worldbuilding time travel reddit

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Orlando Cepeda dies

Planning on traveling for the Fourth of July holiday? Here’s how to avoid the rush

FILE - Motorists head southbound in the local and express lanes on Interstates 90-94 in slow and thickening traffic as a CTA train enters a station on the first day of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, July 1, 2022, in Chicago. Millions of Americans are preparing to get out of town sometime in the coming Fourth of July holiday week, which will likely mean busy roads as well as packed airports and train stations. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE - Travelers walk with their luggage through Union Station in Washington ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, July 1, 2023. Millions of Americans are preparing to get out of town sometime in the coming Fourth of July holiday week, which will likely mean busy roads as well as packed airports and train stations. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

• Copy Link copied

NEW YORK (AP) — The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and the travel rush is already heating up.

Millions of Americans are preparing to get out of town sometime in the coming holiday week. That will likely mean busy roads, as well as packed airports and train stations.

Motor club AAA projects that some 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from their homes over a nine-day Independence Day travel period — surpassing pre-pandemic numbers for the U.S. holiday. And the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen over 32 million individuals in airports from this Thursday through July 8, up 5.4% from last year’s numbers.

Are you traveling for the Fourth? Here’s a rundown of what you need to know.

When is the best time to hit the road for July Fourth?

Smooth sailing for travel around any holiday is never a given. But avoiding the most hectic times, when others are rushing out of town, is a good way to start.

If you’re traveling by car for the Fourth of July, it’s best to hit the road in the morning, according to transportation data and insights provider INRIX. Peak traffic congestion varies by location, INRIX data published by AAA shows, but the worst times to drive on, or leading up to, the holiday are generally between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Either way, be prepared for the roads to be jammed.

“Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a prepared statement.

July Fourth falls on a Thursday this year, and many travelers will likely take Friday July 5th off to extend their trip into a four-day weekend. Drivers in large metro areas can expect the biggest delays on Wednesday July 3 and Sunday July 7 — as travelers leave and return to town, Pishue added.

And if you’re renting a car ahead of July Fourth, the busiest pickup days will be Friday, Saturday and Wednesday before the holiday, AAA notes.

When will airports be busiest?

Airports will also likely be packed all week long — but the TSA expects most people will take to the skies on Friday.

It anticipates that it will screen more than 3 million individuals Friday. That would surpass the agency’s current record for most people screened on a single day, which reached just under 3 million last Sunday.

“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said, adding that travel typical peaks around Independence Day.

Last year, the busiest day for Fourth of July air travel was also the Friday ahead of the holiday, TSA data shows. If past trends hold, travel will likely be higher on the days before and after the Fourth — particularly closer to the weekend. In 2023, for example, more than 2 million people were screened on the Fourth, which landed on a Tuesday last year, down from 2.88 million the Friday before.

What should I do if my flight is delayed or canceled?

Flights can be delayed or canceled for an array of reasons — from plane-specific mechanical problems to major storms impacting popular travel paths.

If your flight is canceled, airlines are required to provide refunds for customers, even if the cancellation is due to weather . Delays are trickier, because they typically have to meet certain criteria for relief, such as refunds or compensation — but carriers will often give customers to chance to switch to alternative flights, if available, at no cost.

In April, the Biden administration issued final rules that include requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. Those rules are set to take effect over the next two years, but the Department of Transportation has a site that lets consumers see the commitments each airline has made for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.

Always check your itinerary before leaving home

It’s better to be stuck at home than locked in hourslong traffic or stranded in an airport terminal. Before heading out the door this holiday week, do yourself a favor and check the status of your travel plans.

Was your flight, train or bus ride delayed? Are there are traffic incidents set to disrupt your drive? And what about the weather? A quick look through your itinerary — such as trip updates on a carrier’s website — checking weather forecasts and monitoring traffic safety through services like the 511 hotline or your phone’s navigation apps can go a long way toward avoiding travel misery.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind:

— Leave early: There are more people everywhere during a holiday week, so lines will be longer and roads will be busier. Give yourself more time to get to your destination or to make your way through airport security.

— Keep an eye on the weather — and not just for your destination: Look at the weather for your entire travel path. Even if it’s sunny skies both at home and the place you’re headed, it’s important to keep an eye out for any storms in between. You may need to do some rerouting.

— Be kind: A trip delay or cancellation can be really frustrating — but if you’re running into disruptions, chances are others are too. Customer service agents have a lot on their plate at this time of year, and it’s important to be patient and respectful as they try to help you.

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: How to Construct an Unforgettable Universe

Sci-fi worldbuilding comes with a lot of contradictory rules.

Let your imagination run wild but ground it in research . Transport your readers to a world that’s nothing like anything they’ve ever known but make it feel real. Nail the science but remember it’s not really about science.

No one would blame you for feeling a little lost. Sci-fi worldbuilding is going to draw you deep into the weeds, but don’t worry. I’m going to give you the tools you need to bushwhack your way out.

You’re about to learn:

• How detailed to get with your worldbuilding
• How much research you need to do to build your science fiction world
• What it takes to design an imagined setting that feels real
• Why sci-fi worldbuilding is different from creating worlds in other genres
• How to keep your hot mess of ideas organized

I can’t promise your worldbuilding experience won’t get a little chaotic. But I can help you stay sane and clear headed through the chaos. Ready?

Let’s do this.

Step 1: Set Some Parameters

Sci-fi worldbuilding can get pretty overwhelming, especially when there’s a fantasy element. When the only limit is your imagination, how do you even know where to begin? Or where to end, for that matter? 

It may reassure you to know that even your imagination needs to operate within a few guidelines.

For one thing, there’s the golden rule of worldbuilding: 

‍ Your world serves your story. 

It's not the other way around. If it doesn’t support your plot and it’s not necessary to give the reader a strong sense of place, you don’t need it.

