Saturday Chit-Chat with Guest Blogger C. L. Wilson
Plotmonkey readers…pay attention. Soon…very soon…you’re going to be hearing the name CL Wilson quite a bit. Just next month, her debut fantasy romance novel, LORD OF THE FADING LANDS, is going to hit bookstores. You need to pre-order your copy now. I have! And the month after comes the follow-up book, LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW. Are these covers gorgeous or what?!?
CL Wilson and I have known each other for a few years through my local RWA chapter. She is insanely intelligent, giving to a fault and has a wicked sense of humor. I asked her to come guest blog at Plotmonkeys because as a fantasy writer, she has a really different perspective on things. I asked her to speak on Worldbuilding…something even contemporary authors have to do, we just don’t call it that!
Here she is!
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Worldbuilding for All Writers
Worldbuilding. When you hear the word, most people immediately think of science-fiction and fantasy writers. Tolkien. Frank Herbert. Larry Niven. But contrary to popular belief, world building *isn’t* just for fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi writers. Worldbuilding is something every author does. They just call it by different names, chief among them, research, setting, and characterization.
Multi-published, award winning author Holly Lisle puts it best when she says
You’re worldbuilding … when you create some guidelines about the place in which your story takes place or about the people who inhabit the place in order to maintain consistency within the story and add a feeling of verisimilitude to your work. So worldbuilding is essential to anyone who writes.
Think about it … you have to know where your story takes place. You have to know the types of people and obstacles your protagonists will encounter. You have to know the language your characters speak, the slang they will employ, their personal and cultural history and how that colors their views. You have to…yes, worldbuild.
Don’t just worldbuild for the sake of it, though. Understand the themes and plots of your story. Flesh out the components of the world that will best help you accent, mirror, or throw into conflict those themes and plots. Your worldbuilding should not be window dressing. It should be the flesh that layers movement and life on the bones of your story.
I give a workshop on worldbuilding and have an “Worldbuilding 101” blog series in progress on my website, both of which focus mostly on the more fantastical / paranormal aspects of creating worlds, so for today I’m going to talk about how the processes I use in writing fantasy still apply to authors of “real world” contemporary and historical fiction.
The following are some of the worldbuilding tools that every contemporary and historical fiction writer can use:
1) Maps. All stories take place somewhere. And the location of various setting elements may be important enough to document in visual (i.e., map) form for future reference. For historical writers, it could be the layout of your hero’s castle. For a thriller set in the jungles of Africa, an atlas map of the continent (or countries) involved, with roads, cities, and terrain documented for you can save hours of time and countless mistakes. For romantic suspense novelists, you may draw maps of your crime scenes or lay out a map of the city and mark where the bodies were found. For regency authors, reference maps of London during the Regency era – with all the street names and known shops documented for your convenience – are invaluable tools. If your characters do much in the way of traveling in your book, maps – with distances and travel times documented – can be quite helpful, and may even spawn a few ideas. (I can’t allow my characters to get to Carson City before noon on Friday, what can happen along the way to stop them?) Even something as simple as the heroine’s house – with a floorplan showing which rooms are on each floor – can be helpful if your characters are going to spend much time in that house.
2) Timelines. Timelines are vital for well researched historical novels – clearly, you need to know the dates of major historical events and consider how those events will impact your characters. Every character also has his own personal timeline – his backstory, the events of his life that shaped him into the man he is when the story starts. Timelines in crime and suspense stories are vital and often parse down to days, hours, and even minutes if that level of detail is important to the discovery of clues and the investigation and solving of the crime.
3) Culture. This is the part of worldbuilding that every author should spend the most time on. You cannot be too thorough here. Why? Because no character is unaffected by the culture—and subculture—he lives in. In fact, for most people, the society we grow up in profoundly impacts every part of our lives: our values, our views, our expectations, our way of approaching obstacles and living life. If your heroine is a pampered heiress and your hero a cop from the wrong side of the tracks, they grew up in two completely different cultures. Both may be Americans, but the parts of America that shaped them are completely different. So think about the cultures in your book and ask yourself questions such as: How educated are the members of this culture? What does this culture value the most (money, honor, truth, freedom, power, etc.)? What will they do to protect this value? How much interaction with other cultures does this society have? Are those interactions friendly or hostile? How does this society treat its women? Children? Elderly? What are the traditions and taboos in this culture? Who are the enemies and allies of this culture? How important is family? Religion? Self-sacrifice? Irish policemen in Boston, for instance, have a completely different cultural and societal mores than ranchers in Texas or fashion designers in Manhattan.
