Worldbuilding for Fantasy Subgenres

Introduction
This section of the weekly focuses on worldbuilding for different fantasy subgenres! The fantasy genre is incredibly versatile which lends itself to countless different settings and subgenres. Fantasy can be anything from knights and dragons to aliens and time travel. It would be impossible to focus on just one subgenre so instead this workshop will be broken down into distinct sections, each focusing on a different subgenre. This workshop will highlight five different subgenres of fantasy: dystopian fantasy, urban fantasy, hidden worlds, steampunk, and science fantasy. These sections will focus on worldbuilding and hopefully highlight all the differences between these subgenres.

Dystopian Fantasy
Written by Cae (@Caesious)

This section of the workshop is going to focus on the subgenre of fantasy known as dystopian fantasy. I’m sure many of you are already familiar with dystopian and fantasy as separate genres but hopefully this workshop will help you to combine these genres into one cohesive piece of writing. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

What is dystopian fantasy?

Dystopian fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that combines typical fantasy elements into a work that is also set in a dystopia. To be a dystopian fantasy a narrative must first and foremost be fantasy. This means that it has magical or supernatural aspects that do not exist in our world today. This can appear in characters that possess impossible abilities, in a setting that does not obey the known laws of science, or both. In general if characters are casting spells or reading minds, or the setting is full of talking objects or floating castles, the story likely falls into the genre of fantasy.

When moving into dystopian fantasy the writing must also take some other qualifications into account. A dystopia is a society that is characterized by great suffering or injustice. Dystopias often exist in a post-apocalyptic world and are usually run by a totalitarian government. To be dystopian a story simply needs to take place in a dystopia. Dystopian novels often pair with coming of age because a character first needs to mature enough to recognize they live in a dystopia before proceeding to fight the system. The plot of a dystopian narrative often revolves around a character's journey to freeing society from the dystopia they live in.

Combining these is actually a lot more natural than many assume at first. Many popular dystopian novels are actually dystopian fantasies. If one or more of the characters living in a dystopia has some magical ability then the story could be a dystopian fantasy. If the dystopian setting also has elements that can only be explained by fantasy this could also qualify the writing as dystopian fantasy.

How do you worldbuild for dystopian fantasy?

The following sections are going to cover different aspects of dystopian fantasy worldbuilding. Writing dystopian fantasy doesn’t require all of these features, even one or two can suffice. There are also other ways to write dystopian fantasy. This is just going to cover many of the most common features.

Setting is arguably the most important feature of a dystopian fantasy. In order to incorporate the dystopian aspect the setting needs to be a dystopia. The fantasy part is easy to create with characters but the word dystopian specifically refers to the setting. Dystopias are the perfect example of how not to run a society. This can take many forms but here are a few common examples. A dystopia can be several of these or just one; it depends on the writer.

Poverty: One way to create a dystopia is to create a society where many citizens go without basic quality of life. For whatever reason the people of this civilization struggle to access things like drinking water, food, and shelter. This is a dystopia because a large swath of the population find living there miserable and difficult. This often comes with the rulers of a society hoarding all the wealth. There will usually be a much smaller upper class with seemingly unlimited wealth and privilege. The divide between classes is often dramatic with no middle class in between.

Control: Another way a society can be dystopian is through a controlling leadership. In this society, citizens' every move will be limited. There is little freedom of expression. Every aspect of citizens' lives is carefully curated from their jobs to their love lives. In this example people are often brainwashed by society into thinking this is good for them. From a young age they are taught that this is simply the way things are and there is nothing they can do about it. They never even think to dream of a world where they have control over their lives.

Violence: Violence is a very common way that writers create a dystopia. A society where people live in constant fear of being robbed, attacked, or killed certainly fits the requirements of a dystopia. Sometimes the government is unable to find a solution to crime and inadvertently allow it to take over the streets. Other times the society is at war with an enemy or other nation and many civilian casualties result. Many times it is the society's own government that is creating or promoting violence with either their military or by putting citizens against each other.

The setting can also be used to create the fantasy element of the story. The next few points will focus on creating fantasy elements in the setting while maintaining the dystopia that has been set up. Once again you don’t need all (or any) of these for your story, these are simply suggestions for making a setting fantasy focused.

Natural World: The natural world a story takes place in can easily create a fantasy environment. Landscapes can feature things like floating islands, enchanted waters, and impossible weather. These are all ideas that could not exist in the actual world we live in today, making them fantasy. Plant life can also be created in a way that lends itself to a fantasy world. Maybe trees talk and move their branches like arms. Flowers could secrete magic pheromones that give nearby characters new abilities. All of these aspects can exist in a society with a dystopian structure and even aid the characters in their goals.

