|
Post by TheScreamMan on Apr 16, 2005 1:50:05 GMT
as i start to type this i suddenly realise that grammer and spelling are going to be more noticed ona writers board, and im gonna have to pay attention to what Im doing wont i?
Anyway Im curious about when writers create the world for their characters to inhabit. obviously, if its a detective story or whatever where its very clearly an established Earth, then liottle needs to be explained. but for Superhero, Sci Fi, Fantasy and general fantastic stories, there needs to be an element of creativity and wonder in the very world your characters inhabit, as well as the rules of that world that your story needs to follow. As an example, steve and elliots X-Force had to have the prejudice of humans against mutants as a general feeling of people of that world, because the universe had established that as a rule.
Now personally, this is the area where i have the most fun. A story Im doing currently involves Angels and the way they interact with humans. as a fairly liberal chistian, my beliefs and interest in the structure of a christian world are where i draw inspiration, so the rules my characters have to follow reflect that. Angels cant walk Earth becausethey're to pure, but fallen angels can. archangels can also, because they are strong enough to resist the temptaions of a sinful world. angels have wings, they move in white lights etc etc.... the rules that govern the world influence and affect the characters.
So I guess im asking how much u create the rules of your orld before u sit down to the specifics of a character or story. or do u make a story and then create the world around the character as need be forthe story to go the way u want?
|
|
|
Post by Gray Lensman on Apr 16, 2005 2:05:54 GMT
It's a really tough and lengthy question, so I'll give you a brief answer.
Worldbuilding is a major part of a story, and should preferably be done beforehand. I prefer that you think out as much as possible before you start. You don't actually have to use it all on the printed page, as long as you know what your world is. If you know your world, that will show when you write it.
In the Marvel Universe that Elliot and I write, a lot of that is done for us. We refer to the comics that exist in our continuity, and to what we've already written. So for me, it's largely a matter of research.
But if we're adding something to our universe, that's something we still have to put time and thought into behind the scenes. If we're creating an alien culture, we have to think what kind of planet they come from, what environment they would live in, and how that affects their behavior and their thinking as a culture.
When working out the Deviants, for example, I had to think about what Deviant society was like and how that affected the characters I was using. That includes things like history, religion, politics, culture, and so forth. Some of that was established, but I needed to fill in the blanks, and that was done by asking the right questions and logically working them out.
The important thing is to know the rules you want to use, and then stick to them. If you break your established rules for any reason, you have to explain why. That maintains the credibility of your setting.
I personally like to write a lot of notes before writing things. This helps me keep a lot of things straight. But I'm a very methodical person, and that's the approach that works for me.
Not sure how much that'll help, but that's the basics of what I do.
|
|
|
Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 16, 2005 2:07:25 GMT
If I set out to create an entirely new world in detail, the first thing I do is to work out the main races that inhabit that world and the various major societies and how they interact. This will start out as a kind of shorthand - like 'Samurai Communist Elves' - and then be expanded beyond the basic idea to include: - Major laws and taboos - Major ceremonies (Marriage, coming of age, etc) that exist within that society - Attitude towards the sexes (This will largely depend upon type of society & level of technology/magic as well as sociological considerations) - Attitude towards foreigners/other races - Basic racial psychology (Ogres more prone to aggression, etc) - Allies & enemies - System of govt. - Economy & trade - Ruler or rulers I will do rough notes on all of those things for every single major society I intend to use or reference, then create a rough world history and a world map so I know where everything is in relation to everything else. It sounds like a lot of work, but once your basic concept is down - 'Dwarven Medieval Knights' - everything else can be drawn from history and tweaked to suit the new setting. I am also likely to give the society itself a rough alignment, along the lines of the AD&D system (Or my version thereof) which will further clarify the likely behaviour of the society as a whole, though not necessarily any individual from it. Hope that helps
|
|
|
Post by TheScreamMan on Apr 16, 2005 2:25:01 GMT
Oh I didnt so much need HELP as i was curious as to how otehrs did it But good answers both of you
|
|
|
Post by SilvaShado on Apr 17, 2005 22:33:46 GMT
I'm afraid that I don't plan all that much out ahead of time.
Sure I've thought about it a lot, probably made a lot of notes, but don't usually organize before starting to write. I let things come out in the writing and as I have to make decisions or clarifications, I do so.
But this is just the way I do it, and I've got to admit that I haven't completed anything very long, so it may not be a good method.
It's just... inspiration hits and when it does, I write, regardless of how much formulating or structuring I've already done.
|
|
|
Post by zyxba on Apr 24, 2005 4:04:44 GMT
I built my world well before writing, as just a city filled with some key locations, and numerous people. Then, I kept expanding as I went on. But then again, I am a "By The Seat Of My Pants" kinda guy...
I started off with my main character... Moleman.
Then, I made his rogue's gallery. Netman, Executive President, The Aryan Avenger...
Then, his allies.
After that, then I looked at the city. Basic infrastructure, a huge park, a palace, and a neighborhood were all that I needed.
Then came the actual writing, and things began to spiral out of my hands.
More rogues, more allies, more cities... the past, the future, how things are on Earth... then my head blew up as I took all that and flipped it around. That's the problem with killing your cast so easily...
|
|