Now, you may not know exactly what your sci-fi story needs from your setting right now. You might not even know what your story is . It’s perfectly fine to build your story and your world simultaneously. 

Just note that the longer you go without a story, the greater your risk of outlining every battle of an intergalactic war only to realize your reader just needs to know who won in the end.

Second, let your favorite authors help you set some guidelines.

Read science fiction books as you build your world (and as you draft and revise your novel). Notice how other authors describe their world. What information do they give you and what do they leave up to your imagination? Why do you think they make those choices?

More importantly, does their approach work?

Of course, some authors divulge more details than others. That’s why you want to do this exercise with sci-fi novels that fit in the same category as your soon-to-be book . 

What do I mean by “category?” So glad you asked.

Step 2: Categorize Your Sci-Fi Novel

To set clearer sci-fi worldbuilding parameters for your book, you have to know where your book belongs on the science spectrum.

In other words, are you writing hard science fiction, soft science fiction, or science fantasy?

Hard Science Fiction

Hard science fiction novels take the science part of sci-fi very seriously. Readers of hard sci-fi expect to hear a lot about the science of your world. They want specifics and accuracy. Physical sciences like astronomy and biology tend to play a starring role in hard science fiction.

If you're writing in this category, your sci-fi worldbuilding will involve things like:

• Researching scientific laws
• Reasoning through the plausibility of the way those laws are applied in your story
• Imagining what it would look like to take current scientific advancements to the next level
• Imagining how those advancements would reshape society
• Softly sobbing in the library when a textbook pokes a hole in your story

Soft Science Fiction

Soft science fiction doesn't concern itself quite as much with explaining the physical probabilities of your book’s sci-fi elements. There’s more focus on the human experience of living with that science. Societal, psychological, and emotional consequences take center stage.

“Soft science fiction” can also refer to sci-fi books that entertain a thought experiment concerning a science like psychology, sociology, or anthropology.

If you’re writing in this category, your sci-fi worldbuilding will involve things like:

• Dreaming up a scientific advancement that would transform society or present an ethical dilemma
• Outlining transformations in big-picture areas such as laws, taboos, power structures, and free will
• Exploring transformations in more intimate situations like relationships, identity, and family structure
• Possibly doing some research to make sure the science is at least plausible and vaguely explainable

Science Fantasy

Science fantasy is a blend of science and fantasy . Go figure.

In science fantasy, there are both scientific elements—such as technology—and fantasy elements—such as creatures that are not known to actually exist. This subgenre borrows tropes from both sci-fi and fantasy. It's super fun.

As you might guess, science fantasy is another category that does not require a ton of scientific explanation. You could go deep on science if you wanted to, but most science fantasy authors choose not to juxtapose the explainable and the unexplainable.

Star Wars is a classic example of science fantasy. There are clones (a scientific concept) and there are high-foreheaded, humanoid teddy bears (pure fantasy, to the best of my knowledge). 

• Dreaming up interesting scientific advancements
• Doing enough research to reference those advancements in a way that sounds like you know what you’re talking about
• Considering how the science of your story would influence society, government, and day-to-day life
• Creating a fantasy world (Psst. Here’s a fantasy worldbuilding guide to help you out.)

Now, there's a decent chance whatever book you're imagining doesn't fit into a single category. Even hard and soft sci-fi can overlap. Google reading lists in either category and you will probably find Octavia Butler’s name everywhere. Her work can go deep on science, but she was always exploring human issues. 

So don't obsess over where your book fits exactly. Just use these categories to start getting a sense of how to focus your sci-fi worldbuilding efforts. Then narrow it down further by finding what category your world fits into.

Step 3: Categorize Your World

Sci-fi worlds tend to fit in one of the following four categories.

Real World 

This is the world we know and live in, past or present, but with science fiction elements at play. If you're writing real-world sci-fi, you don't have to worry so much about constructing an entirely new reality.

Instead, you'll zero in on the specific technology or a scientific phenomenon at the heart of your story. Often, the science element of real-world sci-fi is only known to a few characters. Society continues on as it always has while the central characters time travel or bust ghosts. 

Alternate Reality

Alternate reality presents alternate versions of our past or present world. This can include reimagined history, like The Man in the High Castle . It can also include parallel universes or other dimensions in the present day, as is the case with Dark Matter .

If you're setting your sci-fi novel in an alternate reality, the amount of worldbuilding you have to do depends on the nature of your story. You might do some historical research and then add sci-fi elements to the world of the past. Or you might imagine an entirely new reality altogether.

Speculative Future

A speculative future sci-fi novel imagines how our current reality could change under a specific set of circumstances. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a speculative future world, one in which a fundamentalist regime has gained totalitarian control over the United States.

For this type of world, your sci-fi worldbuilding will be guided by the larger question posed by your novel. Let’s say you want to tell a story that answers the question “What if there was an app that allowed us to read each other’s thoughts?”

Start imagining the answer and how that answer would influence aspects of your setting. 

Fantasy 

This one is fairly self-explanatory. A fantasy world is one that does not exist and never has existed. This includes made-up planets and alien spaceships.

If you’re building a science fantasy world, you’ve got a lot of worldbuilding to do. And a lot of it is going to come from your own imagination. You'll need to dream up everything from the terrain to the political history. 

The upside? You probably can worry a little bit less about scientific accuracy. To a degree, at least; if you have humans breathing on another planet, that planet needs an atmosphere. Or magic.

Now that you have a better grip on what your world looks like and how much you need to know about it, let's dig into the two areas that you'll be fleshing out: the scientific and the fantastical.

Step 4: Master the Science of Your World

The two greatest challenges when it comes to the science part of sci-fi worldbuilding are:

• Researching and comprehending science so you can write about it like you know what you're talking about
• Determining when you know enough to make the world feel authentic to your reader

Here are a few tips for overcoming these issues.

