Why Saving the World is a Terrible Idea

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Don’t misunderstand me, dear reader! The world is an important place, especially for world-builders such as ourselves. And yet, when it comes to “saving the world” as a plot, I’d argue it is the least fulfilling story a writer can tell. Why is my opinion on this matter important, you ask? Hell if I know, but since you’re here why not see what I have to say about it?

To start off, I want to get my biggest point out of the way: saving the world isn’t relatable. Let’s be honest with ourselves, not many of us have what it takes to save the world. At least, not in the way fiction oftentimes depicts saving the world. We aren’t powerful sorcerers, nor are we predestined heroes of justice with divine blood running through our veins.

Or maybe some of you reading this are. In which case, feel free to hit me up! Would love to know what that’s like.

Reeling this back towards my point, stories the reader can relate to are far more compelling than ones where the fate of the world is at stake. That’s not to say we can’t enjoy stories like the latter. If we didn’t find them enjoyable, then we wouldn’t have as many superhero movies as we do. There’s nothing wrong with escapism, but even with superheroes, we enjoy them because their characters resonate with us, not because they’re saving the world for the fifth time this week.

But a plot focusing on people’s day-to-day struggles leaves much more room for memorable characters and stories. Some of them are larger-than-life, certainly, but there’s a higher chance somebody is going to relate to the story of personal struggle versus bearing the weight of the whole world on your shoulders.

My second point ties into this mindset a great deal, so much so that you might as well just consider it point one and a half. What point is that, you ask? Well, maybe it’s just me, but saving the world seems pretty boring. It’s one of those things you decide to write about when you run out of ideas. They’re easier to write - in my experience, anyway — but usually lack the same kind of depth that down — to-earth stories do.

Bringing it back to superhero movies, I’m going to sort of spoil Avengers: Infinity War (not really, but there’s a warning for those who are extra sensitive about movie spoilers). The movie isn’t interesting and successful because it’s another “let’s save the world” story, but because the audience is invested in the characters. And the reason they’re invested in the characters is because they’ve watched them go through much more personal struggles.

So, start there! Write stories that focus on more intimate story-lines and build up your characters. After that, if you’re still interested, then by all means write about them going through one of the weakest story-lines imaginable.

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Daniel Neubauer

Daniel is a second-year student of the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College with a terrible sense of humour and an interest in all sorts of music. Whether it be due to raw talent or absolute dumb luck, he’s somehow made it this far and is ready to subject more unsuspecting students to his opinions.

Why is History Important for World-building?

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Everybody has a different way of starting the process of building their own world. Some writers start by drawing a map, detailing how everything looks and marking down key locations. Others begin the process by writing up characters, building up their personality and then molding the world to fit around them. Personally, I always start with the history of my world. Feel free to disagree with me here, but I’d say history is the most important aspect of world-building as a whole. “Why do you think that, Daniel?” I hear you asking me... or maybe I’m mishearing you. Oh well, doesn’t really matter because I’m answering that question whether you like it or not.

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The driving force behind this belief of mine is that history provides answers to all sorts of different questions. Say you want to focus on the languages spoken in your world, and you want to know why the people of a certain continent speak a different language than their neighbouring one. You’ll find the answer lies in its history. Or perhaps your world is filled to the brim with bards and storytellers. Where did they get these songs to sing and stories to tell? You see where I’m going with this?

History can also help you drive home the hook of a story you might want to write. Maybe your story revolves around how history is repeating itself, and the people in power are making the same mistakes their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Better yet, the main character and their friends have to save the world by awakening a slumbering god that was forced into a deep sleep long ago.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that starting with the history of your world is the best way to begin the world-building process. Every writer has their own method, and none of those methods are wrong. After all, a world wouldn’t be very interesting without cool locales or compelling characters. I just find that history often serves as the backbone to the ideas writers have when building up their worlds and the stories that take place in them. Maybe you agree with me, or maybe you think I’m full of shit and built this belief on a foundation of sand. Regardless, I hope that this at least gave you, my dear reader, a different perspective on an important part of world-building.

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Daniel Neubauer

Daniel is a second-year student of the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College with a terrible sense of humour and an interest in all sorts of music. Whether it be due to raw talent or absolute dumb luck, he’s somehow made it this far and is ready to subject more unsuspecting students to his opinions.

Five Aspects to Consider When Building a Settlement

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Whether it be a corporate-owned statelet in a dystopian future or a small and homely farming village in a high fantasy setting, settlements can serve as a good way to start when one wants to begin building a world. But starting such a process is never so simple, and writers might find themselves struggling. Have no fear, for this short and sweet list is here to help, with suggestions and examples to spare!

1. The Settlement’s History.

   Before a writer can focus on the present day affairs of a settlement, they should start with building up its history. How was it founded? Is this a new settlement, or one whose roots were set long ago? How far the writer goes into these details is completely up to them, but building up a settlement’s past can lead to some interesting story hooks for the future!

2. How the Settlement is Governed.

   Another aspect to focus on is how your settlement goes about governing itself. Maybe the government isn’t located out in the open, but rather underground - where a dangerous guild of thieves pulls the strings. Perhaps you’d prefer a totalitarian king and his noble family grinding their heel into the common folk. Does your government impose a curfew? Do soldiers march up and down the streets because people are unhappy with how things are run? The list goes on, but as you continue to build up your ideas, consider how heavily the government influences your settlement.

3. Where your Settlement is Located.

   Location is an important cornerstone for any settlement, as it can help an author determine its culture. Maybe it’s a series of intertwining tunnels carved out of the side of an active volcano, or perhaps your sci-fi story takes place inside a large colony-ship drifting through space.

4. Your Settlement’s Resources.

   How loaded is your settlement? Do they have a bountiful amount of material wealth and live everyday as if there were blue skies? Or do people scrounge around and engage in seedy activities because supplies are scarce? Maybe whoever founded this settlement didn’t build near enough natural resources, and now they have to turn to their neighbours to make due. Speaking of which...

5. Settlement’s Relationship with Neighbours.

   Is your city at war? No? Phew, good to hear, but remember some settlements might be! Regardless of the reason, having settlements with a patchy relationship could make for an interesting story. That being said, other settlements have completely peaceful relationships, engaging in lucrative trade and maybe even arranging marriages. The motivations behind “why” is secondary and totally up to you, but stop to consider how your settlement might interact with others.

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Daniel Neubauer

Daniel is a second-year student of the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College with a terrible sense of humour and an interest in all sorts of music. Whether it be due to raw talent or absolute dumb luck, he’s somehow made it this far and is ready to subject more unsuspecting students to his opinions.

Introduction

Welcome to Maps of the Imagination! This blog has five Professional Writing students taking you through the world of...well, worldbuilding! From suggestions on what you might want to cover when working on your ideas to analyzing what makes some of the most popular works of  fiction so compelling, Maps of the Imagination is here to help you chart a course to your own fictional world.