What does a day in the life of your baker look like?
No, not your character. Your character swans through the plot with a bunch of prepared dialogue and tasty scenes you've been chewing on in your head while doing dishes, driving to work, watching YouTube videos... You probably know them, and their place in your fantasy world, really well.
So let's take someone you might not have thought of. Your baker, a sailor, a farmer from outside the city walls, and ask some questions. Where do they sleep at night? Do they have a commute? Who would they speak to on that commute? Do they have supply issues, firewood for cold winter days, an unexpected child on the way?
All of these answers will inform your worldbuilding in minute ways you might never have thought of.
Much like a game master, an author must have all the information—and be prepared to never share it. The most important thing is that you know where the baker gets his flour, the name of the sailor's ship, and the current crop rotation of the farmer. Sound overwhelming? It is, a bit. But it's also a TON of fun. The amount of times I've fixed a plot hole, come up with a new storyline, or even a whole new character arc just from answering these questions is more than you'd think.
In fact, I often find the day to day of a regular character way more interesting and informative than my main. There's something about the day-to-day that becomes so compelling when placed within a fantasy realm; we turn on a tap and, lo and behold, we have running water, but a character in a fantasy novel might have to take the buckets from beside the door and make the trek to the local well. What do they find at the well? Are they harassed on the way? Is there a line up of thirsty villagers, is the water level lower than usual, do they accidentally drop a bucket on the way back after a particularly hard day, and begin their villain origin story with wet shoes?
It's so easy to create intrigue or supporting elements of your main plot through the allegedly mundane. I’ve found the same holds true for my DnD adventures while DMing, especially as my players are constantly looking for Things of Interest.
I have a work-in-progress at the moment - Of A Darkened Heart - which takes place in a very industrialised fantasy city. One of my favourite elements of creating this world has been the advertisements - what posters, fliers, paintings, and hawkers would my characters be walking past each day? I created a small advert for the cigarettes in the world (I actually sketched this using ads from the 1800s as inspiration, it looks awful because I have the artistic ability of a slightly askew spoon, but it gets the idea across), and from that advert, realised that there would likely be an enormous tobacco empire within this world, one with considerable sway within government and the ruling bodies. From there, a new family was born, one with their own lore and history, and a new character was introduced to one of the subplots.
Every single time I've gotten caught on a plot point, I've turned to worldbuilding and found the answer within the somewhat boring details.
When a book or story lacks worldbuilding, it shows. Readers are really good at picking up consistency and hard rules. One of the reasons GRRM’s writing is so popular is because his worldbuilding is solid enough that readers can establish their own theories of the world’s history and where the stories might go. This leads to discourse, to fanfiction, to mods of video games (shoutout to Bannerlord’s Realm of Thrones). Sanderson, similarly, offers hard rules of how his worlds work, allowing readers to predict and theorise how certain stories and character arcs might play out.
Their worlds are consistent, their rules established, allowing the reader a veritable playground of musing and guessing while understanding the stakes.
Again, DnD springs to mind. We know how to play within the world because we all have the Player’s Handbook on our lap and in our head. We know that if an enemy hits us in melee and runs away, we get an attack of opportunity. We know that deities regularly interfere with regular characters. We know objects can be cursed. This all leads to very specific behaviour from our characters, and often results in the DM’s favorite happenstance—the note-taker looking up mid-note taking with a horrified expression, because all the previously established rules just aligned and Something Is About To Happen. Imagine if the rules weren’t so set in stone, and the DM could change them as they wished; we’d all feel adrift, unsure of what we were doing, what could happen, and the threat posed by other entities and people within that world.
Now apply that to fiction. How is a reader supposed to understand the stakes and gravity of a plot if the rules and world haven’t been established? If the magic is convenient and always on hand until it’s not? It’s hard to hook your interest in a world that seems disinterested in itself.
Ask the questions your players would if you were DMing a DnD game within your fantasy world. Where would they sleep? Where would they shop for food? What daily threats do they face walking through the streets? You’ll find that questions lead to answers, which lead to plots.
Let’s chase one of those questions. What daily threat does your baker experience while walking to the docks to receive his delivery of supplies every morning? Perhaps a local gang member has taken note of his route and the gold in his pocket. Does the gang member have an established gang or just a ragtag band of fellow ne’er-do-wells? Are their guards posted around the docks? Who do the guards work for, the docks or the crown? Do the guards have history with this particular criminal? Is one of them on the take?
Ask yourself questions, and let your creative mind answer. One of my favourite things on TikTok lately has been receiving questions from other writers about a block they’re currently experiencing. I respond with a bunch of questions about the circumstances of their scene, and suddenly they’re off, having been struck by a new idea inspired by the answer.
Ask, answer, draft… have fun, and remember to deviate your route to and from the docks every morning. There could be danger lurking in the shadows…
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