‍ Start with a question. Science fiction is a question-driven genre. Whatever story you're telling, it was likely inspired by a “what if” question. 

What if scientists cloned dinosaurs and started a dinosaur theme park? What if humanity advanced beyond bigotry and a team of humans served as intergalactic diplomats to a universe still rife with prejudice? 

Try to nail down your question if you haven’t already.

‍ Make a list of all the scientific concepts you need to understand in order to sell this world to your audience. For example, if you’re writing the dinosaur clone story (even though it’s been done), you’ll need to know about cloning and dinosaurs.

Include things you don't know and plan to double-check the things you believe you already know. Might as well be thorough.

‍ Think through your characters’ everyday life. What’s the breakfast situation like on your spacecraft? Is the government really watching them 24/7… like, everywhere? 

By walking through daily life in your world, you can catch the little science-centered questions that are bound to come up as you draft your novel. Make them make sense now so they don’t unravel your story later.

‍ Use multiple resources for your research. Take that list of questions to Google, your library, any experts you can find, and academic journals. It can be especially valuable to reach out to experts, as they can talk through an idea and help explore alternatives if your original idea isn’t plausible.

As for the things you can’t research...

Step 5: Master the Fantasy of Your World 

The challenge of building a fantasy world is that it’s easy to assume you’re working with zero limitations. That’s not exactly true. There are very few restrictions when it comes to inventing your own reality, but they do exist.

And working with those restrictions actually makes your world more captivating. You’ll see why as I lay out some key tips for designing the fantasy elements of your world. 

‍ First, set some worldbuilding goals up front. These goals will probably evolve. Story and world have a tendency to inspire one another. But I recommend doing your best to identify a few must-build aspects of your world from the get-go. 

Does your reader need to know the name of every member of the alien fraternity that calls the shots on this planet? Maybe yes, maybe no. Do they need to know the names of the fraternity members’ kids? Probably not. 

Draw a line there and don’t let yourself get nailed with Worldbuilder’s Disease .

‍ Treat the laws of magic as seriously as the laws of science. If you want to sell something as real, it has to make sense. Who holds the magic? Why them? What are the limitations of magic? Define them and respect them as you build your world and plot your novel.

‍ Consider your tone. The fantasy elements of your sci-fi novel can do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to establishing a tone and maintaining a vibe. Is this a wonder-filled adventure on a forest planet? Or a seemingly hopeless mission in a desolate dimension? 

Now that we’ve laid out some ground rules for sci-fi worldbuilding, let’s dig into the specifics.

What exactly do you need to create to make this world real for your readers?

Step 6: Characters

‍ Character development is a subject for another article ( several other articles , in fact).

But sci-fi worldbuilding still requires you to determine who will populate the universe of your novel. Here are a few things to consider.

If you’re constructing an entirely new species, what are their physical qualities? How do they differ from humans? (If you pull inspiration from exiting human societies, be careful to avoid creating characters that dehumanize or stereotype real cultures.)

On the other hand, if you’re imagining a future or alternate reality containing humans, how are these humans different because of their unique circumstances? Do they have any unique skills, routines, or adaptations that are a direct result of your sci-fi world?

Are any of your characters also technology? In that case, to what degree do they resemble humans? 

Who holds the power in this world? Who seeks power? Is anyone oppressed or an outsider? 

When you eventually write this thing, will you tell it from the point of view of a specific character? If so, start thinking about how this character would perceive the world. What details are important to them?

Finally, how do your characters speak? Do they work with an adapted language like Newspeak in 1984 ? Will you need to create a conlang (constructed language) for an alien race?

Got your answers? Good. Because it’s time to talk about your physical and cultural setting.

Step 7: Ships, Planets, and Everything in Between

Sci-fi worldbuilding might mean designing a spacecraft and the culture of the flight crew. It could mean reimagining all of Asia. Or it could mean constructing an entire galaxy. 

However big or small your sci-fi world is, you need to consider both its physical and cultural attributes. This general worldbuilding guide goes deeper into these categories, but for now, here’s a quick snapshot of those attributes.

The physical world of your story refers to everything that exists without human (or human-adjacent) intervention. This includes:

• Landscape, borders, and terrain
• Flora and fauna
• Natural resources
• Laws of science
• Laws of magic

The cultural world of your story refers to everything that exists because the beings in your sci-fi world made it so. This includes:

• Social, economic, and political structures
• Food, fashion , and entertainment
• Architecture

These are just starter lists. As you begin imagining these aspects of your world, you’ll probably find yourself adding additional elements. 

Also note that you don’t have to think about all of these things. Your book may not require a map or a conlang. Build what makes sense—what supports the story, contributes to conflict , and makes the world feel real.

One more sci-fi worldbuilding tip: build in threats. Natural predators, dangerous terrain, invisible surveillance cameras… any sinister additions that serve your story.

Step 8: Technology

Finally, let’s talk about the tech that makes your sci-fi world go ‘round. Here are some tips for dreaming it up and designing a world around it.

‍ Draw inspiration from reality. If you’re stuck, think about the things you use every day and imagine what it would look like to push them further. Or think of a problem you wish technology already had a solution for. 

‍ Create limitations, too. Just like magic, made-up technology is most interesting when it can’t do everything. What are the limits of tech in your universe? 

‍ Keep it consistent. If the robot can’t feel emotion, don’t let it come to the protagonist’s aid just out of principle. Whatever rules you establish for your technology, stick to them unless the change tracks with the story. 

‍ Be mindful of time. How long would it take your characters to get across the galaxy in that shuttle or across town on that flying scooter? Would it still take half a day to cook a Thanksgiving turkey in the year 2506? Will a business meeting be a long enough distraction for your protagonist to pull off a heist in a world where everyone communicates telepathically? 

