How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-build-a-fictional-world-kate-messner

Why is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling? How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world worth exploring in your own words.

Lesson by Kate Messner, animation by Avi Ofer.

In J.R.R.'s world,

Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar

to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth

in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron.

Galdalf's body was mortal,

subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth,

but his spirit was immortal,

as seen when he died as Galdalf the Grey

and resurrected as Galdalf the White.

According to the Wachowski script,

an awakened human only has to link up

and hack the neon binary code of the matrix

to learn how to fly a helicopter

in a matter of seconds.

Or if you are the one,

or one of the ones,

you don't even need a helicopter,

you just need a cool pair of shades.

Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads.

iPads are rudimentary.

No quidditch match ends

until the golden snitch is caught.

And the answer to the ultimate question of life,

the universe,

and everything

is most certainly 42.

Just like real life,

fictional worlds operate consistently

within a spectrum of physical and societal rules.

That's what makes these intricate worlds

believable,

comprehensible,

and worth exploring.

In real life, the Law of Gravity

holds seven book sets of Harry Potter

to millions of bookshelves around the world.

We know this to be true,

but we also know

that ever since J.K. typed the words

wizard,

wand,

and Wingardium Leviosa,

that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist

on the trillions of pages

resting between those book ends.

Authors of science fiction and fantasy

literally build worlds.

They make rules,

maps,

lineages,

languages,

cultures,

universes,

alternate universes within universes.

And from those worlds sprout story, after story,

after story.

When it's done well,

readers can understand

fictional worlds and their rules

just as well as the characters

that live in them do

and sometimes, just as well

or even better than the reader understands

the world outside of the book.

But how?

How can human-made squiggles on a page

reflect lights into our eyes

that send signals to our brains

that we logically and emotionally decode

as complex narratives

that move us to fight,

cry,

sing,

and think,

that are strong enough

not only to hold up a world

that is completely invented by the author,

but also to change the reader's perspective

on the real world that resumes

only when the final squiggle is reached?

I'm not sure anyone knows

the answer to that question,

yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday

in our minds,

on computers,

even on napkins at the restaurant down the street.

The truth is your imagination

and a willingness to, figuratively,

live in your own world

are all you need to get started writing a novel.

I didn't dream up Hogwarts

or the Star Wars' Cantina,

but I have written some science thrillers

for kids and young adults.

Here are some questions and methods I've used

to help build the worlds

in which those books take place.

I start with a basic place and time.

Whether that's a fantasy world

or a futuristic setting in the real world,

it's important to know where you are

and whether you're working in the past,

present,

or future.

I like to create a timeline

showing how the world came to be.

What past events have shaped the way it is now?

Then I'd brainstorm answers to questions

that draw out the details of my fictional world.

What rules are in place here?

This covers everything from laws of gravity

(or not)

to the rules of society

and the punishments for individuals who break them.

What kind of government does this world have?

Who has power

and who doesn't?

What do people believe in here?

And what does this society value most?

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

What's the weather like in this world?

Where do the inhabitants lives

and work

and go to school?

What do they eat

and how do they play?

How do they treat their young

and their old?

What relationships do they have

with the animals and plants of the world?

And what do those animals and plants look like?

What kind of technology exists?

Transportation,

communication,

access to information,

there's so much to think about.

So, spend some time living in those tasks

and the answers to those questions,

and you're well on your way

to building your own fictional world.

Once you know your world

as well as you hope your reader will,

set your characters free in it

and see what happens.

And ask yourself,

"How does this world you created

shape the individuals who live in it?

And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?"

Answer those questions

and you have your story.

need to replace