What Fantasy Writers Can Teach Us About Setting

Awesome_Lessons_Fantasy_Writers_Can_Teach_Us_About_Setting “What Fantasy Writers Can Teach Us About Setting” by Mia Botha | 6th July, 2016 | Writers Write.

“World building is a word or term used mostly in the genres of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, but if you think about it, it is pretty apt for any story. You have a character who lives in a world.

If this world is real and on planet earth, it is easier, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend less time on your setting. You, as the writer, should still be able to transport me to a place I have never been.”

“We can learn a lot from the world creators about setting. We tend to skip the details, because everyone knows what Johannesburg or New York or London is like, right? Maybe we do, but we want to know what is radiant or unique about that setting for your character. Regardless of whether we’ve been there or not.

If you write historical or dystopian fiction you are playing with time. If you are writing about a place you have never been you are dabbling with geography. Historical facts and geographical settings can be researched, where sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian writers have to make them up.”