It’s a lot to think about, I know. That’s why I’m going to offer one final suggestion.

Create a Sci-Fi Worldbuilding Bible

Your sci-fi worldbuilding bible is the place where you keep all the details of your world. Maps, history, science research… all of it. When you have this information organized and always at hand, you free up a lot of brain space for writing a stellar story .

My favorite way to keep track of story information is using the Story Notes feature in Dabble . Folders and notes are completely customizable so you can organize your sci-fi world however you’d like. You can also upload images and search for photos right there within your notes.

Best of all, this information is just one click away as you draft your sci-fi novel.

If you don’t already use Dabble, you can give it a whirl right now for zero dollars and zero cents. A fourteen-day free trial gives you access to all the Premium Features, no credit card required. Click here to get started.

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

SHARE THIS:

TAKE A BREAK FROM WRITING...

Read. learn. create..

In self-publishing, the author holds all the power. Here's how to wield yours to sell more books and build a sustainable career.

In this follow-up to our author website Deep Dive, we take a look at how you can maximize your digital home base. Be sure to download our author website cheat sheet, too!

No matter how much we want to ignore it, successful authors need a website. But there's more to a good author website than just throwing up a few nice words and pictures of your book. If you do it right, it could be your most powerful marketing tool.

Improve your writing in one of the largest and most successful writing groups online

Join our writing group!

Worldbuilding: The Ultimate Guide (Plus a Template!)

by Fija Callaghan

One of the greatest joys in writing fiction is becoming the god of your own microcosmic universe. Storytelling means getting to create whole new worlds with their own magic, technology, culture, ecosystems, histories, and social constructs.

But building a world that feels real and immersive to the reader can be trickier than it looks. This multifaceted skill set is called worldbuilding, and it’s a huge part of genre fiction like fantasy and science fiction. You might recognize it from rich literary worlds like Game of Thrones , The Handmaid’s Tale , or Star Wars .

Let’s take a deep dive into the step-by-step process of building your imaginary world from the ground up.

What does worldbuilding mean in writing?

Worldbuilding is the step in the writing process when a writer establishes the parameters of their fictional world. This includes the sort of people who live in this world, what their day-to-day lives look like, their beliefs, and the way they’ve been shaped by their ecosystem, geography, and history. Worldbuilding is especially important to fantasy or science fiction writers.

For fantasy writers, the worldbuilding process might include things like how the magic of your fantasy world works and behaves, what sort of mythical creatures populate its society, any religions or cultural traditions that have arisen, and so forth.

In a science fiction novel, your worldbuilding details will probably include technological systems, any otherly species such as aliens or artificial intelligence, how society has framed itself around these elements, and the world’s history that has taken it to the point where your plot begins.

Detailed worldbuilding is essential in bringing the story to life for your reader. More importantly, a shoddily crafted world can sink an otherwise exquisitely plotted novel. Don’t worry—we’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

How to start building your fictional world

When you begin building your fictional universe, the first thing you need to consider is how close you want it to be to the world we know.

Is it the real world you see outside your window every day, tilted just slightly off-kilter? Or is it an entirely new world full of people and places that never were?

Let’s look at three approaches to building imaginary worlds for your story.

Real (or primary) worlds

Primary worldbuilding involves taking our familiar world and adding something new. The Harry Potter series is a good example of this; it takes place in real world locations such as King’s Cross Station in London, but presents to us a world slightly changed from the one we know.

To create this book, J.K. Rowling took the real world and enhanced it with new facets.

Most urban and contemporary fantasy, as well as the majority of science fiction novels, favour this approach.

Brand new (or secondary) worlds

Secondary worldbuilding involves creating a brand new world from scratch, with no relation to our own. This method of worldbuilding can be extraordinarily challenging, but deeply satisfying once it all comes together.

To create a secondary world you’ll need to flesh out your story’s language, landscapes, ecosystems, social and political systems, and more. Game of Thrones and The Chronicles of Narnia use this approach.

High or epic fantasy, and some science fiction, use secondary worldbuilding.

Alternate histories

Alternate history novels can have fantastical elements, but they might also be completely realistic—except for one small thing that’s changed. Your alternate history might be set in times past, or it might be set in contemporary times where the world looks a bit different.

Alternate history worlds begin with a question: “What if?” What if Adolph Hitler had been raised by a different set of parents? What if one of the Wright brothers had died in the womb? What if the suffragette movement had ultimately failed?

This type of worldbuilding involves looking at every effect that would have spun out of this shift.

You can draw inspiration from real-world historical events for ideas.

Elements of your fictional world

Now that we understand a bit more about what worldbuilding is and the sorts of imaginary worlds you might be writing about, let’s take a closer look at each individual element that you’ll need to consider as you start writing.

Both science fiction and fantasy worlds are going to have people, in the loosest sense of the word, powering the events of your plot. What do these people look like? Are they human, humanoid, or something else entirely?

If you’re writing an alternate historical novel, has something in your story’s past caused people to evolve differently? For example, if you’re writing a post-dystopian book set in the future after some apocalyptic disaster, your world’s people may have developed a heightened sensitivity to light, alternate breathing mechanisms that allow them to process highly polluted air, or certain inhibited sensory receptors. The possibilities are endless.

If your world’s people have magical powers or special abilities, how do they work? What are their strengths and limitations? Are there different races of people? How have they established themselves in the imaginary world you’ve created?

We’ll look at more worldbuilding questions like these in our Worldbuilding Workbook later on.

If your fantasy world is different from the real world we live in, what does it look like?

Is it filled with damp, forested regions, sand swept deserts, or frigidly impassable mountains? Are there seas, rivers, lakes that stretch downward for miles and house all manner of creatures from the deep?

Even if you don’t explore every inch of it within the text of your story, it’s a good idea for you as the writer to know what your world looks like. You can even draw a map to reference as you go!