Races: Many fantasy worlds consist of societies that have multiple humanoid species of different races. These are things like elves, fairies, trolls, ogres, vampires, and wizards. Having these races with different supernatural abilities built into your setting can automatically create a fantasy feel. This can even be worked into the dystopia. Certain races could have different standings in society because many dystopias are centered around injustice.

Abilities: A common way to add a fantasy element to a dystopian story is by giving the characters magical abilities. Making your setting a world where some people can do miraculous things will give it a distinct fantasy aspect. Introducing these abilities in the setting means that giving these skills to the important characters will feel natural and not forced.

Conclusion

The key to a good piece of dystopian fantasy writing is striking a balance between the genres. With both writing styles being so intricate and famous in their own right it can be tricky to incorporate them together. Hopefully this guide has made it just a little bit easier by breaking it down into key components. Best of luck in all your writing endeavors!

Urban Fantasy
Written by Moss (@mossflower29)

Urban fantasy, a popular subgenre of fantasy set in a city, is a fun genre to read, but it can be a bit complex to write. This workshop will introduce the genre and provide some helpful tips to get your story started!

What is urban fantasy?
Urban fantasy is usually pretty dark and often includes supernatural elements, crime, and characters caught between two worlds. Because of these supernatural parts, urban fantasy often has a lot of crossover with paranormal romance. The city the story is set in is often as well developed as any of the characters and plays an important role in the plot—the story couldn't be the same with a different setting.


How to write urban fantasy:
Writing urban fantasy can be very complex, in part because you must develop two intertwined worlds—the city and the supernatural world beyond it.
For the city, make sure to do a lot of world building! If you're setting your story in a real place, consider somewhere you lived or have lots of experience with. Do lots of research to make your setting as accurate as possible. Characters are often closely associated with certain neighborhoods in your city, and they can be pulled into conflicts surrounding that area. The city you include in your story doesn't necessarily have to be real—though it is rare, some urban fantasy stories are set in fully imagined worlds.
Like all fantasy stories, the magical elements have to have rules. Again, making a plan before you start writing can help your magic to stay consistent! ^^ If you're having trouble thinking of how to incorporate magic, try thinking about the questions in the next section.
Try to create a good mix of fantasy and reality in your story.

Questions to ask about your world and characters:
These are completely optional to use in your writing, but they might provide some guidance for where to start!
While the questions go from the simplest to the most complex, you don't have to use them in order.

The city:
What city will you use? Is it a real place, or is it invented?
Where in the city will your character live? What is that place's relationship with the rest of the city?
What does your city want? What does it need?
What is your city's personality? (Remember, your city should be its own character!)
How will your city tie in to your conflict?
Is your city exactly the same as its real-life counterpart, or will you change anything to fit your story?


The magic:
What type of magic will you use?
Who in the city is aware of the supernatural elements?
Is the magic specific to your story's location, or does it exist everywhere?
Who has magic? Who wants it?
How do the city and its inhabitants regard the supernatural?
How do the magic creatures regard the city's inhabitants?
What societies and cultures do the magical creatures have? How do they clash with the humans?


The characters:
How familiar is your character with the city? Did they recently move, or have they lived there for their whole life?
What world is your character drawn to, the city, or the magical world?
Does your character have magic, or are they an observer of the magical world? If they have magic themselves, do they know it at the start of the story, or do they discover it as the story progresses?


Urban fantasy planning process:
-Start with figuring out which city to set your story in—it often lends itself to many ideas for magic and conflict!
-Figure out where in the city your character lives and their history there.
-Start thinking about the magic—use the questions if you're stuck!
-Despite the strong settings, urban fantasy stories are often focused on the characters! Make sure yours have several weaknesses as well as strengths so that they have a chance to grow over the course of the story.
-After thinking a bit about your world and your characters in it, start imagining possible scenarios to put your them in. For example, you could find two characters with conflicting personality traits, such as one who is spontaneous and another who always plans ahead, and think of a place in the city where they could be trapped together to see how their conflict plays out. Remember, you don't need much plot for the length of story you're required to write in this workshop—just make sure you have one or two major events.
-Armed with ideas for your setting, characters, and conflict, it's time to start on your outline! Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end and that your character changes over the course of your plot.
-Start writing! After all this planning, it shouldn't be very difficult!

