Janeen Ippolito - Irresistible World Building for Unforgettable Stories

Unforgettable World Building for Irresistible Stories

A Creative Writing Guide For World Building That Sells

By Janeen Ippolito

Copyright 2018 by Janeen Ippolito

All rights reserved.

Cover design by Julia Busko

Editing by Sarah McConahy

eBook formatting by Sarah Delena White

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Visit my website at www.janeenippolito.com

To Sarah McConahy:

where theres a will, theres a way!

I n the realm of speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, steampunk, etc.), fresh world building is one of the vital ways to attract readers. Fresh world building is cool. World building introduces new concepts and viewpoints that enthrall the mind and make readers spend extra time imagining and living in your story. That can lead to fan art, videos, cosplay, great reviews, and other celebrations of your work.

That being said? Creating ultra-fresh ideas can be a daunting task. A wise man once said there was nothing new under the sun, and he was right, especially in an age where novels are being released by the thousands every day. There are tons of stories about cyborgs, shifters, vampires, aliens, ghosts, space battles, and more retellings of fairy tales and myths than you can imagine.

The same internet you use to promote your world is there for every other author. Same ad services. Same social media platforms. Standing out in the crowd is more pivotal than ever to ensure your story is read.

So, whats the big secret?

Your goal is not to create an entirely new concept. Your goal is to focus on ways that your world building connects with your worldview, your characters, and your narrative in a style that makes your novel irresistibly unique. Well-integrated world building is like a well-made cake with just the right amount of filling and frosting.

Average world building will make people skim through your Kindle preview, but world building irresistibly fused with a unique worldview combined with compelling characters and narrative will push readers closer to the buy button.

Here are four questions to ask yourself:

1.) Worldview - How does your world building ask theme questions that reflect your view of the universe and resonate with readership?

2.) Characters - How does your world building create compelling characters who have to work through unique issues?

3.) Narrative - How does your world building push your plot forward with conflicts and problems that arent found anywhere else?

4.) Genre/Market Expectations - How does your world building measure up to the expectations of your chosen speculative fiction genre and market?

Pretty hefty conceptsbut have no fear! Throughout this book, Ill elaborate on each question and give practical action items to help improve your work. Read straight through or skip to the parts that interest you. Either way, you will come away with ideas to make your story shine brighter!

Defining the Terms

W orldview: The collection of personal beliefs, life experiences, personality traits, and physical characteristics that shape how a person views the world. Everyone has a worldview, and every author infuses their worldview into their story to some degree.

Even authors who are willing to write anything to make a buck reveal their worldviewthat an individuals actions are disconnected from their beliefs, and what someone writes should have no bearing on their philosophies. However, the fact that many of the write anything for a buck authors use pen names for certain genres shows their awareness that readers (and possibly their family and coworkers) will form positive or negative opinions of them based on the stories they write.

Effective use of worldview to shape a story has a more potent impact than trying to hide from those effects. Because worldviews are based on deeply-held beliefs, tapping into shared beliefs can be a powerful way to reach readers. The Christian market in the United States uses this very angle. While known for Amish fiction and historical romance, the Christian market encompasses any genre that accepts, adheres to, and uses some version of Christianity as their foundational moral authority.

Using shared life experiences can also evoke reader sympathies. This is seen clearly in YA fiction, where many genres are bound together by the common themes and teenage life experiences of feeling awkward and left out, trying to discover ones identity apart from elders, and seeking to shape the world into something new. These universal coming-of-age themes play so powerfully that many adults read YA fiction as well. If an author can use their individual life experiences to offer a fresh perspective on these common themes, they can both satisfy genre conventions and the need for personal expression.

A key word in writing is authenticity. People want to know what you stand for. In sales, you want to know that a company will stand behind their products. In writing, you are a businessperson, and your book is your product. The more of yourself you put into your story, the easier it will be to sell it and connect with readers across social media platforms.

In terms of world building, worldview plays a key role in shaping the story, particularly the identity of races and cultures. Speculative fiction allows storytellers to shape the perspectives and core beliefs of their cultures in a way that no other genre of fiction can. Not only can authors use various races to make different arguments about different cultures, but they can insert their own worldviews and agendas into their stories.

Note: Because of the ability to insert worldviews, authors sometimes use speculative fiction as a way to aggressively push an agenda or belief. While this can be effective at reaching a certain audience, it can also alienate those with differing worldviews. The stronger the message, the narrower the audience. Whether or not you choose to force a particular issue is up to you but be advised that it will limit the marketability of your story.

There is nothing wrong with using your fiction to take a stand on something you are emotionally invested in, but choose your issue carefully and refine it so it comes across with fairness. Make sure you have a solid platform that clearly conveys the issue, and actively promote your agenda outside of your book so people with a similar worldview find your message.