World Building #5: The final word

We’re almost there. We almost have a well-rounded world with a society and people in it that fit. There are just a few things I keep reminding myself of when I’m writing.

Be careful to:

1. Give enough detail/description to set the scene/society,
2. Involve characters in society and with the setting so it’s clear it’s the norm, and to avoid info dumps, and
3. It’s okay to add, subtract and adjust as you go. Just because you’ve planned this world in detail doesn’t mean it’s going to work exactly the way you envisage it once you get writing and your characters’ personalities develop fully. It’s a work-in-progress and will continue to be until the final edit. As an example, Warrior Pledge went through twelve rewrites before I was happy with the way the world and its people worked together.