So I am sure you have heard the age-old advice: write what you know. Which is probably why I am basing my book in Missouri. While I haven’t been here my entire life, I have spent the last thirty years in the state, and I’ll admit it is probably my favorite place in the world, with South Dakota coming in a close second.
How much do you think about the world-building when writing a book? For instance, another book I am working on takes place in Missouri (shocked, I am sure), Colorado (where I was born), and New York (I have never been, but it’s on my bucket list.) So, do you write about a place you’ve never been? Can it still be writing about what you know if you don’t really understand it?
I imagine I can study it like I am studying what life in Missouri in the 1860s would be like for What We Leave Behind. Like I learned the ghetto for Completeness of Strangers, I still get a bit nervous writing about states I haven’t yet been to, which is probably why most of my books take place in Missouri.
Next question: when you are outlining, because that is what I am doing for the next week and a half, what do you do for scene development. I am jotting down some notes about Charlotte’s house she shares with her husband, and then her Mom’s house, and of course, the central location, which is the dig outside of Republic Missouri, where they find the remains of a female Civil War soldier. But I don’t want to get bogged down in the details, and I don’t want my readers to get bogged down in the details. So, how much preparation do you do regarding your locations, and how much goes into your outline? Comment below, and happy outlining.
Jerry Jenkins, the best-selling author of over 200 books, has some wonderful advice about worldbuilding and not allowing it to overwhelm you when it comes to worldbuilding. The outlining program I am using was developed by K.M. Weiland. It also is an excellent resource for developing the world that your characters will be living in. Some of the questions she asks include:
- What does the landscape look like?
- What kind of plants grow here?
- What kinds of clothing are in style?
- What moral and religious values define people’s worldviews?
She has more questions, but I want to encourage you to head to her website and check out the software for yourself.
