For my second post, I thought I’d talk about one of the three most important aspects of writing; the world. Like characters, worlds need to be formed and shaped into something believable.  It can be as nonsensical as you wish it to be, just so long as it feels right for your characters.  Anything that can be dreamt of, can be used.

From an alternate reality that is different in only one point to ours, to the bizarre, anything is up for use.  If something happens in your world, you must know what the consequences will be.  I believe that it is this that pushes most writers to use the ‘modern day’ world.  We all know what would happen if someone were kidnapped or murdered.  But what if the consequences were different?

Perhaps kidnapping someone could gain you access to a secret society.  Falling in love could be seen as being alien and punishable by public humiliation.  Or perhaps it is something less prosaic than that, what if, we discover that we are not on Earth after all but some other planet, light years away from ours? And who said that the characters have to be human?  By changing the species, you would change their entire world and how they interact with it.

Cows could be the dominant species, demanding that we milk them three times a day on punishment of death.  What would be the point of cities and nations if we were unable to advance beyond the Milking age? Whatever world you chose, spend time fleshing it out.  Don’t be afraid to get things wrong.  You are the creator and only you know what it right and what isn’t.  All you have to do is make it and convince others it is true.