Worldbuilding - How To Be A Good Tyrant

Writers are controlling little tyrants.

I’m sorry but it's true. We build grand fantasy lands. Sometimes several at a time. We wage wars, decide who should be together, and murder at will. We are the ultimate rulers of our very own kingdoms. Like evil queens (or kings), we open our documents, survey the terrain and think what can I make this place do today.

And this is deeply satisfying.

Come on now, we all know it's true.

I’m a chronic world builder with maybe a touch of control issues. Every detail, artifact, or mannerism in my worlds has a reason, a history, and connects to the bigger environment.

But are these details useful to me as a writer? When does it go too far? And most importantly, where do I put it all?

This is the first in a series of articles created to answer those questions. We’ll take an in depth look at how to build worlds, tell stories inside them, and stay proper tyrants in our kingdoms.

So what do we mean when we say worldbuilding?

Definition

Worldbuilding includes geography, cultures, language, religion, history, and everything else that shapes how your characters live inside their world.

One of my worlds has seven continents, ten countries, and a dozen languages. I can date its history back at least ten thousand years. How these people eat, dress, and think is all under my control.

(Control issues, I know)

If you’re anything like me, then you understand how fast worldbuilding can get out of hand.

You built a country. Fine.

Then a character appears who happens to speak another language. Now you’ve got two countries.

Some history here, a legend there, and suddenly you’ve built a universe.

Why do we do this? Beside the fact that we’re tyrants?

Worldbuilding is more than a fantasy setting or long winded lineages.

It’s what shapes the very thing that drives our story – Our Characters.

We can’t understand their desires, fears, and goals if we don’t know where they come from.

Our stories are built on the choices they make.

Worldbuilding is why they make those choices.

But how much do we need to know?

Excellent question. Let’s discuss it.

When is a world too big?

The answer: When it outgrows the story.

The world I mentioned is part of a long series. It expands from a single continent to multiple universes. It is as big and as far-fetched as I need it to be for that particular book.

Worldbuilding is about what you need to tell the story.

The story you’re telling right now with these characters in this place and time.

Not about the cool detail you added for flavor. (I have lots of those)

Not the neat legend you invented to go along with some historical fact. (Tons of these too)

Are those details cool or whatever word the kids are using these days?

Sure, but they’re not meant for peasants.

Good tyrants don’t tell their subjects everything. They let these details drive decisions and show how they affect their kingdom. But they don’t say them unless it's absolutely necessary.

I know ten thousand years worth of history. I need to know it. The character and the readers only need to know what I tell them.

So in this lesson of proper tyrant-ing, let’s talk about how to control the flow of information in our kingdoms.

Method - Camera Angles

Think of each section of your story as a piece on a map. As a tyrant, you can see the entire map. You know everything that moves in your kingdom. But your peasants don’t. Characters and readers don’t need to see anything unless you need them to.

That’s how I keep my multi-universe world from spiraling out of control. Each section of the story has a different angle. I “zoom out” only when they need more of the map.

Book 1 - I have a woman claiming her destiny. I need a continent and some centralized politics.

Book 4 - I have a woman who’s taken control of her political power and her continent needs help. Cue a new arrival and a way off the continent.

Later - I have a woman with an ability that’s outgrown her body. It’s time to leave the mortal plane and expand into a bigger universe.

Important note: I never changed the map.

The universe functions the same as it did in Book 1. I merely revealed more of it.

And like a good tyrant, I knew every piece of the map the entire time.

That cool detail that isn’t relevant at the beginning of your story? It might be so relevant toward the end. It doesn’t mean it wasn’t there the entire time. You just didn’t tell anyone about it.

We’ll expand upon this concept later when we discuss foreshadowing and worldbuilding foundations.

But in the meantime, give this exercise a try.

Exercise - Connect the Dots

If you’ve read the beginner’s guide to writing romantasy or any of my structural articles, you’ll notice the repetition of threes and emphasis on the beginning, middle and end inside our stories.

Connecting three dots is often the easiest way to see what you need and what’s missing.

For this exercise, sum up the beginning, middle and end of your story in a couple of sentences. Focus on what worldbuilding your readers need to know at this point.

Example:

Beginning: We’re in Avalonia, in a war and the king is dead. This king was a tyrant who allowed the mistreatment of women and the new king will not.

Middle: The continent is bigger than Avalonia and how our king and the FMC interacts with these other countries plays a huge role in their success.

End: Aliria having an ability has political and religious repercussions. There are legal and historic implications that put her and the king in jeopardy.

Each one of these summaries tells me everything I need to show my readers between point A and point B. We’re in a war - okay, with who? What’s this new king plan on doing about these things? How has this mistreatment rippled out across the society?

I don’t need the eight hundred year history of their enemy. I do need to know that the new king is a military mastermind and wins the war in three battles. (Yes, I like three’s, get over it.)

When you scale this exercise down for each act or the sections inside the acts, then you see exactly where to place these details.

I need to know the king won those battles once his enemy’s ambassador pays him a visit. Not before, not after, but right then.

By using the three point spread system, you can trim details, move them to where they’re needed, and prevent unnecessary dumping on information.

My story grids are organized by Acts and sections so you can lay out details across the scenes without losing them inside your story.

Closing Affirmation

Your world is not too big, my little tyrant, it's glorious. And it’s yours. Keep building your world with its maps and complicated magic systems. Let it be everything you want it to be. Then tell a story inside it.