4) Language. How do your characters speak? Do they have accents? Do they use slang? Do they have certain “catch phrases” they always use? The way your characters speak says volumes about them. If they are foreign, are there certain words or phrases they use from their native tongue. (endearments are a common usage.) Language stems from the character’s culture as well. Physical gestures are also a form of language. If your characters use certain trademark or instinctive gestures, you might consider making a note of them.
5) Government, Industry, Technology, Weaponry. Depending on the type of story you’re writing, you may or may not need to know this information. In historical novel writing you most likely will – because history is an alien world to most readers, and they need an understanding of what that world is like. For contemporary suspense or thrillers, government and technology is going to be of vital importance, and you need to understand in depth what impact governmental institutions and processes and available technology will have on the events in your novel. If you are writing medical romances, you need a solid understanding of the medical related administration, practices and technologies.
The above is not meant to be an all inclusive list. It’s just the tip of the worldbuilding iceberg. The best worldbuilding tools any author has are questions: who, what, when, where, how…and mostly importantly…why.
As you ask yourself questions and build the world in which your characters live, keep the following in mind…how can I use this aspect of my world to enhance, illuminate or challenge the plots and themes of this book? If you keep that goal in mind and worldbuild accordingly, in the end you will end up with a vibrant story built on a world so solid it feels completely real to your characters and your readers.
So happy worldbuilding! May the words flow, the pages accumulate, and the story be good.
Here’s an added bonus…the video from C.L.’s first book!
Welcome, CL! Congrats on your first books! World building is such an interesting concept. Thanks for sharing technique with the Plotmonkeys and our readers/visitors!
Comment by Carly — September 22, 2007 @ 8:07 am
Welcome, Ms. Wilson to the Plotmonkeys. Thank you for sharing your techniques for worldbuilding.
Congratulations on your new releases! Wow! Two books in one month!
Good morning, Plotmonkeys.
Have a great day,
Cher
Comment by Cher — September 22, 2007 @ 8:36 am
Welcome Ms. Wilson!
Thank you for posting your intriguing techniques for world building. Congratulations on your books! Wow, two firsts in one month. How cool is that!
Good morning Plotmonkeys!
Carly, Janelle–I hope you’re feeling better today.
Cher
Comment by Cher — September 22, 2007 @ 8:44 am
Wow - great trailer!
Comment by Liz — September 22, 2007 @ 9:25 am
Thanks for the welcome Carly, Cher and Liz.
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 9:36 am
Glad you liked the trailer, Liz. Sheila and COS Productions did a great job for me!
Ooh, I could just post just to play with your smileys *G*
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 10:12 am
Hope your books are a huge success
Comment by Tina Martinesi — September 22, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness
My wait is almost over 
ok thats me doing my happy dance!!! I just got an email from Amazon telling me that Sealed with a Kiss will be shipping sooner than they had originally stated and I could expect it to ship by the 29th
Comment by Tina Martinesi — September 22, 2007 @ 10:26 am
We do have the best emoticons!
Cheryl…er, CL,
, I always screw up timelines. It’s the biggest thing I have to fix on revisions. Always. It’s one of the things I’m working on with my new book…actually paying attention in my many storylines (this one has about four) so that the time passes at the same speed for all my characters. Any suggestions on the best way to do that…or is a calendar of sorts my only option? 
Comment by Julie Leto — September 22, 2007 @ 10:26 am
Thanks, Cher! I think I’m better but maybe my bite is off b/c I can still feel pain when I bite in certain ways. Ugh. I’m so sick of this!
Tina, THANK YOU! Hope it was worth the wait.
Comment by Carly — September 22, 2007 @ 10:27 am
I’m bad with timelines, too. In fact, I’m just looking at my latest revision letter and… ugh.
Oh well, I’ll stop 
now and get back to 
this manuscript into shape!