Keep in mind that all of these geographical elements will affect the way your characters behave in this world—people living in the middle of an acrid, unforgiving desert will develop different traditions, and maybe even different bodies, than people living in a bustling seaport.

In worldbuilding, examining the ecosystem takes the geography of your world one step further: how does your fictional setting behave?

What kind of plants, animals, or natural resources will your main characters encounter? If you’re making up brand new species, how did they develop from the foundation of this setting? Consider what this flora and fauna can tell us about the wider world.

What are the weather conditions like? Are there any sort of natural disasters that are prominent in your characters’ lives? Do they have four seasons the way (most of) our world does, or fewer, or more?

You can draw from real-world sources, but fact check to ensure it makes sense with the physical world you’ve created. For example, be careful not to have plants growing in your pristine rainforest that, in reality, only grow in ash-rich dry places or in the densely packed soil of busy cities.

Many fantasy writers enjoy developing entirely new languages for their characters. Tolkien’s rich Elvish languages are great examples of this; as part of his worldbuilding process, he gave his languages their own vocabulary, grammatical systems, and even written lettering.

You don’t need to develop an entire dictionary around your imaginary language, but incorporating a few words or phrases can give your magical world a whole new dimension.

Make sure that you keep those phrases consistent—recurring hard consonant or soft vowel sounds, similar suffixes and prefixes, and so on. You can look to languages from our own world for inspiration.

How do your main characters make money? Or, if it’s not a world that’s run by money (living the dream), how do they support themselves and get what they need to survive? If your protagonist’s house suddenly springs a leak and lets in all that pesky acid rain, who’s going to fix it, and what will it cost them?

During your worldbuilding, consider how your world’s natural resources are allocated, who has access to them, and how.

How does the currency of your world—whether this is a physical currency like money or magic beans, or an intangible currency like skills to be bartered—affect traits like ambition and greed?

Your fictional world should have a revolving economic system that works—at least on some level, and for some people.

Culture and religion

In science fiction and fantasy writing, the sort of traditions and spiritual practices (if any) your fictional societies have are what will create an immersive, believable world for your reader.

What is your world’s religious belief system? Do your characters believe in a god, or a pantheon of gods? How do they communicate these beliefs with their deities and with those around them?

In your worldbuilding, consider what sort of holidays, ceremonies, and superstitions might exist in your fictional world. How are they similar to those we know from our own world, and how are they different?

Think about things like birth, unions, deaths, coming-of-age rites, and the turning of the seasons. You may also think about whether there are opposing traditions and belief systems that are in conflict with one another.

Social construction

How are the power and political systems laid out in your worldbuilding? What makes society value one person, or type of person, over another? Does your fictional world have royalty, political leaders, warring factions, or individual self-governed family units?

Think about what sort of laws your society follows. Are these rules considered fair, or oppressive? What are the consequences of breaking these rules—or following them? How do the disparate social classes behave, and where do your main characters fit into the class system of this broader society?

The social construction of a society or wider world is often a great starting point for discovering the core conflicts of your story.

Magical and/or technological systems

Having a detailed, well-constructed magic system or technological system is essential in creating a believable world for your story. Somewhat ironically, this is where you readers will be most discerning. When something doesn’t work, they’ll be sure to let you know—through scathing reviews on goodreads.

In fantasy worldbuilding, you may have a hard magic system, a soft magic system, or a combination of both. In sci-fi writing, you’ll probably have a system of soft science or hard science. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Soft magic systems allow magic—or technology—to exist within the fabric of the world without needing to explain how every aspect of it works.

This doesn’t mean you should take an “anything is possible” approach (this lowers the stakes of your story rather significantly); rather, the characters take these things for granted as part of their everyday lives.

For example, imagine you’re writing a story about a character who uses an iPhone. You probably wouldn’t stop your narrative to tell the reader what an iPhone is or how exactly it works (do you know? Because I sure don’t). Your reader would be able to pick up enough information from the context clues to understand what’s happening, and they wouldn’t need all the details to be able to enjoy the story.

These types of magic systems can be freeing to write, and they’re also more realistic because your characters probably won’t be aware of every single detail themselves. However, make sure that you’re aware of the limitations and physical laws of your magic or technology, and that those limitations aren’t contradicted throughout your story.

Hard magic systems, or hard science, involve having everything meticulously laid out throughout your plot. For example, if you’re writing about a student who’s just joined a top-secret society of magicians and is learning all the necessary sigils, invocations, and magical elements needed to enact a certain work.

Hard science might be something like a physicist developing a system for time travel and walking the reader through each step of their journey.

These systems can be rewarding to write and they’ll make your detailed world seem more vivid than ever, but they are also very challenging. You’ll need to know exactly how your magic works, what is possible and what is not, how each objective is obtained, and how to keep it consistent all the way through your novel.

Be sure to keep lots of notes, even if you don’t think you’ll use all of them in your actual plot. Remember, if you make a mistake within the parameters of your established science or magic— your readers will tell you . They’ll build fan clubs for the express purpose of discussing your mistake. Don’t be that writer.

3 common worldbuilding mistakes

Speaking of mistakes, grievous errors in worldbuilding are notoriously easy to do because you’re developing such a complex, multifaceted system. Here are some of the major red flags to look for while you’re developing your fictional world.

Borrowing heavily from other stories

If you grew up reading sci-fi or fantasy fiction, chances are you’ve encountered imaginary worlds before. These are wonderful for getting your started on your writing journey; the problem is that it’s very easy to slip into setting your story in another author’s world, instead of your own.

When you’re doing your worldbuilding, make sure to add some elements that make it uniquely yours. Having your characters tromp through a world that feels suspiciously like Middle Earth may feel comforting and familiar to you, but it won’t make your novel stand out from the crowd.

