In the Annals: Writing the History of a Fictional World

When beginning a new story, it can be difficult to know where to start. Whether that story is told around a table, on the stacked pages of a manuscript, or to a small child lying in bed. As we know, stories only very rarely begin where they truly begin, and when you're creating a fantastical world from scratch, you do wonder, "Where should I start this?" How far back do you go, when writing the history of a fictional world?

This article is about creating the fictional history of a fantastical world. If you're building your own world for games or novels, consider checking out our other posts and guides on this topic: HERE

Or perhaps if you prefer a video tutorial, you might enjoy our YouTube guides. Check out "Starting a Fantasy World from Scratch" HERE

Begin at the Beginning

It seems pretty obvious, doesn't it? But there is something to be said about writing a creation myth. There's plenty around in our own world, so you won't be running out of inspiration any time soon.

So the question arises: who made the world? What is the origin of the little blue ball that you have set spinning in the heavens? When you are writing the history of a fictional world, you should have some awareness of where it all began.

It does not have to be mythical, for you. The author can know that their world began in the fires of a Big Bang, no deity required. But do the people in that world think that themselves? What do they believe?

Here are some questions to help you think about the beginning:

• Who or what created the world? You should write at least one creation myth. To spice things up, write a handful, so that your people have something to argue about.
• What is the purpose of the world? This is a pretty big question that people tend to ask about themselves, their surroundings, and the world in general. Is there a purpose? Was the whole world built for the purpose of a battle between good and evil?
• Is the world functioning as intended? Now, this one is a leading question. But it opens up all sorts of possibilities. There is a lot to be said for the concept of a world fallen from its purpose, corrupted by the people living upon it.

The Primordial Times

This is the messy, chaotic time before the rise of wisdom and intelligence. In other creation myths, this could be the Wild Times, the Stone Age, the Age of Titans. In writing the history of a fictional world, it's a period of savagery and fear, before people got their affairs in order and started inventing diplomacy and soap.

In your world, the Primordial Times could be the times before the sentient races. Or it could be a time when they lived underfoot of titanic, dangerous beasts ready to hunt and eat them. Perhaps it was an Age of Enlightenment, as the inhabitants of the world before them created a paradise before leaving it in the hands of their successors.

But there is always a period of transition in the history of the world. Something between the Creation and the Civilisation. Something to encourage your world's people to wash their hands and talk to their enemies.

So, some things to ask yourself about the primordial:

• Who lived in the world in the primordial times? Was it man against Neanderthal? Perhaps giants roamed the lowlands, hunting people for sport before they were driven to the peaks. Perhaps it was an age of heroes, as monsters and demigods did battle.
• What was the lead-up to civilisation? Was it a gradual change or a sudden shift? Where did the impetus come to make the change that formed the world as you know it?
• Why did it end? This is a question to ask yourself about everything. But in this case, why did the primordial give way to the civilised? Where did the monsters go? What happened to the titans? What caused the end of the War in the Sky?

The Origin of Civilisation

After the chaos before, this should be the next big question. People in your fantasy world won't tend to ask themselves what happened for them before this. They may just assume that they emerged into the world with the knowledge of how to build cities and write annals.

But when you are writing the history of a fictional world, you need to ask yourself this question from the long view. The origins of civilisation mark the true beginning of history, the transfer of the primordial to the ages of wisdom.

Generally, civilisation begins somewhere gentle and sheltered. It makes sense that your races would find their beginnings somewhere that nature is not actively trying to destroy their buildings.

So, questions to ask yourself about your civilisation:

• Where did it begin? If your world is now colonised all over, where did they start from? They would have needed to migrate and build colonies. Or maybe they were wayfarers from the start. Either way, you need records for yourself - and for them to find.
• Was there more than one original civilisation? Sometimes, civilisations can start independently. An example of convergent advancement. Perhaps you have the beginnings of civilisation happening completely separately on different continents, either naturally or as part of some cold war between the gods.
• What records still exist of that time? There needs to be some evidence in the world that they can find. How did they advance from scratching on stone and handprints on cave walls to writings and carvings?

________________________________________________________________________

This was far too short a guide for something as complicated as the history of the world, I know. In future, we will expand on this more. But in the meantime, I hope that this is helpful to you. Please comment any questions below!