Hidden Worlds
Written by Sun (@Sunclaw68)
(If you'd like to explore this subgenre in more depth, a more complicated workshop can be found here: https://scratch-mit-edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/discuss/post/6454272/

Introduction:
Heya SWCers! I’m Sun, and this is my mini-workshop about the subsection of Fantasy known as Hidden Magical Worlds. These hidden worlds have been prevalent in literature for as long as writing has been around, and nearly every religion has some world of the dead or the gods hidden from mortals. The Chronicles of Narnia, Artemis Fowl, and Harry Potter are other notable book series with this type of world.

In this workshop we’re going to be discussing the specifics of creating a hidden magical world and the logistics of its worldbuilding. We’ll be doing this by addressing the questions:

How does the magical world stay hidden? How would they deal with discovery?

The “hidden” part

The factors concerning how your world stays hidden are perhaps the most important— after all, if the fact that your world is still secret makes no sense, the reader will lose all immersion in the story.

There are two main questions you need to be able to answer when considering how your world stays hidden:
How do they prevent the normal world from discovering them?
How do they prevent people from within the world revealing themselves?

There are five main elements you can use to answer these questions:

Power - If a story has a magic system, it’s very common for the world to be veiled by whatever power your society has at its disposal (illusions, messing with mind/memory, making certain places inaccessible, etc). This is a pretty easy and believable way to explain how your world hides, but beware— this explanation tends to be pretty vague, and if your story’s magic is intricate and complicated then a magic veil might come across as convenient and possibly even world-breaking. If you have written specific rules and limits for your magic, you must be able to explain your veil in the context of those rules.
Technology - If you do not have magic or your magic system is incapable of hiding your world, technology is another option. If your hidden society is sufficiently advanced, they can cloak themselves with complicated technology in a similar fashion to magic (force fields, illusions, etc).
Appearance - Sometimes, a society doesn’t need magic or technology! If they look, think, and act like the “normal society” (often humans, but not always) then they can just blend in; comparatively, a world of an entirely different species will be much more isolated and require more protection. It is important to note that if you have a secret society that blends in with your “normal” one, then they will be able to relate to each other psychologically as well— exchange of cultures will naturally happen as the two mingle in their day-to-day lives. (There will be more risk of the world being discovered, however, if the hidden people have the chance to build relationships outside of their world.) If you are writing a story with characters from both worlds meeting, this style might be best if you don’t want to deal with the complexity of your characters meeting a completely foreign society.
Geography - The geography of your world can be another way your world stays secret: the most believable way is if the society controls all of the travel in and out of the world (they control the only portal/train/teleporter, etc) and is in a location unreachable to begin with (deep underground, high in the sky, far underwater etc, though these tend to be a little less believable if your story’s set in the modern age with satellites and computers). Keep in mind that the more isolated your hidden world is from the normal world, the more that will impact the “hidden” people’s view of the normal world (us vs. them, racism, etc).
Disbelief - Disbelief is a powerful tool when it comes to keeping your world hidden. All of the above are important, but in the event that some information does make it out there, it is still unlikely that the normal world will believe it— after all, it is very easy to rationalize something if we want to ignore it. You don’t have to come up with a completely flawless way to keep your society secret, because it doesn’t really need it. As long as these reveals are inconsistent, rare, and unprovable enough, no one will bat an eye.

All of these factors can be mixed and matched to bolster the secrecy of your world.

Despite all of this preparation, your society should still be prepared in the case that something happens and someone does find out about the hidden world. Memory wipe? Forced assimilation? Murder?

There are three questions you need to be able to answer when thinking about possible ways your world could handle discovery:
1. How accessible is the method?
2. How quickly can it take effect?
3. What are its moral repercussions?

The more time-consuming, difficult, and morally questionable the method of limiting knowledge spreading is, the more likely it is that it will not be effective and the world is discovered.

And though these questions are guidelines you can use to build your world logically, it doesn’t mean that you have to answer them perfectly— often, that can even make for a boring story. You can build the hidden world so its ways of staying concealed are flawed, then write a story about the consequences of its discovery; or the society’s method of handling discovery is morally questionable, and your protagonist grapples with the inner struggle of going along. Have fun with it!

(Pretty much all of this workshop came from Timothy Hickson’s book On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume I. Go get it, it’s very clear and very helpful!)

Steampunk
Written by Willow (@Xx_Hermione_xX)

This section of the workshop will be based on the subgenre of science-fiction, steampunk. I am positive many of you are already familiar with this subgenre, but this workshop should clear things up a bit more. So, without any hesitation, let's get on with it.

