Tao of Guerra

For every story, the author must create a world that the reader can get lost in. Fantasy or speculative fiction worlds need even more detailed work to be convincing. Easier said than done. It’s sort of like building a car. You can play with the design, the purpose (make it fly, swim, hover, travel through time,..), what it’s made of, the color, etc., but you still need a solid engine that lasts. The strength of the engine depends on how much effort you put into building the world around your story.

How do you take your ideas and give them structure? This was the foremost question on my mind when I first thought of “Samurai Elf®.” I had the idea, but there’s a world of difference between a figment of my imagination and a fully developed concept. I turned to my old friend – books. Whenever I need ideas or inspiration, I flip through books to get my creative juices flowing. Here are some ideas to help you build your world so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

Anyone interested in creating a world should read George MacDonald’s essay, “The Fantastic Imagination.” If you’ve never heard of George MacDonald, he’s the guy J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis looked to for inspiration. What’s some of his no nonsense advice? Make a world that is grounded in common sense. Once you’ve established a rule, don’t break it. If only Hollywood followed these two simple rules! If you think those rules sound familiar, many have repeated them, but not given credit to MacDonald who lived from 1824-1905. Here are a couple of excerpts:

“The natural world has its laws, and no man must interfere with them in the way of presentment any more than in the way of use; but they themselves may suggest laws of other kinds, and man may, if he pleases, invent a little world of his own, with its own laws; for there is that in him which delights in calling up new forms--which is the nearest, perhaps, he can come to creation…

His world once invented, the highest law that comes next into play is, that there shall be harmony between the laws by which the new world has begun to exist; and in the process of his creation, the inventor must hold by those laws. The moment he forgets one of them, he makes the story, by its own postulates, incredible. To be able to live a moment in an imagined world, we must see the laws of its existence obeyed. Those broken, we fall out of it...

A man's inventions may be stupid or clever, but if he does not hold by the laws of them, or if he makes one law jar with another, he contradicts himself as an inventor, he is no artist.”

“How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy” by Orson Scott Card and “Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy,” by David Gerrold helped me to think of all of the details that a world needs to successfully draw in the reader. Card discusses the mechanics of the story, such as plot, pacing and characterization. But most importantly, it helps you understand how to edit your own work and give it a formal polish. Card’s book focuses on science fiction writing, but it’s really a book on writing good fiction. Gerrold discusses working within a logical framework when you're creating your own world. He emphasizes that, "you have to write each moment as if you lived it yourself." This book is not a specific checklist on what to cover, but it helps give you inspiration (always welcome) and encourages you to stay within the logistics of your world.

These books can go a long way to helping you to flesh out your ideas. It gave me a structure to work with; a starting point. They can help you to organize your thoughts and dig deeper into your story. For example, what’s the weather like? Is there magic? What kind of technology do they use? What kinds of religions do they follow? What’s their political structure? Is it a tribal society, or a modern or advanced society? Both Card and Gerrold ask a lot of questions. If you answer them all, you'll be able to breathe life into your world and the characters that live in it.

Another tip I use is to save articles that give me ideas. News and science stories are always good for future reference. Sometimes you read something and it helps you to fill in small details, other times it causes a maelstrom of ideas. I encourage anything that sparks that “what if?” moment in my brain. Another advantage of using articles is they can help make your fantastical idea plausible.

There’s a great new writing software called Scrivener that lets you type, bring in pictures, use note cards, link to supporting docs and reference materials, and almost anything you can do with paper, except it saves it in one file. It saves you from having to go through files full of paper. Keeping yourself organized will keep your story organized. The only drawback is that it’s only available for Macs.

Some great fiction books I’ve read that sparked many ideas include, “Dune,” the foundation series by Asimov, and the “Lord of the Rings” series. On the comics front, “Watchmen,” “Battle Angel Alita,” and “Ghost in a Shell” are great examples of worlds that completely immerse you. They show you the power of having thought through all aspects of the story, leaving no room for plot holes or awkward moments due to inconsistent storytelling.

Be creative, go wild! Just remember to give your plot a solid structure, your world plausible rules, and of course, great characters. Fantasy in the realm of possibility makes your story believable.

Post by Miguel & Suzy