Worldbuilding is the process by which writers create a fictional world. Although popular with science fiction and fantasy, some kind of worldbuilding is required whatever genre you’re writing. Readers love great worldbuilding; it is evident in the success of Star Wars, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings to name but a few. It is important to get the right balance between your worldbuilding and your story. The story must come first. I have compiled some articles and podcasts that share tips and guidelines on how to word-build successfully.
Worldbuilding: a template
Worldbuilding: Create Brave New Worlds [+Template]
Reedsy shares 7 steps to help with your word-build, including creating a map of the territory, elaborating your civilisation’s history, and determining your world’s power structure. It explains each step complete with helpful tips and a downloadable word-building template.
10 Worldbuilding Tips: How to Write an Engaging Fictional World – 2025 – MasterClass
The worldbuilding process is an important aspect of many genres, especially sci-fi and fantasy writing. Masterclass shares several worldbuilding tips you can follow to make the most of your own world. It is important to establish the type of world you want. Then decide where to start, list the rules and laws, describe the environment, define the culture and language, and identify the history. You should look at existing works to inspire you, plan with caution, and look into how to describe how your characters will develop.
Creating a Believable World
Worldbuilding: How to Create a Believable World for Your Fiction Characters
Every world needs its own distinct feel, whether it’s a microcosm of the one we already know, a distant past, a far-out future, or a magical alternate world altogether. From Middle-earth, to Tatooine, to the scandalous world Bridgerton’s Regency London, it’s the author’s job to make the world feel real and relevant to what’s happening with the characters and plot.
There is no right or wrong way to create a world for your story. In fact, there are a lot of examples of incredible authors, all of whom go about the world building process in very different ways. This article shares some steps to get you started. These include studying other authors in your genre, mixing and matching different worlds, and drawing a map of your story’s world. You should also outline your world’s background, reflect your world’s values, explore thematic elements, and use all your senses.
Worldbuilding: The Ultimate Guide (Plus a Template!)
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.
The three approaches to building imaginary worlds are: real, brand new, or alternate histories. The article moves on to discuss elements of your fictional world such as people, geography, ecosystem, language, economy, culture & religion, social construction, magical and/or technological systems, and soft or hard magic. Lastly, it discusses 3 common worldbuilding mistakes.
Worldbuilding: A Guide for Creating an Immersive World
Jerry Jenkins tells us that word-building involves more than just the setting. It can be as complex as a unique venue with exotic creatures, rich political histories, and even new religions. Or it can be as simple as tweaking the history of the world we live in. This article offers a step-by-step guide to immersive worldbuilding, and it discusses real-world fantasy and second-world fantasy. Within the steps, Jerry suggests tips and questions to help you plan and consider your world as you build. This is a great article if you are just starting on word-building or if you have become stuck with the process.
Podcasts on Worldbuilding
Writing Tips: Worldbuilding With Angeline Trevena
In this podcast from the Creative Penn, Angeline Trevena shares tips on wordbuilding that can strengthen your plot and bring depth and conflict to your characters.
This podcast episode from Fantasy Writer’s Tools Shed is about how to build a fantasy world. Host Richie talks to fantasy author and real-life world builder, John Tarrow. John, who has converted his home into a magical fantasy world, shares his top tips on how to build a fantasy world in reality and on the page.
16.47: Believable Worlds Part 1: The Illusion of Real
This episode from Writing Excuses discusses how writers are illusionists, and word-building requires no small mastery of that particular magic. They explore the creation of believable illusions through the techniques of similarity, specificity, and selective depth.
No two writers will world build in the same way, and you can make it as simple or as complex as you choose. It is important to remember not to get so bogged down that it gets in the way of your story. You don’t need to reveal every single element of your world just as you don’t need to tell the reader everything about your characters. Don’t overwhelm your reader; weave your world details into your story in a natural way. I hope that this week’s column has been useful. As always, please get in touch if there are any topics you would like me to cover.
(c) Lucy O’Callaghan
Instagram: lucy.ocallaghan.31.
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