I feel like I’ve been so wrapped up in life lately, I completely
forgot it was IWSG until I happened to check my blog this morning and see
everyone else’s posts. I was originally going to post today on some other stuff
but I think I’ll save that for December, after the craziness of NaNoWriMo has
passed.
This month's IWSG question is:
What is your favorite
aspect of being a writer?
I instantly knew what my answer to this question would be –
world building. I adore getting lost in a book where the world building is so
complete and intricate that you could believe that that world actually existed.
I’ve read books where the world building has been so good, it’s taken me a few
moments to readjust back to reality once I’ve stopped reading, or I’ve felt
gutted when a book/series has finished and I know I have to leave that world
behind forever.
I love good world building – I’m not just talking about
descriptions of places, I’m also talking about the history of the world, its
rules and regulations, its political system, its currency, different races and
religions, gender and their roles in society…it’s all these things that really
bring a book to life. As a reader, I think it can be obvious when an author doesn’t
put as much thought or time into their world building as they should – but if
they do put in the effort, it makes the whole book flow and reading it a joy.
In terms of being a writer, this is my favourite part of
writing because although it can be a challenge to bring a world to life on a
page, I love exploring the possibilities of new worlds and coming up with the little
details that all add to the overall picture. In the fantasy novel that I’m
currently working on, I’m taking the time to explore the backstory of my
fantasy world and I’m absolutely loving it – whenever I don’t feel like writing
a proper scene, I’ll write some folklore or dream up a new location in my
world, and write about that for a while instead. It’s actually a surprisingly
good way to get myself into the writing mindset – and I’m planning on using
this technique to up my word count during NaNoWriMo if I get desperate!
What about you – what’s
your favourite aspect of being a writer? Have you read any books lately with
brilliant world building? What brings a book to life for you? If you’re participating
in NaNoWriMo, don’t forget to add me at: REPattinson1!
World building is fun, but it can also be tricky to get right. Creating a new world and the characters that'll live in it is a gift that writers and readers can enjoy, though.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNo!
World building can be a lot of fun, but also difficult! I had to do some world building for a short story and it was tricky figuring out what information to include in a smaller piece of writing.
ReplyDeleteIf you love it and you're good at it, that's a big plus. I still struggle with world building.
ReplyDeleteI read to escape too, so I totally hear you. I LOVE world building, but I also find that writing in the real world is okay too...as long as there's something fantastic hiding behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteTha's really cool! I like world-building, but there are certain aspects I always miss. I do like creating new places and characters, but I don't always get the micro level of detail.
ReplyDeleteI love world building. I can be queen, make all the rules. LOL Even with my contemporary mysteries, I build the world my characters inhabit. Lots of fun!
ReplyDeleteI love your creativity. And, yes, some of the made-up worlds feel so real as we read them. Like Narnia and Hogwarts!
ReplyDeleteIWSG co-host Mary at Play off the Page
oh my gosh, I love world building too. I love writing new worlds, and I love reading about new worlds.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! World-building is probably the hardest part of writing. It certainly takes me the most time. But it's crucial to gaining the trust and love of the readers. We just have to put in the extra hours, right?
ReplyDeleteI love world building too and I love the feeling of getting totally absorbed in the world someone else has built and being kind of disappointed by reality when you put the book down.
ReplyDeleteWorld-building is my least favourite part - I start small (emotions, thoughts) and build outwards :-)
ReplyDeleteI can build stories, but I've never attempted a new world. Sounds like a bigger challenge than I think I can face. But who knows. Best of luck with NaNo, Rachel.
ReplyDeleteBuilding the whole backstory to your world is important even if a lot of it never actually makes the final story! Without it I think the fantasy world can be a little flat and 2 dimensional. I like your idea of using it to fuel your writing creativity, I will have to remember that tip. Thanks, Rachel.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a subtle art, but great if it's done right. Like Suzanne says it's almost what you don't put on the page that counts. The reader gets enough of a sense of a real place that they can fill in the gaps without too much explanation that pulls them out of the story. Something to aim for!
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