Can’t wait for the release of Tairen Soul!
Comment by Diana — September 22, 2007 @ 10:55 am
Ok, so this may sound like a really dumb question, but if your basing your setting on an actual place, like for example NYC ,is it ok to use real names like: Victoria Secrets, The Rockettes, Radio City, David Letterman, Live with Regis and Kelly, Famous Ray’s pizza? Or do you need to get permission to use the names?
Comment by Tina Martinesi — September 22, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Hey Tina - and YAY on your Sealed with a Kiss!!!
Julie says I always screw up timelines. It’s the biggest thing I have to fix on revisions
Julie - it depends on how detailed your timeline needs to be. I use Excel spreadsheets - they’re quick, easy to change, and you can use one column for each plot/timeline you’re tracking.
For example, I (idiot!) made a form of magic that grows strongest when nights are darkest. In a world with two moons that revolve at different speeds. (What was I thinking?
) I have an excel spreadsheet that tracks the lunar cycles (one column for each moon), then use the other columns for the various timelines (one row per day).
If you need a more granular timeline, using a calendar program is a great idea. An online calendar like the Yahoo mail calendar works. Or, in outlook, if you aren’t using it for your personal calendar - you can categorize/color code calendar events - choose a different color for each character or plot. and lay out your entire timeline. Ooooh….
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Julie - I just wanted to say, you did excellent worldbuilding in your Marisela books. The research and effort you put in to make Marisela’s Cuban subculture and life in Tampa real was terrific. I recall you saying you had to keep reminding yourself about her education level - and that she wouldn’t use the same vocabulary to describe things that you would - she wouldn’t know the words! (And I love what you’ve done with your new paranormal series!)
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Tina, it’s SO not a stupid question. You don’t need permission … but I tend to try to do my own fictional places, and yet I get in trouble anyway. I mess up sex of babies and continuity elements. Janelle just told me I had Target laid out wrong and it changed MY ENTIRE SCENE and dialogue to remove the characters from Target.
Comment by Carly — September 22, 2007 @ 11:42 am
Tina asked:
Well, the Devil didn’t wear Prooda…she wore Prada.
I’d say you’re safe. Chick lit, in particular, is chock full of name dropping.
Besides, why make something up and have to explain it when you can reference a concrete “something” people already recognize? (Exception: be careful showing product brands in a bad light. ET ate Reese’s Pieces and loved them, but if he’d choked and died on one, Hershey might have had a real problem with that.)
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 11:43 am
Oh and might I add, I shop in Target, so it’s not like I was ignorant. I just hate setting.
Comment by Carly — September 22, 2007 @ 11:43 am
Okay…LOL…Carly makes a good point. Um, if you’re going to use a real setting - better get your facts straight. (Hey, MAPS of Target might work!
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 11:46 am
Hi C.L.~ thanks for being here! Congratulations on your first two books. Your post was really informative and I’ll definitely be asking myself more questions as I write now.
So, it’s okay to use real places and people. Is it okay to sprinkle in some make believe with that reality or does that confuse the reader?
Oh, and Carly, I’ve been in Target a hundred times and couldn’t map it out if you paid me.
Comment by Robin — September 22, 2007 @ 11:52 am
C.L. thank you SO much for being here! Really terrific info here. I have done some world building with my small towns in several of my novels, but can’t even imaging the dedication & imagination it would take for something as epic as you’re doing. Congrats!!!
Comment by Leslie — September 22, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Hi all, sorry I’m late. The house was empty and I’ve been catching up on much needed sleep. Sheww…I feel like a new woman!
Thanks, C.L., for being here and sharing your world building tips. I was following along and doing great. Right up until the time you started talking Excel spreadsheets and two moons, etc.
. I have a hard enough time getting the inside of a building (a small building, not even something complex like Target) straight so I think I’ll stick with much, much simpler worlds! 
With my current WIP I struggle with (Jeez, I know, I struggle with everything) knowing how much info to put in and when it becomes too much. My setting is a fictional town (based on the combination of 2 towns) along the Pamlico River. The town and river are huge, integral parts of the story but I always wonder “do I really need to be telling this?” or am I just giving info dump.