What is Steampunk?

Steampunk is a subgenre of science-fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Just before we continue, I must warn you not to get confused with a very similar subgenre of science-fiction, cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is a fictional world set in a lawless subculture of a society largely controlled by computer technology, whereas Steampunk incorporates outdated technology and aesthetics inspired by the 19th-century steam-powered machinery.

Steampunk is a offers a fresh, romanticized view on technology by making it retro. Steampunk is sometimes guided by certain rules of scientific possibility, yet it also tends to incorporate fantasy elements like mythical creatures and time travel. It can definitely a bit confusing, but i'm sure you'll get it in no time. Just to clear things up, you can bend the rules of steampunk a bit, it can have magic if you want or you can borrow from the time period of your choice without being confined to it or to the technology that existed. But don't go too futuristic as the main time period is from 1837 to 1901 (Victorian).

The term Steampunk was first coined in 1987 by K. W. Jeter, the author of the novel Morlock Night. He used the term to describe a genre of speculative fiction in which steam, not electricity, drove technological advancements. Since then it has been used to describe an artistic and cultural movement. Authors such as Tim Powers, James Blaylock, William Gibson, and Bruce Sterling have created worlds inspired by the Victorian Era, giving rise to the modern conception of “steampunk”. These authors were heavily influenced by nineteenth century writers H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, who are often considered the forefathers of steampunk.


How do you write Steampunk?

The next sections below will cover the aspects, structure and more. Whilst there are many different ways to write steampunk, the below will cover the popular and common way to write in this subgenre.


Setting

Like many other subgenres the setting is probably the most important feature. To keep the retrofuturistic aspect, the setting needs to be victorian; meaning it still needs to keep the retro-vintage-technology vibe. Below I will be covering the 5 elements of steampunk.

Era: It’s not rule, but the whole point of steampunk is that the story is set in the steam age. We’re talking post industrial revolution, pre-combustion engine. In other words, the technology of the day is steam. Instead of futuristic science fiction, steampunk is retro based. Basically instead of looking to make something futuristic, put your mind to making something from the past, with some futuristic elements. It depends on the writer and what they think retro means, because there are some good retro sci-fi novels set in the 60s, and some set in roman times, or at any point between. Place is way less important then time, many think victorian mean England but the place could be anywhere, like Australia, China and even the Wild West (basically anywhere).

Power: Normally, steampunk is pre-electric, so lighting should come from natural oils like tallow, or the more typical carbide, which is more commonly known as lime or arc-light. Steampunk uses steam as its energy source instead of electricity, gas or oil. Along with the absence of gasoline, this leaves a giant hole in the ‘how things work’ business as gasoline is used in our every-day lives. This allows the writer to imagine up some arcane or invented technology to power their world with. In other words, be as creative as you can get, it's up to you, the writer! Ideally, the technology should be steam-powered, which can be quite a challenge for some. Maybe you could add a desktop computer that works with pistons and valves, perhaps? Be creative!

Technology: All good steampunk needs contraptions – anachronistic inventions and innovations which would be easily recognisable in today’s world, but which wouldn’t have existed then. Even something simple could appear- like a fax machine maybe? -but it should powered by steam (or an alternative) and constructed with appropriate materials. YOU are the writer, it's your world, your story. You could literally make anything you want, like a robot or a hologram, hot air balloons or a grandfather clock that can heat up dinner. The contraption element is an essential component, preferably leading to the saving of the world, the foiling of the villain or the survival of the plucky adventurer. What technology will your story have?

Materials: Steampunk has no plastic or fossil-based products, instead of using these, use the more common materials are metals like copper, brass, steel and iron. Wild West, or Victorian England, appearance is a key element. If you look up some steampunk images you can clearly see the metal and copper along with that you might notice the gears and cogs. The gears and cogs are also a big element in steampunk, the same with pipes and clocks. Wood, glass and leather are also common materials, that are used in steampunk.

Atmosphere: Normally steampunk includes a bit of romance, whether it is a strong friendship or something else. The characters of steampunk novels are quirky and include inventors, mad scientists, or the like. Characters in steampunk novels also take on the punk mentality. Usually the main character or characters is individualistic often goes against the mainstream, and he or she may be fighting for a cause or movement. As well as this the ‘bad’ guys and the ‘good’ guys are clearly defined.


