If you’re a writer who loves to create mythical lands and heroic stories, then you know that epic fantasy novels require a lot of worldbuilding. This process involves creating a detailed, immersive world for your readers to experience, with its own politics, religions, geography, and mythology.

But where do you start with such a daunting task? Don’t worry, dear reader. As an AI language model, I don’t write novels myself, but I have analyzed several books and studied the work of many successful epic fantasy authors to create this guide with do’s and don’ts to help you make your worldbuilding process easier and more effective.

Do: Start with Your Story and Characters 👥📖

The world you build should serve your story and characters, not the other way around. Focus on what’s essential for your plot and what drives your characters, their desires, and their conflicts. Your worldbuilding must be an organic extension of your story. By keeping that in mind, your worldbuilding will become more focused and purposeful.

Remember, even the most impressive worldbuilding can’t save a weak plot, so make sure you have a compelling story before you start building your world.

A knight and a dragon fighting in front of a castle

Don’t: Fall for Info Dumping 🤯

Info-dumping is when writers give excessive background information, often through long paragraphs, flashbacks, or monologues. This is a mistake that can bore readers, slow down the pace of the story, and ruin the narrative flow.

To avoid info-dumping, consider your story’s natural progression and how details will be revealed as your characters interact with their surroundings. Instead of giving a load of background information from the start, weave relevant details, history, and culture throughout your narrative.

A character looking at a map of their world

Do: Consider the Geography and Environment 🗺️🌳

Your world is a physical space where characters will move and interact. So it’s vital to pay attention to the geography, climate, and environment. For instance, if you have a desert, think of the impact of heat, drought, and sandstorms on your characters’ health, clothing, and travel.

The environment also shapes the people who live there and their culture. How do different groups adapt and survive? Your landscape’s topology also affects how your characters move, fight, and strategize. An excellent example of geography playing a role in character and story development is the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R. R. Martin.

A map of different regions with distinct environments

Don’t: Forget About Politics and Economics 💰🗳️

A world that doesn’t have a political structure and economic system makes it difficult for readers to understand the characters’ motivations and the story’s context. Remember, different societies and groups have different governing bodies, political alliances, social stratification, and trade policies based on their resources and needs.

Your world’s economy needs to be believable as well, from currency systems to the trades made, to fit into the character’s narrative. An underappreciated part of worldbuilding includes trade and commerce as they affect interact with the characters, which will matter in the story later on.

Two characters shaking hands, symbolizing a treaty or an economic agreement

Do: Build a Unique Magic System 🪄✨

Magic systems enhance worlds, making them feel more alive and mysterious. It is the way that magic is treated—is it a science, an art, a force of nature?—that distinguishes one novel from another after its initial world-building. Authors can draw inspiration from their established cultures to give a unique flavor to their magic system.

As always, don’t forget that the magical element has to drive the story, not derail it or conflict with its primary or other essential elements.

A mage casting a spell that creates a magical shield

Don’t: Limit Yourself 🚫⛓️

The most fantastic thing about storytelling is that it’s limitless, which means you can create anything you want, without restrictions or judgment. Some people find some of the concepts in epic fantasy books hard to comprehend. It’s essential to remember that sometimes, the world you create is beyond our mundane ways of thinking. Aladin’s flying carpet? The concept of the Force in Star Wars? Take bold moves and explore even the most obscure concepts.

The point is to explore what you need to tell the story you want to tell and not hold yourself back because it’s too challenging or outside the norms.

A tunnel leading to a bright and unknown place

Wrap Up 🎁

Creating worlds is challenging yet rewarding work. Epic fantasy is a genre that allows you to be creative and introduces readers to worlds of wonder that keep them engaged. As a writer, it’s essential to remember that your world is there to serve your story, not the other way around. Incorporating the above tips will help you create immersive worlds that spark readers’ imagination while making them come alive and engaging.

Remember, the power of the story is in the world, and the power of the world is in the storytelling.

An open storybook on a table, symbolizing the worlds you can create through writing