I am in the middle of writing a Young Adult Fantasy. This is a stretch for me – well everything is a stretch for me when it comes to writing – but one I am working hard to master.
While most of my novel takes place in the contemporary world, there are a couple of forays elsewhere, in other worlds. And the sequel will mostly take place elsewhere. And those ‘elsewheres’ needed rules, geography, and history. Not easy, but I am learning.
The Queen of World Building in my mind is J.K. Rowling, but Philip Pullman is a close second. Both created worlds that felt as real or more real than the one in which we live.
Let me add a third: S.E. Grove.
I just finished reading the second book in The MapMakers Trilogy and it is stunning. The detail is amazing and you truly feel that this is another world that you’ve discovered. S.E. Grove, a trained historian, deftly weaves mundane details with political, historical and geographical details that make the book come alive. This book, and the one before, The Glass Sentence, are must-reads, especially for writers who are interested in learning how to be master world-builders. It doesn’t get much better than this!
Of course, now I must go back to do ANOTHER revision because she has inspired me so much…. Of course, that’s what good writers do, don’t they?