Too much exposition

Be careful not to take up too much real estate in your plot with exposition. This can be particularly challenging in science fiction worlds, where you want to explain how your super cool innovative technology works and the exact steps to take in order to bioengineer an endangered species of butterfly into a cold-blooded killing machine (for example).

A well-thought out system of magic or technology is hugely important to making your worldbuilding resonate with the reader, but be careful not to lose sight of the things that matter most: your story. Your world should be there to support the character development and plot, not the other way around.

Using disparate elements

Whether you’re creating a brand new world or drawing from real life, make sure that everything you’ve included makes sense within the world you’ve created.

For example, imagine you’ve created a setting where volcanoes have achieved sentience and the people living near them have evolved to understand the language of animals. How are these two things connected? If you can’t find a reason why these elements have developed side by side, have another think about the coherency of your world.

Or maybe you’ve created a story where time travel was established some decades prior, and faeries have recently revealed themselves to humans. Is there a correlation between these two discoveries? Or did you just lie awake one night and suddenly think, “time travelling faeries!”?

You can definitely have both of these elements in your story, but you need to come up with a cohesive reason why they exist together at the same time.

Examples of vivid fictional worlds

It’s not as easy as it looks, is it? And yet, worldbuilding can be one of the most fulfilling aspects of writing. Here are a few examples of authors who have created engaging worlds.

The Lord of the Rings , by JRR Tolkien

JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one example of a timeless fantasy world with a rich history. The worldbuilding is often what people remember most when they think of this story.

Tolkien combined classic mythological species like elves and dwarves with his own exotic creatures like hobbits and ents. He also gave his Middle Earth distinctive cities and cultures, magical class systems, hereditary legacies, and even languages.

Book of Night , by Holly Black

Holly Black’s Book of Night is an example of a primary world—one that looks much like real life, but with certain elements shifted. Black’s worldbuilding features a complex magical system involving manipulating people’s shadows for cosmetic purposes, or for manipulation—they can even be brought to life.

The author explores how this realm of possibility would affect the wider world, leading to an underground world of illegal shadow trading.

The Stardust Thief , by Chelsea Abdullah

Inspired by The Arabian Nights , this book is a great example of how non-Western mythology can offer worlds of inspiration when crafting your settings. Abdullah’s book features corrupt sultans, sneaky jinn (what you might also know as genies), and magical, sandswept adventures.

This book takes real historical elements and blends them with Middle Eastern mythology to create something both familiar and entirely new.

The Worldbuilding Workbook

Now it’s time to put it all together and create your very own fictional world! We’ve put together an easy template with a range of worldbuilding questions to help you develop an engaging world that will sweep readers off their feet.

Download the Worldbuilding Workbook (docx)

Download the Worldbuilding Workbook (pdf)

Get feedback on your writing today!

Scribophile is a community of hundreds of thousands of writers from all over the world. Meet beta readers, get feedback on your writing, and become a better writer!

Join now for free

Related articles

Writing the Hero’s Journey: Steps, Examples & Archetypes

What Are Character Archetypes? 16 Archetypes, Plus Examples

Low Fantasy vs. High Fantasy: What’s the Difference?

What Are Jungian Archetypes, and How They Can Help Develop Your Characters

Place in Fiction: The Power of Setting as Character

Myth in Literature: Definition, and Using Myths to Explore New Ideas

Inkwell Ideas

Role playing game software and accessories

Worldbuilding: Timelines

Note: this is part of a series on worldbuilding. See the worldbuilding section of the sidebar for discussions on designing religions , creating a local campaign area , and more.

A timeline or history of your world can add a great deal of depth that can have as much impact on your storylines as you like.  Timeline facts will often even suggest new story ideas.  The World Builder’s Guidebook states, “Building a history provides you with ancient ruins to scatter about the area, smoldering rivalries of legendary monsters or fearsome raiders, rumors of mad kings and sinister counselors, and lingering fires of patriotism or rebelliousness just waiting to be fanned once again into blazing warfare.”

As you begin to put together your timeline, start your focus on the current events at the time of your story.  Then build outwards in each direction. You may be less detailed and have fewer events as your branch out further from the time of your planned story. You may even want to add a few “ancient” time periods to your timeline.

Examples in Popular Fiction

J. Michael Straczynski’s Babylon 5 universe was mapped out 1000 years in each direction according to Straczynski.  This allowed him to accurately plot a complex storyline where some characters (the Vorlons) live thousands of years and had been mucking with earth’s history for thousands of years, at least one major character traveled back in time and the result of that time travel was already part of the main timeline, and for one story to jump forward and let the viewer see the universe in 100, 500, 1000 years and even further outward.

One strength of the world of Krynn in the Dragonlance books was its rich history.  The main storyline was set up by a major cataclysm a couple of hundred years prior to the story.  Another key story was the “Legend of Huma” a knight during the prior dragon war.  Other prior events led to key concepts and realizations in the main storyline such as the disappearance of dragons, why the good dragons stayed in hiding, and the secret behind the birth of Draconians.  The setting’s overall history was divided into a number of “Ages” and there were myths and stories from each age.

The Lord of the Rings series also had a rich history.  Key events from the distant past included the forging of the rings, the partial defeat of Sauron, and the One Ring being lost in the river.  Key events from the recent past included Bilbo finding the One Ring, Sauron’s alliance with Sarumon, and their influence over King Theoden.  A future event that plays a role in the story is the departure of the elves.

These are just three examples, but if you think about any well-loved fiction, an interesting timeline makes the world seem more fully developed.

Building a World Starting with a Timeline

If you have a rich set of ideas for your world’s timeline, you may be starting by fleshing out your timeline.   Get your ideas out and build on them as you brainstorm.  Don’t dismiss any idea at this stage.  Once you’ve got a set of ideas.  See how they might fit together.  Do some group around the present time?  Are a few further back?  Are some plans for how the setting will evolve in time?  At this stage, if half of your ideas aren’t within 20 years of your planned story, you may want to brainstorm more or think about how you can push a few more ideas into that 20 year time or consider setting your story at a different point in your timeline.

