Planning A Fantasy World

So where do I begin? Well, I guess like many creators, I begin with the creation of the world. A world that stems from both my imagination and reality. My story takes place in ancient Greece. It will be based on mythological tales of that time period with magical elements and ethereal beings. I know that many writers love writing about ancient Greece and I am no different. I immediately know where my story will take place, what I need to figure out is how I could make Mageia, the world from my imagination, fit into the ancient world of Greece. Planning my fantasy world could be tricky.

I Need A Map

When I think about the successful fantasy books that I have read, each made the reader a part of an epic fantasy world. Now, what made their worlds so engaging? Of course, there were many things, but the primarily the world they created is what drew the reader in. I think about the fact that those books contained intricate maps that lay out the land travelled by the main character. In order to plan and create a successful world, I have to create a map. To create a map, I must begin by finding a map. I need a map of ancient Greece; from there I can decide where the magical world of Mageia will reside.

I find a map of Ancient Greece online. Now I don’t want to give too much away, but I know that my story features Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt and Moon and so I want my story to take place in Ephesus. It is well known for having the largest temple dedicated to Artemis. Ephesus is near bodies of water that were used as harbors in ancient Greece. To the south of Ephesus is Miletus. After some research, I note that Miletus is a city known for its ports and naval fleet. It is surrounded by large, picturesque mountains. These locations provide a variety of settings, which in turn will allow me to write about many creatures that could live in these various settings. I know Mageia will lie somewhere within Ephesus and Miletus. I begin to sketch out my map making sure to add on the locations I researched.

Looking at the map helps me to narrow down my hero’s journey. It also allows me to reach my next step; researching dangerous mythical creatures who might live in the forest and mountainous areas in ancient Greece. So as I said earlier, I needed a map. I definitely will add onto it as I write, but having a basic blueprint is a good idea.

Important Decisions When Planning A Fantasy World

There are just so many decisions that have to be made. Will my world resemble a mountainous valley or lush forest? Will it mirror the small towns that made up ancient Greece or be a stark distant land that astounds our protagonist?

For now, I want to stick to the initial decisions I will make using the knowledge I obtain using my map. So, I pinpoint the area where my protagonist will live (Ephesus) and research the distance from place to place. I look up the important places within the city where my character might go. Different maps reveal different aspects of Ephesus. I also look up how long it would take to travel on foot to these different places. I want these details to be as accurate as possible when Androcles travels through Ephesus in the story.

Imagine The World Into Existence

I have spent a lot of time this week researching the location, but it is an essential step which will lead me into many other areas that I can develop over the next few weeks. I definitely have a lot of work ahead of me. The more I research, the more new questions flood my mind. Now that I know the main features of Ephesus and Miletus, how will Mageia look? What mythical creatures walk these lands? Who are the natural predators of this region? Are there any enchantments or perils that I can place into my story that make sense in these locations? The list goes on and on.

To answer these questions, I have to stop and try to imagine the world into existence. What can I see when I close my eyes and allow the world to form itself. I begin to see Mageia in my mind. The spark of imagination is exhilarating, but I am far from done. I have very little in the grand scheme of it all, but I did develop something vital to the process when planning a fantasy world. In my mind the world was just beginning to grow.