And read articles like this one to learn more about how made-up realities can perpetuate stereotypes in our own world. If you’re inspired by other cultures, be mindful of how you use that inspiration.Īre you perpetuating stereotypes? Reimagining real-life communities as a fantasy race that feels less than human? Hijacking the lore or traditions of real cultures without understanding their context?Ĭonsider working with a cultural consultant if you plan to borrow from a real-world culture. Use it whenever you need to as you plan, write, and revise your novel.īut be aware that even fantasy worlds are interpreted through a real world lens. The whole entire world is always right here, ready to fuel your imagination. What do you love about those worlds? How can you make that magic your own? History can tell you what political or economic structures would fuel your central conflict.Īnd of course, you can always return to the fantasy worlds that drew you into the genre. There’s an entire globe’s worth of mythologies and folklore to inspire stories, characters, monsters, gods, and religious structures. You can adapt the flora and fauna of your fantasy world from real-life wonders like the aye-aye or corpse flower. You can research the geography of far-away countries or the terrain of other planets as you craft your landscapes. More likely, you are an actual human person and will get stuck from time to time. You might enter this process already bursting with ideas and ride the flow of creative genius all the way to your first draft.

A Word on Inspirationīefore we dive into the step-by-step of how to create a fantasy world, let’s talk about inspiration. I’ll also share some tips for finding inspiration and suggestions for keeping your best ideas organized. This won’t cover every possible consideration, but it will help you stay focused on the key considerations that matter most. So, in the interest of making sure your fantasy world makes it beyond your worldbuilding bible and into the hands of readers, I present you with this simple guide to creating a fantasy world. You’ve got a brilliant fantasy novel in you and the world needs that book. …to become that writer who spends eight years worldbuilding and zero minutes writing an actual novel. And since the only limit is your vast imagination, it can be very easy to get lost on far flung shores… Yes, you’ve got a lot to hash out, from history and language to creatures and cosmos.

Even truer if your ambition is to be the next Tolkien. This is especially true if you’re writing a second world fantasy where you have to create every single aspect of the world from scratch. If you’re asking how to create a fantasy world, you probably already know you’re looking at a pretty big job.

Fantasy world map creator online