The reason for centering on the story’s current time is two-fold: First, those events should have a more direct impact on your story.  Second, people will remember less of events further back (in the case of past events) and you don’t want to box yourself in too much (in the case of future/planned events.)  Expanding on the second point, before newspapers and the widespread availability of books only major events beyond half a generation (about 20 years) were remembered by anyone except those few with access to books.  Only catastrophic (good or bad) events several generations back would be remembered.  Beyond a couple of hundred years only the birth of a son of god or the names of the most loved or hated kings were remembered.  (But the accomplishments of the king’s would only be known by a relative few scholars.)  Even for stories set in the future, a cataclysm of some sort could destroy many records or the general public might be more concerned with current events.  They might have a decent grasp of events 100 years back, but not 300 years ago.

If you’re struggling a bit for some timeline events, consider your planned story.  Are there events in the story that would benefit from some related preceeding events?  Are there characters that should have been involved in key prior events?  Are there institutions (governments, companies, churches, etc.) that may have interesting histories?  After considering those factors, if you are still looking for ideas, pick up a history book.  Randomly pick a page (or more if needed) and consider transplanting that event to your world.  Maybe you flip to a page about the Martin Luther’s 95 theses.  In some cases you may want to lift this story nearly exactly to your setting.  However, that may be jarring to some who are expecting a fictional world.  Therefore you may want to change it so the Luther character is the new leader of the church who nails his theses to the door and takes the main church in a new direction, but a smaller, traditional branch breaks away.

If Worldbuilding Began with Another Aspect of the World

If you’re not starting with a timeline, you can consider what you’ve already written about your world.  Even if you started with the timeline aspect of your world, you can always come back to the timeline as the world is fleshed out.

Consider the aspects of your world which have already been developed.  For example if you’ve already created a pantheon or two, what stories behind the gods imply events on your timeline?  Was there a major holy war 500 years ago?  Has one of the gods been banished recently?

To help you brainstorm (using either approach), below are a few lists of events that would typically be remembered based on each time period.  If you like random charts, you can easily put a numbers in front of each item.  Also note that it is occasionally possible to have an event from one time period occur in another time period.  For example, maybe your story takes place just a few years after a major cataclysm.

Ancient Times (mostly 500 or more years ago, although rarely these events an even can be more recent)

• Rise of an empire
• Fall of an empire
• Rise of a new god/birth of new religion
• Fall of a god/end of a religion
• Legendary hero/quest
• Exodus/persecution of a population
• Cataclysm (major flood, large asteroid, man-made, etc.)
• Great wonder built (Pyramid, Colossus, etc.)
• Major discovery of a technical/divine/arcane nature
• Major discovery of a new territory, such as a continent or planet

Historical Times (mostly 20-100 years ago, although a few events  may be up to 500 years ago or more recent than 20 years ago)

• Major war between large countries/empires/religions
• Rise/expansion of a kingdom
• Fall/decline of a kingdom
• State of decadence
• Invasion/Raids
• Exploration/discovery of a new land
• New technical/divine/arcane discovery
• Split of a religion

Recent Events (mostly within 20 years)

• Feud/Succession dispute
• Military campaign against a neighboring state
• Internal military strife (civil war)
• Raids/monster incursion
• Natural disaster
• Death of a noble
• Founding of a secret society

Text Copyright 2009, Inkwell Ideas Inc.

References/Further Reading:

• World Builder’s Guidebook by Richard Baker, TSR 1996.

Share this:

3 comments on “ worldbuilding: timelines ”.

This is very cool. I was just working on a new timeline for another setting that I have been asked to write this morning and this gives me some great pointers. I also managed to dig out an old DOS program that generates timeline events that I downloaded from somewhere ages ago. Its great fun just dreaming up things in the long distant past that may have huge influences on the present. Got to be one of my favourite pieces of building a setting.

Triple Ace Games released a free pdf a while back that revised and updated the old system for timeline generation from the World Builder’s Guidebook. It’s at http://tripleacegames.com/Downloads/HellFrost/Hellfrost_A_Brief_History.pdf Definitely worth checking out!

One thing I have found is Rolemaster actually has charts for generating a timeline. Being 1980’s-1990’s Apple // nostalgic type, I am writing a BASIC app which uses this for quickly generating a timeline. One thing I am also working on is eras.

I, too, am going to have my Kingdom stretch hundreds of years in both directions. In order to help this along, I will have eras for my history. Some of the basic ones I am using are: 1. Establishment 2. Scattered City State 3. Centralized Feudal 4. Collapse and rebuild.

If you are going to have a long timeline (In the hundreds of years), I recommend setting up eras. Different times can have different tones and even have different campaigns across the same timeline.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A Quiet Place: Day One

A woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing A woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing A woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing

• Michael Sarnoski
• John Krasinski
• Bryan Woods
• Joseph Quinn
• Lupita Nyong'o
• 129 User reviews
• 100 Critic reviews
• 68 Metascore

• Woman on Boat

• Crying Woman

• Frightened Man

• Marvin Monroe
• Scared Woman
• Younger Sister
• Businessman
• (uncredited)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

The Big List of Summer Movies

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Lupita Nyong'o explained the most fun and exciting part of the movie was finding out how to communicate messages without words, before making even the smallest gesture of body language could change the context of the entire scene, so each scene required much internalizing.

Samira : [final line] It's good to have been back.

