| Creating your world when writing a fantasy novel | | | | your novel. |
| is one of the most important steps when | | | | With the existence of plant life, there must also |
| establishing a firm, believable, foundation for your | | | | be water: if the water is polluted the plant life |
| fantasy novel. If your world doesn't work, or | | | | may not fare so well. How does the water get |
| does not make sense, you are fighting an uphill | | | | there? |
| battle in inviting in your reader. Your world should | | | | Animals and creatures are likely to play a part in |
| be fully developed before you put your pen to | | | | your fantasy novel. This is a fantasy novel and |
| paper. Certainly you will need to consider the | | | | these are fantasy creatures, but they must |
| thoughts and ideas you are toying with for your | | | | belong in their environment. If you are designing a |
| novels scenes, plots or quests, but much of the | | | | simple dragon, the colours of the dragon might |
| stories action and events will have to have some | | | | reflect the natural colors found in its environment, |
| relationship with the atmosphere and terrain of | | | | a desert dragon would be sandy colored, unless |
| your world. | | | | the desert was a dark sand desert in which case |
| Certainly make detailed notes when designing | | | | the colors might be similar to the darker earth of |
| your world and lands, but you could also bring | | | | your world. If your dragon exists or is a traveler |
| your world alive for yourself by drawings and | | | | from an icy environment, it might be shades of |
| painting or models and dioramas. I fully | | | | blue and white. A dragon of no fixed address |
| recommend doing this. | | | | would most likely have a chameleon like ability. |
| If your world has many lands, how are they | | | | Consider what food your animals eat and their |
| separated? If there are a variety of villages or | | | | climate when developing their physical |
| communities in your novel, there is typically | | | | characteristics. Do they hunt or stalk? Are their |
| something in the geography, and/ or history that | | | | physical attributes capable of such endeavors. |
| might explain why there are differences. | | | | Consider their defense mechanism and also their |
| In creating the terrain for your fantasy novel, you | | | | attack ability where it might be a feature; imagine |
| must consider things such as distance and time, | | | | how they move and even how they might smell. |
| certainly you might give your characters some | | | | Animals and creatures may communicate with |
| mastery over this concept, but it is a concept | | | | each other or across species, when developing |
| that does exist, and one your reader will be sure | | | | your animals and creatures be sure to consider |
| to notice if it is not consistent, or justify | | | | their communication ability. |
| inconsistency. | | | | Don't be sparing with your imagination when |
| Keep in mind when developing your fantasy world | | | | creating your animals and creatures. Their shapes |
| that your characters and events will relate to | | | | and abilities may be inspired by our earth animals, |
| their environment somehow. | | | | but this is a fantasy world, either existing in a |
| The terrain or fall of the land, plants and animals | | | | time before life that we know today or well into |
| must all work in harmony with each other. Big | | | | an imaginable future, perhaps in a time similar as |
| furry animals don't live in the desert, and you will | | | | our today but certainly on another realm. Your |
| have a hard time convincing your reader they do. | | | | animals and creatures must appear as if they |
| If your fantasy novel does happen to include a big | | | | belong there and not here. |
| hairy beast living in the desert, you will need to | | | | You may have noticed that I am suggesting an |
| justify this somehow within your pages. Tropical, | | | | awful lot of minute detail here, much of this detail |
| lush warm weather plants would also be out of | | | | may not even make the pages of your finished |
| place on an ice shelf. | | | | fantasy novel. In fact it is not particularly advisable |
| When creating the plants of your fantasy world, | | | | to force detail to your readers, but if you do not |
| consider the food that your characters eat, and | | | | see your world clearly, and know every part of it, |
| the food that your animals will eat. If your | | | | you cannot expect your readers to make |
| characters and animals are all well fed vegetarians, | | | | something up to save you the effort. Besides, in |
| you might consider that they live in an | | | | my opinion, this is the most exciting stage in the |
| environment rich in vegetation. Although this is a | | | | development of your fantasy novel, this is one |
| fantasy world, some basic principles of ecology | | | | process that is far more fun than work, and will |
| and biology must be present. Your Fantasy world | | | | certainly keep your inspiration alive during the |
| is a real world even though it may only exist in | | | | writing process. |