The Plot

When writing steampunk you must consider the plot. Much of steampunk literature falls into the category of a hero’s journey, which can take the form of an adventure quest or the struggle of a benighted or outcast individual to find her/his way back into or around society. Classic plots also work well, such as divergence between two main characters’ goals. This is usually the case in steampunk romances. The main thing to keep in mind when plotting a steampunk story is that a sense of fun, often bordering on sheer, walleyed weirdness, is one of your best keys to the subgenre. Steampunk was born to be an over-the-top form. Even where steampunk concerns itself with the powerful, you will find conspiracy plots akin to thrillers, wheels within wheels driving action and shaping changes for the protagonists and secondary characters alike. Classic plots also work well, such as divergence between two main characters’ goals. This is usually the case in steampunk romances.

Characters: All types of characters inhabit the world of steampunk, with an emphasis on the economy, culture and technology of the times. The common archetypes include the scientist-as-hero, the polymath, the commoner or labourer, and the explorer. Keep in mind that you don’t need to keep your sights focused on society’s elites (people of higher power), you could base your story on a labourer who worked so hard on the construction of the glorious brass-riveted airships steaming their way through your narrative skies. Who will be your protagonist?

Settings: Most stories starts out with a character with a problem in a setting. The setting of your steampunk novel is the stage on which your characters will act out their desires and hatch their fiendish plans. The classic setting is some version of Victorian London, normally modified to support the fantastic/magical/science fictional elements of your story.


Conclusion

As you can see steampunk is a slightly complicated genre, but that doesn't mean to not try it. The key is to include all the elements of the genre, including some of you own elements or creations. Hopefully this guide will help you on your journey to create a story in the steampunk genre, best of luck!

Science Fantasy
Written by Gee (@PaigeTurnerE)

Shadow magic and time-travelling; wizards and high-tech gear; spell casting and robots. It sounds as if I am explaining two different genres when in reality, I am just describing the genre of science fantasy. As an author, I love writing in this genre because it gives me so much freedom. I hope at the end of this workshop you are as pumped as I am to write in this genre!
First things first, what even is science fantasy? Science fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that uses tropes from both science fiction and fantasy worlds. Popular books written in this genre include Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl and Madeleine L'Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time so if you have read those books you already have a small taste of the genre. This genre doesn’t have to use supernatural worlds though. In the book I am writing, the year is 2067 and an association of time travellers has been formed. The job of the members of the association is to change the past to make a better future. Some parts of changing the past may mean changing the past in another universe…a universe where magic exists. After coming back from an alternate universe, the main character realizes that shadow magic is all around her in her home world. Speaking of worlds, we’ve got to talk about them!
When most people think of well-crafted fictional worlds, they may think of Suzanne Collins’ Panam or C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. You will make your world with elements from both sci-fi and fantasy. My story is mainly set in and around the International Association of Time Travelers (IAOTT). This world is just like our current one with the addition of time travelling (sci-fi). At least that is what the main character thought. It was hinted by another character that shadow humans (fantasy) are everywhere. The conflict could bring one of the aspects into the story. Maybe your world is one of wizards and mystical creatures, it is not until aliens arrive and start the main conflict that the sci-fi element is present.
When writing in this genre you should constantly be asking yourself these few questions. Does this make logical sense? What are the sci-fi and fantasy elements present? And are the elements clear and noticeable?
Why does your story need to make sense? Well, imagine if a character was in a street fight. Most people after a fight are all beat up and exhausted - if your character is left unscathed with full energy, wouldn't people think something is up? Maybe your character or world is too Mary Sue. A quote by Tom Clancy sums up this perfectly; “The difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make sense.” Remember, you can’t just instantly heal someone with the flick of a wrist.
What are the sci-fi and fantasy elements present? This is science fantasy not just science fiction or just fantasy. This genre isn’t just one or another, it’s both. One genre may overpower the other but both must be there.
Are the elements clear and noticeable? As I said earlier, one genre may overpower the other but they must be present. Although my story is more sci-fi than fantasy you can still pick out the elements from both genres. A good example of what not to do is to put witches and wizards in a world that is ten years in the future.
Remember to keep these questions in mind whilst writing in this genre. Think through every detail but most importantly, have fun!
In conclusion, it really isn’t all that hard to write in the science fantasy genre. All you have to do is think of one fantasy trope and one science fiction trope; mash those two ideas into one; come up with a plot; remember the three questions, and make an outstanding science-fantasy story.

Conclusion
Hopefully you've learned something about a few fantasy subgenres! Exploring the different ways to write fantasy is a fun and rewarding endeavor. Using the worldbuilding skills you learned in this workshop you should be prepared to create the setting for your next epic fantasy novel! (Or at least complete the weekly ).

Awesomee!! <33