I believe that every writer who sets out to tell a story engages in the dirty task of world-building, no matter what genre or mode they work in. Mystery writers do it, romance writers as well, historical fiction, literary realists, fantasy and science fiction writers do it, and so do horror writers. We have to do it because in most stories, particularly in modes that are popular with paying readers these days, setting is a major component of story. And in order to evoke setting, the writer has to make decisions about what to include. they also have to either recall, make up, or research setting details, and then deploy them in a way that is easy for the reader to absorb.
Very few writers get away with not having to do this.
the request to write an article about the great subject of world-building came to me because I’ve written fantasy and science fiction stories and novels. In the genre I work in, we have a reputation for sitting down and thinking about other worlds. the image comes to mind of a fantasy author, in the tradition of J.R.R Tolkien himself, maybe, slowly building out a history of the world the quest will take place in. they’ve invented whole other languages and sketched out maps of strangely shaped continents with mysterious cities hidden away at the ends of rivers or nestled into the foothills of great mountains that have profound and mysterious names.
I may think, “Do I really need to go through all
