Tuesday, April 1, 2014

A to Z: A

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary Theme: World of Aramatir (Setting of The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building (look for a question or thought at the end of each post)

A


Aerland – a country that stretches from the Western Ocean to the Icewynne Mountains, and includes the vast Canyonlands, bordered on the south by Middle-Sea, and on the North by the Vyshine River.
Aerland Games  - Contests in flight, combat, and mental abilities.


Adrian Treyson -the second Prince of Aerland, Wing-Partner to Kryssander. He has a prophecy to fulfill to protect the Champion, no matter the outcome.
Aggie/Agatha the Gray – a griffin on the Ruling Seat of Aerland.

Alexandros – King of Septily, father of Prince William.

Aramatir - the "known" world that encompasses Septily, Aerland, Rrysorria, Wylandria, Mochant, The Isle of Destiny, the Far Isles, the Southlands, the Icewynne Mountains, the Wild Lands which were formerly Carpthia, the Bitter Sea, the Western Sea, and the Mid-Sea. *(There are a few undiscovered continents, but those won't come up in The Champion Trilogy)

World-Building Question: When you build a world, does it start with a fully formed idea, or does it build from point A (start of story), and then just continue to expand from there?

29 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I have a vague idea and build the world up as I write. (It also starts with the ending, because that's the first thing I imagine with all of my stories.)

Brandon Ax said...

A lot of my world gets built by the characters within it. I always want to know why and that leads me down many roads.

Maurice Mitchell said...

I think any good world building starts with a map and a glossary. Not that I've ever done it, but you can't beat Tolkien.

Tyrean Martinson said...

That's kind of like how I write too . . . although I don't always get the ending right away. :)

Tyrean Martinson said...

That's a great way to world build! Characters, their back stories and cultures, can help build up entire worlds.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Very true. Tolkien was the world-building master. I didn't start with a map, but I had to draw one to make my world work. I'll be posting more about that on "M" day.

randi lee said...

For me, world building is like a game of pinball. I'm constantly jumping all over my work whenever I have a new piece of the puzzle sorted out, then need to go add to the beginning, middle or end in order to tie things together proper! You can look at me as either a total mess or a pinball wizard lol

Nana Prah said...

Fantasy writers have the biggest imaginations.

cleemckenzie said...

The worlds I imagine are bits and pieces of places I've experienced. I think my worlds come in a package with the characters and the plot.

Lynda Dietz said...

I love getting into the minds of fantasy writers. To have an entire world in your head is astounding to me.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Pinball wizard!!!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Maybe - I think building a real world around realistic characters is just as full of imagination and hard work - usually in the form of research.

Tyrean Martinson said...

That's really cool, C. Lee. I think that working with real world places can be a challenge of research, but if you've been there and experienced it, then that's great!

Tyrean Martinson said...

It's odd, but I've always struggled with the idea of not having an entire daydream world going on in my head . . . I love life, but I also love imagining possibilities.

Unknown said...

I like your inspiration for the a-z challenge.

Julie Flanders said...

I've never tried world building and find it intimidating. I'm impressed with those of you who are so good at it. Looking forward to reading more about Aramatir.

Al Diaz said...

The only world I have built started as I started to write and grew from there. I think. It was so long ago. :)

Sharon Himsl said...

World building kind of happens as I write, but I can see some good planning as you suggest helps.
Shells–Tales–Sails

SK Anthony said...

I'm a character-based writer, so my worlds are based on them. They tell me their stories and their backgrounds as I go. I mean, really? Who knows them better than themselves? (I know I make "them" up, but still lol)

Bette Lee Crosby said...

What a great way to introduce a story!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thanks, Julie! However, I think the research you put into your novels is just as intimidating and just as much a type of world-building as what I do.

Tyrean Martinson said...

I think that's the way it works for most of us.

Tyrean Martinson said...

I have to start writing stuff down, or I lost track of things . .. maybe I'm just forgetful, and that's why I plan.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Very true, S.K.! It seems like most of my glossary is based on characters, or came out of places that characters were from - they just kept telling me and I had to write it down. :)

Unknown said...

Yikes! It's taking me so long to finish my book in this world, I don't know how I'd ever get done if I had to create the world, too. However, I'm always impressed with those who can.

Anonymous said...

My stories start out as fragments--- a bit of a scene, perhaps with shadowy unformed characters at first. But then, I'm weird.

Laura Clipson said...

That's a lot of A's, I like the sound of the Aerland games, they sound like a lot of fun!

Unknown said...

I start with characters, and then the world shapes around them and is shaped by them.

Damyanti Co-host, A to Z Challenge 2014, Latest Post

Twitter: @damyantig
#atozchallenge

Margo Kelly said...

I agree with Damyanti - I start with characters and the world follows. :)