This is a very short entry, but hopefully you’ll find a few gems. We often hear how important it is to build our fiction worlds. We must know them so well that they become a natural part of our story. Including enough information for the reader to experience our setting without dumping information can be a precarious balancing act. Recently, I saw an interview with one of the masters, J.K. Rowling.
She discussed the depths of her world building. She meticulously planned every detail from Hogwartz and Diagon Alley to the house on Privet Drive and The Ministry of Magic before she wrote the books. It took her five years to write the first book. She amassed a huge amount of material for her world as she plotted the seven books. She wrote chapter one fifteen times before she managed to resist revealing the entire plot.
I was amazed when she showed a roster of every student in Harry’s year at Hogwartz. There were symbols by each name signifying what house they belonged to, how magical they were, and who their parents were. She sketched many of her characters and scenes which I’m sure helped her bring them to life on the page. (If I did that they would be one dimensional stick figures--not conducive to creating three dimensional characters!
The lesson for me, is to take your time plotting, setting up the world, and getting it right.
BTW if you’d like to see the interview, following my fellow sparklers advice, I found it on youtube. Search J.K.Rowling and it shows up in five parts. It’s about an hour long and well worth the watch. She discusses her fears of never being published and the excitement of getting the call. It’s not only informational it’s inspirational.
Happy writing.
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