This thread was inspired by @WildCard on Royal Road who posted the very useful "3 Basic Rules for Worldbuilding" . Go check it, it is a worthy read.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgovHT9wCKK
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So, how is this post different from the abovementioned one? The “3 Basic Rules for Worldbuilding” is exactly what it says – a comprehensive guide on how to structure your writing so that you don’t end up with a needlessly long and elaborate hot mess. What I would like to gloss over is my view of how to give life and real personality to your already crafted world.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWqDgXJuVZ
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What I have concluded from my, probably still lacking, experience as a reader is that, while many authors give great details on backstories, creation myths, politics, religion, and whatnot, they tend to give great disservice to one very important part of the world – the physical part itself. Don’t get me wrong, there are some breath-taking descriptions of flying castles, black deserts, ghastly forests, snowy peaks, and all the shenanigans which would make Tolkien very proud. But to me, very often the grand description of magical places, or even everyday towns lack something important – substance. What exactly do I mean?280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lB7kfMQw2
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Somehow, when reading about the setting of a story, I realize that it mainly describes what you see – tall trees, elven castles, a scary magic fortress. Sometimes it might add a few sound effects – howling wind, crying wolves. But that’s it. Only two senses! I believe that to be able to truly give a reader a dive into a particular setting, especially a fantasy one, we writers need to do a bit more. Here I will dare repeat my comment to the “3 Basic Rules for Worldbuilding” topic:280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEesDL9mSZU
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Don’t tell me we are in a port town. Tell me about the salty breeze; the pungent stench of rotting fish and oiled ropes that penetrate the nose and even has a taste of its own. Let me hear the cries of seagulls as they circle around the swaying masts. Describe the hubbub of merchants, the fragrance of exotic spices, and the cursing of drunk sailors. In other words, give me a living, breathing world and not a prop!280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeu4rU4S5Cp
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Do you feel anything? Maybe a memory is jolted from the time you first visited the seaside? Or maybe of a visit to the fish market? Or about the day you went to a town fair? These little tricks make the world relatable.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ96ZAc10B5
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Don’t tell me there was a magical fragrance in the air, the most incredible and otherworldly one that one has ever smelled. This is a cheap attempt of running away. Think deeply about what you want to tell the reader – it has the freshness of cut grass, mixed with the sweetness of honey and melons, with a tinge of spring flowers… Do you get my drift? Write from experience and 90% of the readers would feel what you feel. I doubt many people have been in a dungeon. But we all know the smell of mold and dust, the echo from the walls, the sensation when you touch a spider web that makes shivers run down your spine.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwjaMdsexV
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Of course, my rant thus far does not imply that you should overflow the senses of your readers with pages and pages of descriptions. Like a good spice mix, playing with smell, sound, sight, and taste needs to be used in moderation. But these small details, at least in my humble opinion, can elevate a story to new heights.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8KaiZgNIz
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