I would think if I’m wondering I probably don’t need it, but when I had a group critique a chapter they were confused about setting because I had taken too much out.
How do you know?
And the movie was incredible!!!
Thanks again for being here and sharing your knowledge!!
Comment by Jodie — September 22, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
Hi Robin!
I remember lots of Harlequins and Silhouettes I scarfed down by the dozens, and they would include maps of, say, Montana with the major city noted, then the “make believe” town added in italics. With a note “places in italics are fictional”.
If you’re worried you’re going to seriously confuse the reader, consider doing something else - or add an author’s note to clarify what’s real and what’s not.
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
I am sooo glad that for once I got the message about a blog in time! (Not easy since I’m 6 hours ahead of you.) I had heard about your great world building technique and now I know it really is great and ever so useful! Thanks for sharing. Also thanks for the reminder that it’s time to pre-order Lord of the Fading Lands from Amazon. Hoping Amazon in the UK has it as that’s my method of getting English language books at lower postal rates. However, from what I’ve heard, this book is worth whatever postal rate is necessary to get it in my hands.
Best wishes for continued success and many more worlds built by CL, Anne
Comment by Anne Crowder — September 22, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
Okay, I’m here to taunt you with the fact that I’ve already read both books. . . and they’re FABULOUS-O!
The worldbuilding it top notch and the characters are to die for. Though I have to say, I’d ditch Ellie in a heartbeat if I could take her place. Raine is to die for. And the Fey– just give me one Fey warrior; I’m not greedy. I’d take any one of them! Big strapping guys wearing fitted leather with bands of throwing knives across their chests. sigh. And riding a tairen. . . heck I’d go bareback– no saddle needed for this girl!
Why doesn’t Hollywood wake up and give us the kind of stuff we want?
There are so many amazing aspects to these books– you just have to read them to understand how fully realized and vibrant the world building is. Marvelous! You guys at Plot Moneys are really fortunate to have C.L. here. Go buy several copies of these books and give them to friends as gifts. . . they’ll be forever grateful!
Comment by Betina — September 22, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
Thanks C.L.!
Comment by Robin — September 22, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
Carly, I can understand the Target issue…everytime I go there, everything is switched around…lol I’m lost all the time
Leave it to Janelle to catch the error 
C.L.
Comment by Tina Martinesi — September 22, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
You’re cruel, Betina, to taunt us so! I have to wait until CL’s book comes out to buy it. Which I will do, along with lots and lots of other people.
CL - This is excellent stuff! I love the details on language and culture. It’s so useful not just when building a world, but when determining your character’s place in the “real world.” (Whatever the heck the “real world” is, anyway!)
My stories take place in the current world, usually in big cities, but I’ve always kept timelines. I use an excel spreadsheet to keep track of what time of year the book takes place, when the epilogue takes place. When characters are introduced, when they have babies. I keep spreadsheets of the villains’ victims, too.
Best of success! I can’t wait for my copy of Tairen Soul!
Comment by Karen Rose — September 22, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
C.L., just curious, how long have you been writing and how many manuscripts have you completed? Julie said this is your debut fantasy novel but have you published other romances?
I’m just amazed by the detail and in depth information you have that I’m wondering how long you’ve been at this. Thanks!
Comment by Jodie — September 22, 2007 @ 1:16 pm
Welcome to the jungle, C.L.!
What a great article. Thank you for sharing it here with us.
And a big congratulations on your two new releases!!!
Comment by Janelle — September 22, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
I mix up real and imaginary places and things. So I have the imaginary school of Eli University in the real town of New Haven Connecticut. I use real street names but fake names for the buildings on said streets. I have real companies where they get their coffees 9Starbucks) but fake companies that do bad things to my characters (”Horton” Publishers).
Comment by Diana — September 22, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
Yes, I did have to
Carly on that scene in Target. She had the CANDY ISLE right next to the BEDDING ISLE! 
Comment by Janelle — September 22, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
Awesome video. Your worldbuilding ideas are fantastic and show how much hard work you have put into your books. We can all use ideas like these. Everything I hear about your books sounds so great I can’t wait to read them. Lynette
Comment by Lynette — September 22, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
Mmmm candy in bed works for me
Comment by Tina Martinesi — September 22, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
Hi Leslie!!
