Massive Worldbuilding Template!

So, first off in this whole series of story planning templates I'm going to start with the biggest one in my collection. This template basically covers your entire world or universe and should help you figure out how it all works together. When I say massive, I'm not kidding either, it's well over 2,000 words alone before you add any of your information! So, let's dive into this big beast of a template and break it down so it makes some sense, ok?

If you're just here for the template, skip to the bottom and click on the store link.

The first section gives you some general questions about the world and it's culture, money, religions, weather and so on. In section two, things get more specific. This is where you can really make a detailed world that immerses your readers and keeps them hanging on every word. And, this applies to all types of worlds, not just fantasy ones. Think about the world around you, and how detailed and full of just... stuff and experiences there are. Now, imagine being dropped into the world with no information about any of it- not how it works, why it works or what you need to be aware of... horrifying, right? This whole template is here to make sure that your readers never have that problem, and, it's great for keeping track of details you might forget until you're revising. You know, like the specific smell that indicates there's a Divine Wind-storm on the way and you need to take shelter.

My favorite part about worldbuilding, is that it's never limited to just one genre or idea. If you want to write a historical story from Victorian Era London, you can plug in your research into the template and you're good to go. If you have a story idea that's completely futuristic and includes no humans of any kind, dragons exist and robots do all the manual labor... just start filling in the information you've got and it'll take shape from there.

Let's start with the first section and see what we can do to break this beast down.

Section One Graphic

Section One - General Information:

If you've never done any worldbuilding before or this is your first time trying to make a really detailed world for a fictional story, this will probably be all that you need. It covers the basics and gives you some room to work with. It covers a lot of ground, but the questions stay pretty generic compared to the next one, where we break things down a whole lot more. Just work your way through the questions and you'll have a really detailed world for your story in no time, and unlike the books that you can buy, you won't have to buy a new one each time you start a new story!

I've included some worldbuilding basic information up top to keep you moving and give you some ideas on what to include on the template, but I'll add them here so you've got somewhere to start.

Important Worldbuilding Rules:

• Consistency:

Ensure all elements of your world align with each other, including laws, customs, and the impact of geography on culture. If they don’t, does it create tension or just confuse the readers?

• Internal Logic:

Every aspect of your world should have a logical explanation, even if it's fantastical. And it should be consistent in and of itself. Contradictions will confuse your readers.

• Avoid Over-Explanation:

Don't feel the need to explain every detail; leave room for mystery and discovery. Letting your readers use their imaginations will fill in a lot more detail than you can by writing everything for them.

• Character-Centric Approach:

Consider how your world will affect your characters and their stories. You can use elements of the world to create conflict and tension without having to add in extra characters.

If you can keep those basic rules in mind, you'll have a great world to base your story in.

Let's take a look at the next section and get into a whole lot more details.

Section Two Graphic

Section Two - Specifics:

If you're already a worldbuilding veteran, or, you want to go a lot farther with your world, let's keep going into some much more detail.

In this section we're going to get into details like non-human sentient species, the education choices and who has access to it, and what kinds of crops there are in your world. If those make you worried, don't freak out! There's no reason you have to answer every question, I don't either! Just answer the ones you need to start with, and if you run into something in the story that makes you add a few details, add them into the template.

Do you want to add in magic or technology? Don't worry I've got you there too, just remember that in a lot of cases they're very similar. Do you need to add in some specific plants or animals? Yep, that's in there too.

Feel free to dive off into any rabbit holes you want and this template will go right along with you. If you find something that's not in here and want to add it, go for it, it's your template!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment and I'll get back to you asap!

Comprehensive Worldbuilding Template!

Best of luck and happy worldbuilding!

Bella