of this great city. One half of the city, a refugee camp that has turned in a sprawling shanty-city. The other half of the city, a bustling center of knowledge and innovation. And how these two sides of the city view the other, how conflicts can arise from cultural difference, and how the right conditions can make a city go up in flames. And all of this I wanted in volume one, of a six volume set.
So, the conditions had to be perfect. And for that to happen, their histories had to make sense. I knew where I wanted the story of this world's history to end up, but it needed to feel natural. That's worldbuilding to me. Making a world who's history, it's creation, it's entire belief system, has created the conditions for the start and end of your story. It's never to me something I do in hindsight of creating my plot and novel. It happens while I'm creating that, and it lays the foundations of that idea. After creating the world, I saw my original concept in a new light, which allowed me to take it in directions I never would have before. Sorry, sorry, rambling. I really love worldbuilding lol And the world only continues to grow as you write it and discover the foundations for a whole new era of history in this world. My graphic novel shows this world at one period of time. But I've developed a world with as many stories set in the past, in the future, and long after they've left that planet behind. It will always grow, change, and evolve into startling new directions, though. Every action your character takes, shaping the foundation of that world's future.
Which takes me to the final part of worldbuilding. The character. You, like me, may have already had a character in mind. A purpose for them, at least. There's a character from this place, coming here to do that, and in the end he does this. That's the basics of what I have for the initial thought of all my stories. I know who my character is [kind of], what he's trying to do, and where I want him by the end of it all. Him succeeding, failing, being the chosen one, being nothing, whatever. I have what I think he can be in mind. That will change. You can't really know a character, until you know where he's coming from. His past, his history, and home. The culture that developed him and why he has the values he has today. To do this, you need your world. So you begin to worldbuild, creating everything with an understanding of where you want to be. But along the way, concepts come to you. Interesting ways to make the culture unique come across your mind and when you get the world to the point it needs to be, you see that it's not quite what you originally had in mind, but it still works. Now, your character has something to build off of. I like to make characters either representations of a culture, or in contrast to it. Or by being the representation of a culture, they come in contrast to the people living in it. These things, when being developed, will help you create the base materials for every conflict your character will face along the way. Because conflict should come from the character. It shouldn't be this strange, external force always on his back. The inciting incident should be the only occasion where anything happens just 'to' your character. After that, he should be making the decisions that push your story ever on, towards greater risks and conflicts.
