Word Puke

Worldbuilding can be one of the most daunting tasks that a writer can embark on, but fear not! Siera Schubach, an awarding-winning author, is here to save the day and give you a great guide to building your fantasy world without knowing every detail.

Have you ever wanted to write a fantasy story but felt overwhelmed by the concept of worldbuilding?

As a fantasy writer myself, I’m going to tell you a little secret: Worldbuilding isn’t as complicated as it is made out to be. 

Here are a few steps you can take to build a strong, layered, and interesting fantasy world without any prep. 

The Plot is the Point

Do you know every single language on Earth? Do you know the customs and cultures of every person on the planet? I expect the answer is “no” (unless you’re an all knowing oracle in which case, I have some questions). We don’t know every detail of the world we live in now, and you don’t need to know all the details of the world you are creating either. 

There are over seven different species (that I know of) in my fantasy world, but the only ones I know much about are those that factor heavily into the story. You don’t need to know the vast history of a character who is only mentioned in passing.

the tree had grown a root up through the center of it & out through the sides

wings: “humans don’t like things they can’t understand, so if we’re going to levitate we should have wings. in fact we should probably have lots of wings, since we’re so big and impressive. humans like wings”

loud, booming voices: “fuck off Azrael the humans needs to be able to hear us.”

glowing: “no no no, it’s about visibility, right? the main human sensory organ works by detecting light, so if we emit light…” 

wheels: “why the hell are you shaped like that?” “piss off, the humans are really proud of this invention”

multiple faces/eyes: “it makes me relatable” “i swear to God it doesn’t–” “i need to see in every direction” “ Azrael you are a supernatural messenger of god you do not need–” “THE HUMANS NEED TO KNOW I’M WATCHING”

multiple limbs: “humans have lots of limbs! they like limbs” “look i let you keep the wings but–” “how do you expect me to walk?” “70,000 feet is not a reasonable number of feet, Azrael!” “fuck off i’m ENORMOUS” 

yoda was 900 years old. palpatine was like maybe 60.

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