The White Room, World Building Part 1

When I write stories, I often see them playing out in my mind like a movie. Because of this I can sometimes oversaturate my story with dialogue and forget to place my character. Rather than standing on a dock by the river while arguing with their friend on why they need to leave, my character suddenly begins floating in a white cloud of nothingness. The reader might forget for a moment where the character actually is and start placing them in a different environment of their choosing.

Challenge for You: Write two paragraphs about where you are right now.
​Be as descriptive as possible.
What does it smell like? What does it look like?

World building is just as important as character development. If the world in your story lacks layers it can soon cause the reader to be bored no matter how many layers your characters have.
The fish was swimming around the tank.
What is the first thing you picture when you read those words? How interested might you be in continuing with this story?
The fish swam down to the blue and white gravel scattered across the bottom of the tank. It darted through the left eye of the skull and shot past the treasure chest as it released a burst of bubbles.
What are you picturing when you read those words? There is a phrase used over and over amongst writers and editors, “Show don’t tell.” If they reader gets to decide some things for themselves, they are more likely to engage in the story.
Example 1: Michael was angry and he wanted his friend to know it.
Example 2: Michael took a deep breath and narrowed his glare at his friend while crossing his arms on his chest.
In both examples, Michael is angry and wants his friend to know he is angry. In the first example the reader was told this. In the second example, the reader was shown this.
Show don’t tell is very useful in expressing feelings of characters. However, make a point to “show don’t tell” for your environment as well. Don’t simply tell your reader the main character went to the beach. Instead, describe the beach the character visited. Pull the reader into the story. 

Tip of the Day: Place your character in an environment.

#NaNoWriMo #writerscommunity #authorlife #storytelling #worldbuilding

Nicole Donoho, owner of Teddyfly LLC, enjoys writing stories for all ages. She currently lives in Northwest Arkansas where she takes in the beauty of the Natural State with her husband, Jacob, and their three sons-Elijah, Josiah, and Solomon.