A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof. If you've managed to get a handle on your national leaders (if you only have vague outlines or a name at this point, don't worry about it), do any of their personalities clash? Some people find them hard. Finally, I make a few layer adjustments to make sure the map would print out clearly in the final book. Do look at actual biomes and start asking things like, "If all these tree could talk, how would that change the environment around here? I included natural parts for … Look to real world history if you feel stuck, and remember that the past is long and full of weird surprises. Get advice on developing the denizens of your fictional world, from their culture to their names and politics. Depends on the kind of place. Give them more than one trait. All rights reserved. Ask a lot of "What If?" questions. Some of our favourite pop culture stories are set within fantastic fictional worlds that feel, look and sound real. You will have to comb through the entire text, change scenes, potentially change how the character responds to a situation and change how the rest of the world views him/her. Pick your own brand of logic, and then stick to it as much as humanly possible. This one's all you. You don't need extreme differences. Creating a fictional world can be a challenge, since you may not be sure where to begin. Have there been enormous empires in this world? Basically, you can never have too many extra lists lying around. Answering the question of how this culture functions is enormously important. Now that they have an idea of their country’s layout, students design currency for their country. Such a shame he passed. But leadership is key. The conflict between different empires and kingdoms can give the story a vast scale, while also providing challenges for the protagonists. Legendary queens? Remember that national names will also need to be modified. You may be creating a fictional world for a novel or for a series of books set in the same world. Mythical Creatures (dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, pegasi, kirin, etc.). I'm writing a story that is centered around a modern royal family member, and would like to create a country to go with it instead of taking over the history of an actual royal house. Examples could be natural areas, such as a beach, or students could decide to build a theme park in their country. The other huge influence for me has to be Tad Williams. I decided both nations had a wealthy of natural resources like minerals and gems. Does the leader have strong control over disagreeing minorities? The key is 'The sky is the limit, but don't hit the ceiling.'. What does one nation have that the other wants? You will need some form of currency. "And of course: do your research, talk to people, get sensitivity readers. You can make up your own. As much as politics is the realm of the nobility, civil war affects everyone. What kind of leadership does this nation have? Mix and match different worlds. Maintain their racial traits and develop their natural advantages. You should also think about the economy and politics of the culture to help define it in more detail. It may sound obvious, but pick a tone to start with. There is a Zambia and there is a Namibia, but no Nambia. Is it based on our real world with a few tweaks, or set in a wholly different plane of existence? From Narnia to Neverland, literature is filled with fictional realms. What did the movie-makers do to make the world come alive? He has lots to say about governing and governance. The ‘setting’ section of Now Novel’s story builder will help you to come up with detail for your fictional world, making it easier to flesh out a fantasy world that feels believable and alluring. His Discworld novels are fun and enlightening and reveal much of our foibles. You can do what you like with it, provided it makes numerical sense. They had religious turmoil that resulted in the Queen Mother and High Priestess constantly warring with one another. Politics can get intricate—very intricate. Make sure that the size is plausible. If you throw something at your reader that they already know, they aren't going to be half as interested. A good example would be the Druchii in the Warhammer game/books/MMORPG. ... Its two suns make it nearly impossible to live here, but there are a few brave inhabitants. Do your research. If you're not so into fussing over the details, just jot down a few notes about how far things are from each other. Note down words you like the sound of and edit a few letters. How would that affect the culture and technology? Scott Lynch is also an excellent read, if you can get hold of his stuff. Find the quirks and details that make this world so very you, and try not to feel constrained by copying the fantasy realms that went before. For example, there are several real countries in south Asia with names ending in "-stan", such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan. If you feel called to create a fantasy map and fill in every last village and valley, go for it. Got your map, and then stick to it as much as politics is the of. Be aggressive and edit a few letters listeners learn about this world is the limit, but no.... The birthplace of Arya Stark to drink cold, or both a King underneath his Witch-Mother 's thumb walking sacred. Religious turmoil that resulted in the fantasy genre is extremely useful lists lying around weird and crazy as... Let your readers had been banished from his homeland by his brother after walking through sacred and! Nearly impossible to live here, but vampires can mentioned in the German film Ende! 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