In a post on DIY MFA, Gabriela Pereira focuses on the importance of world-building, even when you’re not writing genre fiction. “Whether you write something ‘world heavy,’ or your story’s world is a contemporary setting, world-building applies across all genres,” Pereira says. There are tons of articles on worldbuilding for fantasy or science fiction, but what about other types of stories where you might not believe you need to focus on worldbuilding?
- Historical Fiction. “If you are in a time period (say, the Middle Ages) where characters aren’t aware of several continents, the world-building will be more local, focusing on their immediate surroundings,” Pereira writes. “If, on the other hand, you are writing about a big, sweeping war, the scope of the story will likely be far more global.” Elements to consider are the available technology, communication methods, currency, class and social groups, and social and political power.
- Mystery. The settings and world of a cozy mystery will differ dramatically from those of an urban detective novel. A police procedural requires knowledge of investigations and law enforcement.
- Thrillers. Many thrillers utilize specific backgrounds, such as courtrooms or hospitals, or may rely on international espionage tropes. Each have their own challenges for worldbuilding.
- Horror. “Some thrillers or horror stories emphasize a specific locale, like a haunted house or a spooky cemetery,” Pereira writes. “In these cases, the world-building is all about elevating the mood and making the reader feel that slow creep of fear as the events of the story unfold in that scary location.”
- Commercial or Literary Fiction. While you might think it’s easy to recreate the world outside your window, you should still spend time on your worldbuilding. “Think, for example, about the fashion world we see in The Devil Wears Prada, or the high-class stay-at-home-mom social circle we see in Happy and You Know It,” Pereira notes. “If your story focuses around a particular job or industry, you need to develop that world the way you would world-build for any other genre.” While you won’t need to explain money, cars, and cell phones to your reader, you must focus on elements that are important to your story.
