Happy Monday lovelies.Today's post is all about world building and back story.
When I was younger, back in Portugal, my parents bought an apartment in a new development... there used to be a group of Gypsies that lived across the street. Can you imagine how a Gypsy lives?
yup, it was a little camp with a few shacks... they sat outside by the fire every night... played their instruments and sang.. they wore gypsy clothes.. the kids walked around with dirty faces.... I'm pretty sure none of them went to school... I used to be fascinated by them!
So when I first had the idea for my new project, Kizzy was a Gypsy. I got to researching their history and culture...
BUT, not all of it was going fit my story and I was going to have to make up some stuff. Here's the thing though, I feel like if I'm going to use a real group of people, I need to get them just right.
And making stuff up about real people... eh, just doesn't feel right.
So, what's the next best thing?
Make up my own group of people. SO FUN! I get to invent this little society, their rules, their history and their legends.... and, no one can say I got it wrong!
my most favorite tool right now? name generators! good thing they exist, because I really have no imagination when it comes to making up names.
oh, oh and Pinterest.... I love it. Images are such a great way to get inspired!
Friday, I bought myself a new notebook and spent the weekend filling pages and pages with backstory. And even though so much it won't make it into the actual narrative... it's helping my story feel solid.
I'm loving it!
So how do you feel about world building? Do you enjoy it or do you avoid it at all costs?
Are there any tools you use for world building? Do share!
I love love love world building. It is one of my favorite parts of the writing process.
ReplyDeleteI am a very visual person. So I really like to draw maps. It helps me get a sense of how things are related to eachother. And it can often spark new plot ideas.
oh I love it when books have maps. But maps intimidate me because I can't even read a map in real life... which can be a problem since I don't have a GPS... but I do have my husband who is obsessed with map reading!
DeleteOoo I have to check out the name generator! I have such a hard time with names. All weekend I have been trying to come up with a name for a town. It's not going well. Like you I decided to make up the town so nobody can hold the facts against me.
ReplyDeleteI'm always hesitant when using real facts and real people because what if you get it wrong? It's scary, but I love the research so much! So I Google and buy tons of books on the topic and try to give it as must justice as I can. Though, creating your own groups/towns etc based on the facts even better.
And Pinterest best site. I can spend hours on it :)
Pinning has become my new addiction
DeleteI have to admit I'm more a contemporary girl. But I do love creating a town of people from my imagination. Does that count? : )
ReplyDeleteit sure does. if you make it up, then no one can say you got the street name wrong :)
DeleteOmg, SO cool that you lived near a group of Gypsies in real life! Funny how memories can spark an idea. I love world building, and I do the same thing a you: fill a notebook with a bunch of history and such. It definitely helps to make the story feel more real. What kind of name generator do you use? I've never used one. I did recently join Pinterest though, and I love it!
ReplyDeleteAmanda I just googled Fantasy name generator.
DeleteI love, love, love, LOVE world building! And hearing about your world building got me so excited! I love that feeling of creating a whole group of people! So exciting. And so cool to have lived next to a group of gypsies. I'd have found that fascinating, too.
ReplyDeleteliving next to them was both exciting and terrifying. They were gypsies, which meant they were ALL criminals and thieves... and people would tell little kids things like, don't go near them they steal children.... and I was young enough to believe it.. so when walking past their little camp, I'd walk super super fast out of fear.... but my eyes were glued to them out of fascination!
DeleteI had never known much about gypsies until I caught the show My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. Such a fascinating culture. And definitely a great opportunity for creating an entire cast of characters.
ReplyDeleteI have never watched that show. I'm going to have to now :)
DeleteName generators? Where? Where! I need that!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think gypsy's would be so cool, but I love that you can weave that into your own group. Making up people, places and histories is awesome! Glad you're having fun with it!
http://rinkworks.com/namegen/
Deletethis is one that I used when I was looking to create a legend about magic, and also names of clans. But there are tons out there. So so fun!
I've never heard of name generator and I will find use for it, no doubt, so thanks! I love world building, specially places, houses...I have a wild imagination, especially nature and terrain and the like. Unfortunately I suck at drawing. However, I can do maps and love doing them. And even more I love making blueprints for houses/apartments where my characters live.
ReplyDeleteI'm building my own fantasy world. Places, customs, people ... and I don't even have a story to go with it :-)
ReplyDeleteI am writing a contemporary, so not so much world building is going on for me. Although, my story is set in Southern California and I have made a good effort at spending a lot of time there (at the beach) "building my world." ;).
ReplyDeleteIt's the BEST part. I really love creating places and people. I am so excited about Kizzy's world. WOOHOO.
ReplyDelete