I’m world-building for my next novel, and it’s no simple task. With any luck this will turn into a series, so I’m creating a lot of back story. Or at least I’m supposed to be. I have to admit that I’ve been struggling a bit with the sheer size of the undertaking. So today I decided to stop trying to plan my world and plan my plan instead.
It’s helping. I now have a list of things I know I need to get in place before I can go any farther. During lunch today I was able to knock several items off the list. Things are moving forward again, and I’m glad of that.
For the moment I don’t think I’m susceptible to “world-builder’s disease”. That’s when you just build and build more and more back story for your world and characters and never actually get around to writing the novel. I think I’ve got the opposite problem: Analysis paralysis. I know I should figure out so many things about my world, and the sheer size of the task makes it hard to start.
So hopefully making my list of things to do will help break me loose. I mean, it’s kinda silly that I haven’t even named my world yet. Or any of the major races. I leave place-holders everywhere in my “world bible” instead of just figuring out the name that should go there. Who cares if I change my mind again before I get started? At least I’ve moved past that particular obstacle.
Don’t let your novel or your planning intimidate you. Writers write, so do whatever it takes to get yourself unstuck and writing something!