Author Shares World-Building Philosophy
In a recent interview, epic fantasy author Evelyn Cornell advised writers to reveal world details organically to maintain a "sense of wonder." She advocates for an approach where the reader discovers the world alongside the characters, using "breadcrumbs of lore" rather than large info-dumps.
- The "breadcrumbs of lore" approach is a key tenet of the "show, don't tell" writing principle, which encourages revealing world details through a character's actions, dialogue, and direct experiences rather than through lengthy exposition. - In contrast to dropping "breadcrumbs," some epic fantasy, like J.R.R. Tolkien's work, utilizes extensive appendices and detailed histories published separately, such as in "The Silmarillion," to flesh out the world. Tolkien, a linguist, spent decades developing the languages, mythology, and history of Middle-earth before his main narratives were complete. - George R.R. Martin is a modern example of an author who often reveals his world piece by piece. He is described as a "gardener" rather than an "architect," allowing the world to grow and be discovered during the writing process itself, often withholding more than he reveals to create a sense of mystery. - Author Brandon Sanderson distinguishes his world-building by focusing on what is important to the characters and what will create conflict, ensuring that the world serves the story. He advises integrating world details organically through character interactions and plot developments rather than extensive exposition. - One technique for gradually revealing lore is called the "name it and drop it" method, where a name, event, or place is mentioned without immediate explanation, trusting the reader to piece together the significance over time. - Large, upfront explanations of a world's history or magic systems are often referred to as "info-dumps." While generally discouraged, they are sometimes used to quickly establish high-stakes context, as seen in the prologue of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" film. - The process of world-building can be approached from two directions: "top-down," where the author creates the world's overview, history, and rules before writing (like Tolkien), or "bottom-up," where the story starts with a specific location or character, and the world is built out from there (more akin to Martin).
