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Is having your characters explore a new world difficult? Maybe. Some authors have an easier time than others. This depends entirely on how your imagination works and what your writing style focuses on. For example, I think those who work hard on settings will have an easier time than those who concentrate more on characters. You really do need to pay attention to setting, mood, and tone when the story involves exploring a new land. So, are there some tips?
- Research couldn’t hurt. This might sound like an obvious thing, but many people assume they already know enough about the real world biome to get by. The truth is that we might have less knowledge than we realize unless we’ve experienced that type of place ourselves. For example, I’ve met people who only know that the desert is hot and sandy with an occasional oases. They don’t realize that it gets cold at night, so they keep the area scalding.
- As much as as it is to have set pieces that break the laws of physics, you have to be careful you don’t overdo it. Having a land with reverse waterfalls, floating islands, increased gravity zones, low gravity zones, and whatever else you can imagine will come off as too much. Think about what the purpose of going to and through this area is then create set pieces that work for that. They can be obstacles, helpful regions, or awe-inspiring background. A simpler way to say this is that you shouldn’t overwhelm your audience. Keep them satisfyingly whelmed.
- Having your characters show up with no knowledge of the area does make for great tension, but you don’t have to make them 100% ignorant. Them stumbling around and getting panicked by the surprises can only last so long. Perhaps one member of the group has heard rumors or read books on the region, so they think they’re aware of the dangers. Some information could be right and others wrong. This gives the characters a better and more believable chance of surviving.
- Not every new wilderness has to have a stereotypical tribe covered in war paint and wielding spears.
- While the flora and fauna should be unique, you don’t always have to make everything lethal. Think about real world areas and there are many things that are harmless. It would increase the impact of the dangerous organisms to have them be outnumbered by the benign.
- If you establish that a place has never been visited before then you have to make sure that there are no signs of previous visitors. You can’t have characters be told that they are the ones to discover the land then find skeletons of previous adventurers. It could be that they were lied to for a variety of reasons, but that’s the only situation where you can get away with it. Beyond that, your readers will notice when signs of civilization and previous visitors are mentioned in an uncharted, previously undiscovered location.
- Have fun with it. I really can’t think of a 7th tip, but you should have fun with creating a new land.
Legends of Windemere 
Loved these, Charles and some made me chuckle. Even when writing about a real place, the author needs to do their research. I hate books that are set in a place I know but clearly the author doesn’t!
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That can really be frustrating.
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Yup, particularly if you are reviewing the book!
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Great post! Very wise tips. Research has really helped me in the orientation of mountain ranges and the formation of forests. I’m amazed at people who seem surprised that fantasy writers make research a priority. I certainly was not born with the knowledge of the skeletal structure of certain animals or the growth pattern of plants. Even if I make up plants or animals, I still need to know the basics of how plants grow or the physiology of certain animals.
I’ve seen books and video games with a floating island setting. I’ve never attempted such a setting however. 😊
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Thanks. Floating islands are fun. Did that with Nevra Coil. The challenge is always to figure out how it stays up there.
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Great tips, Charles.
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Thanks.
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When you talked about how the characters are in a situation where they don’t know whats going on, i think of the character who loves to read history ( i personally love reading about history, culture, why one instrument was popular in one era is considered a instrument of ill reputation in a later era) even completely random bits of knowledge and information can help people cope with the situation they are in.
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That definitely helps when they’re in a civilized area. Once they no longer have history or culture to fall back on, it gets rather interesting to see characters cope. That’s one reason I like throwing my heroes into new wildernesses where they have to figure stuff out as they go. 🙂
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Those are all good points. I especially like the one about not having a stereotypical tribe in war paint. That’s such a 19th Century trope. I think having a fantastic landscape is a great way to set your story apart, though. Relics that are scattered around can give a sense of the place’s history, and wildlife or plants can suggest how people survive in this landscape.
For me, it’s important that the travelers have some idea how to get shelter, food and water — the basics of survival. You might also need to give them some sort of guide who knows the way, unless them getting lost is part of the story. If that seems too easy on the characters, I guess you could make the guide be a little sketchy, keep them nervous!
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I’m always torn on a guide in fantasy adventures. They never lasted long in my D&D games, so I have trouble seeing them as anything beyond potential fodder.
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I love these tips. WordPress isn’t letting me like any posts today, but I like this one. I’m having to log in to comment, too.
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That’s weird. Hope it gets fixed soon.
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