• Connections Follows A Quiet Place (2018)

User reviews 129

• Jun 27, 2024
• When will A Quiet Place: Day One be released? Powered by Alexa
• June 28, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Official Site
• American Sign Language
• A Quiet Place Part III
• London, England, UK (Location)
• Paramount Pictures
• Platinum Dunes
• Sunday Night
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $67,000,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 40 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos
• IMAX 6-Track

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Over 50% Off Writing Classes Today Only . Click Here To Visit The Store

• Short Stories
• Writing Tips
• Fantasy Writing
• Worldbuilding
• Writing Classes
• Writing Tools
• Progress Report

What Is r/worldbuilding And How Can It Help Me?

The r/worldbuilding community, a dedicated space of the internet over on Reddit, is one of the biggest and best communities for worldbuilders.

With close to a million members, it’s the perfect place to share and discuss ideas, find inspiration, and connect with fellow writers, RPG fans and tabletop gamers.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the Reddit worldbuilding community in more detail. We’ll examine the ways such a creative space could help you, look at some of the tools and resources they have, and provide links to guides and resources to help with the process of creating fantasy worlds.

Choose A Chapter

What is r/worldbuilding, how can the r/worldbuilding community help me, what else does the reddit worldbuilding community offer, other worldbuilding groups, learn more about creating fantasy worlds.

r/worldbuilding is a dedicated community found on Reddit. It’s described as a space for writers, artists, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, scientists and even philosophers.

It’s aimed at all genres that fall under the umbrella of speculative fiction, covering fantasy worlds like JRR Tolkien’s and Ursula Le Guin’s, to sci-fi universes created by the likes of Isaac Asimov.

This worldbuilding Reddit group is all about sharing your worldly creations, learning and exploring the creations of other people, and discussing ideas and tips on everything from making fantasy maps to medieval weapons .

Everyone is welcome to join; you just need a Reddit account. When posting and commenting it’s important to stick to the rules, all of which are straightforward. For example: be kind, be on topic, put in some effort, appreciate that it’s a DIY community, and avoid NSFW content where possible.

One of the best and most effective ways to learn is from other people. In this huge community of worldbuilders, you can find experts and specialists in a range of fields, such as psychology, sociology, seismology and physics.

Experts like this can break down complex information into understandable chunks and it’s in the r/worldbuilding community that you can find super insightful posts like this.

As well as having an endless pool of resources and knowledge to tap into, you can ask questions and share ideas to try and develop them further or iron out any creases.

So, for example, if you wanted to have blue trees in your fantasy world, you could create a post asking about the scientific or magical logistics of how this could happen. The quality of the responses is amazing and thoughtful. You’ll be sure to come away with answers and ideas.

r/worldbuilding – Tools And Resources

The r/worldbuilding community has an endless stream of tools and resources to help you with creating your fantasy worlds.

As well as people posting guides, resources, inspiring images, and videos, amongst many other types of material (such as books), the Reddit worldbuilding community has a bunch of its own tools and resources , which you can access here.

The stuff you can find on that page is great if you’re just getting started, as well as for more experienced builders who are looking for new ideas and inspiration.

You can find resources on making maps, creating solar systems, worldbuilding and religion , plate tectonics and much more.

I also have a horde of free resources that you can access via the link below.

Click Here For More Worldbuilding Resources

As well as the guides and resources we’ve covered above, the Reddit worldbuilding community offers a lot more.

They have, for example, a complete guide on getting started with the world creation process. It covers everything from finding those first sparks of ideas to developing them into an actual place by creating maps and naming landmarks and places.

They also have a megathread on organizing your worldbuilding notes —a very important part of the process and one that stops you from getting tangled in knots.

The r/worldbuilding community also provides great resources for people who take different approaches to worldbuilding. For example, they offer a series of guides for those who like to take a systematic approach to building worlds.

They also have a stack of guides for those who like to do a looser and more of a pantser’s approach.

While we’re on this topic, I have my own approach to worldbuilding which offers a blend of both of these approaches. I call it natural worldbuilding and you can learn more about it here.

Guidance can also be found on a variety of different worldbuilding apps, websites and programs. These tools can help you organise your notes. Some may help you create your maps. Others offer guidance on creating your own wiki page for your world.

In all, it’s a terrific crop of resources for anyone interested in creating worlds. I also have my own guide on this specific topic which you can find below.

Click Here To Learn How To Start Worldbuilding

While r/worldbuilding is the largest group on this much-loved element of writing, it isn’t the only one.

My own writing group, for example, has hundreds of writers, many of whom are building their own worlds. We have dedicated threads in our Discord channel. In our Facebook group, you can find a continuous stream of worldbuilding-related posts.

It’s open to anyone and everyone. To join, just click below.

My website is packed with tips and advice on creating fantasy worlds. You can learn more below:

• A complete guide to worldbuilding
• The best books on worldbuilding
• Download a free world building template
• A list of the best world building classes
• Discover more fantasy writing groups here
• Head here to learn about worldbuilding culture
• Get a Master’s degree in worldbuilding
• Download a free worldbuilding checklist here
• Head here to find a big list of world building prompts , including ones for characters and societies

For more tips and guidance on navigating your way around r/worldbuilding, get in touch!

• Recent Posts

• The Best And Most Interesting Words To Describe A Book - June 29, 2024
• The Best Words To Describe Teachers - June 29, 2024
• The Best And Most Unique Words That Start With ‘E’ To Describe Someone - June 29, 2024

Read my debut fantasy novel, Pariah’s Lament

Sign Up For Free Stories!

Email address

Read my guide to writing fantasy, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook

How To Create A Theme For A Story

A guide to siege warfare and tactics, 15 amazing words to describe the moon, with definitions and example sentences, excellent 5 senses examples to empower your writing, mastering dialogue: the very best tips, quick links.

• Get In Touch
• Reviews And Testimonials
• Editorial Policy
• Terms Of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Equality, Diversity And Inclusivity (EDI) Policy
• Affiliate Marketing Policy
• Payment Information

Follow On Social Media

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

No thanks, close this box