LOL - I must admit - now I know why epic fantasy writers kill off so many characters - so they don’t have to keep track of them and their subplots!!
Hi Jodie! So glad to “meet” you!
You asked
You know, my suggestion is “write it”. Write what you think you need to a) set the scene, b) set the mood, c) set the pacing. If your readers start to skim, they will tell you. Then look to see what you can/should cut. I like description - especially beautiful, mood-setting description - but the amount of it I use (and how often) depends entirely on the pacing and tone of the book.
Don’t describe just for the sake of describing. Describe for mood, for showing a character’s mindset (what people see and don’t see - and the mental pictures they draw - say LOTS about them.) Hope that helps a little!
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
Hi Anne!!!! Merci beaucoups for coming!!!
Betina -
(Psst. I will slip the check to you later, ok?) 
Karen - ahem, NYTimes bestselling author Karen Rose
(oh, I am LOVING these critters) HI!!! 
I’ll just bet you keep timeslines for EVERYTHING. Dead bodies alone would fill a file cabinet, you murderous minx! 
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
Jodie asks
But, I will confess Tairen Soul (the monsterscript that became Lord of the Fading Lands Lady of Light and Shadows) was my fifth completed book. (and I wrote it twice - does that count as six?)
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
Wow C.L. I definitly think it counts if you had to write it twice…yikes!
Comment by Tina Martinesi — September 22, 2007 @ 2:32 pm
Hi Janelle - thanks for the welcome!
And..uh…you mean there’s *more* to Target than the candy aisle? (My kids never let me get past that! ) 
Diana - Your way of mixing reality and fiction is perfect!
Lynette - thanks for posting! I’m glad you enjoyed the BookTrailer!
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
Tina -
I downed a few of these after selling and reliazing I’d have to cut it in half and revise it a 3rd time!
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 3:26 pm
I loved your comments about Timelines. With writing NASCAR romances these days, I’m always consulting the race schedule and praying nothing changes before my books get printed. And your reminder of how scenes come down to minutes really hit home for me. It’s the little details that always strike me as most important in world building.
Wishing you major, major success,
Wendy
P.S. Hello to all you super Plot Monkeys! Love the site!
Comment by Wendy Etherington — September 22, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
Wendi
Comment by Wendi — September 22, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
Very interesting blog.
Loved the trailer!
Comment by Estella — September 22, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
Hey Wendy E - so glad you posted! And congrats on the Nascar books!
Hey Wendi - thanks so much!
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
HI Cheryl:
Thanks for the informative post. I truly enjoyed your TARA presentation last month- now I have it in written format! I LOVED your trailer. Who designed it and put it all together?
How many times did you polish your books (after you re-wrote them twice and cut them down)?
Rosemary
Comment by Rosemary — September 22, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
Hi Estella, thanks for the welcome. So glad you enjoyed the trailer!
Rosemary - Hi! The blog on my website runs a little closer to the TARA presentation. I’m so glad you enjoyed the trailer.
Circle of Seven Productions (COS Productions) did that for me. They did fab!
As to how many times I polished my manuscript…um…lots? I am a constant polisher. I circle…start on page 1, write. Next day, start on page 1, read, revise, continue. So I polish a lot. and whenever I spent too long away from the beginning of the book, I’d go back, re-read, polish/tighten a bit more (always looking to make the darn thing smaller!) add a little more, etc.
I’m trying to streamline this process - haven’t managed it yet.
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
Thanks PlotMonkeys and everyone who came and posted. I had a lovely time today - hope you did too!
Happy writing to all!
Cheryl - AKA C.L. Wilson
Comment by C.L. Wilson — September 22, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
CL you have such a rich imagination. Amazing! Thanks for the ideas and tips on maps and culture…. definitely going to help me as I write. Thanks so much and CONGRATS on both books coming out back to back. I can’t wait! the covers are gorgeous and they are incredible books.
Comment by Kathie — September 23, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
[...] like to issue a big, huge CONGRATULATIONS to one of our guest speakers we had here a few weeks ago, C.L. Wilson, whose first book (LORD OF THE FADING LANDS) just hit the bookshelves and debuted on the USA Today [...]
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