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In J.R.R.'s world,

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Gandalf is one of five wizards
sent by the Valar

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to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth

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in their struggles
against the dark force of Sauron.

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Gandalf's body was mortal,

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subject to the physical
rules of Middle Earth,

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but his spirit was immortal,

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as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey

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and resurrected as Gandalf the White.

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According to the Wachowski's script,

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an awakened human only has to link up

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and hack the neon binary
code of the Matrix

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to learn how to fly a helicopter
in a matter of seconds.

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Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones,

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you don't even need a helicopter,
you just need a cool pair of shades.

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Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads.

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iPads are rudimentary.

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No Quidditch match ends
until the Golden Snitch is caught.

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And the answer to the ultimate
question of life, the universe,

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and everything

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is most certainly 42.

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Just like real life,
fictional worlds operate consistently

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within a spectrum of physical
and societal rules.

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That's what makes these intricate worlds

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believable, comprehensible,
and worth exploring.

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In real life, the Law of Gravity
holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter"

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to millions of bookshelves
around the world.

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We know this to be true, but we also know

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that ever since J.K. typed the words

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wizard, wand, and "Wingardium Leviosa,"

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that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist

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on the trillions of pages
resting between those bookends.

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Authors of science fiction and fantasy
literally build worlds.

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They make rules, maps, lineages,

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languages, cultures, universes,

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alternate universes within universes,

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and from those worlds sprout
story, after story, after story.

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When it's done well,

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readers can understand
fictional worlds and their rules

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just as well as the characters
that live in them do

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and sometimes, just as well or even better

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than the reader understands
the world outside of the book.

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But how?

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How can human-made squiggles on a page

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reflect lights into our eyes
that send signals to our brains

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that we logically and emotionally decode
as complex narratives

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that move us to fight,

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cry, sing, and think,

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that are strong enough

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not only to hold up a world

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that is completely invented by the author,

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but also to change
the reader's perspective

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on the real world that resumes

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only when the final squiggle is reached?

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I'm not sure anyone knows
the answer to that question,

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yet fantastical, fictional worlds
are created everyday

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in our minds, on computers,

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even on napkins at the restaurant
down the street.

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The truth is your imagination
and a willingness to, figuratively,

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live in your own world

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are all you need to get
started writing a novel.

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I didn't dream up Hogwarts
or the Star Wars' Cantina,

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but I have written some science thrillers
for kids and young adults.

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Here are some questions
and methods I've used

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to help build the worlds
in which those books take place.

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I start with a basic place and time.

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Whether that's a fantasy world
or a futuristic setting in the real world,

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it's important to know where you are
and whether you're working in the past,

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present, or future.

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I like to create a timeline

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showing how the world came to be.

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What past events have shaped
the way it is now?

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Then I brainstorm answers to questions

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that draw out the details
of my fictional world.

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What rules are in place here?

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This covers everything
from laws of gravity,

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or not,

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to the rules of society

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and the punishments
for individuals who break them.

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What kind of government
does this world have?

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Who has power, and who doesn't?

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What do people believe in here?

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And what does this society value most?

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Then it's time to think
about day-to-day life.

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What's the weather like in this world?

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Where do the inhabitants live
and work and go to school?

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What do they eat

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and how do they play?

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How do they treat their young
and their old?

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What relationships do they have
with the animals and plants of the world?

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And what do those animals
and plants look like?

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What kind of technology exists?

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Transportation?

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Communication?

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Access to information?

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There's so much to think about!

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So, spend some time living in those tasks
and the answers to those questions,

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and you're well on your way
to building your own fictional world.

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Once you know your world
as well as you hope your reader will,

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set your characters free in it
and see what happens.

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And ask yourself,

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"How does this world you created
shape the individuals who live in it?

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And what kind of conflict
is likely to emerge?"

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Answer those questions,
and you have your story.

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Good luck, future world-builder!