Worldbuilding 101: History, your world's backstory

My favourite way of approaching worldbuilding is treating your world like a character. It needs its own unique characteristics, its strengths and disadvantages and to play a distinct purpose in the story. One thing that can really out a character is backstory – the stories, events and experiences that shaped the person we meet on page one. The same goes with your world, and in terms of worldbuilding, backstory is history.

History is your way to give your reader context. What events created the world we land on in the first chapter? What are the reasons the population believes certain things? Why are borders where they are? How did the political system develop the way it did?

History touches the present in a myriad of ways, some of which I’ll cover below. However, it can be overwhelming – and unnecessary – to cover all these facets. As with other elements of worldbuilding, your focus is best spent on those elements that directly impact your plot and characters.

Likewise, I’m a big believer in not getting every single detail finalised before you start drafting. Sometimes things will naturally build themselves whilst you’re drafting, and trying to nail all aspects beforehand can dampen that much needed enthusiasm that drives the first draft.

Think ‘why?’

The biggest key to working through backstory to think ‘why?’ Whenever you come across something in your world, like a belief, the way a society is structured, where a border is, just ask yourself ‘why is it like that?’. This will immediately take you into the world’s history as you explain to yourself how things have got the point they have now.

For example, you’ve decided that magic is a taboo in your society. Ask: why? Well, people believe it is evil. Why? Because two hundred years ago there was a war between magical and non-magical folk. Many non-magical folk died, and atrocities were committed by magical people. Over the centuries, these stories have grown in scope and terror, so that now people believe that magical folk are evil. Why have the stories grown? They have been perpetuated and supported by the powers in charge who are scared of losing their power.

This is a very simple example and you would need to keep padding it out, constantly asking: ‘why?’ Why doesn’t the general population question the stories? Why do the magical folk not use their magic to seize power?

How might your world have changed?

The different types of historical events listed below is by no means exhaustive, but will hopefully give you a good starting point in creating your world’s backstory. Events like these can affect the politics, beliefs, social strata, style, language, technology/scientific understanding, transport, communication, borders and natural features of your world.

Remember – you don’t need to fit all this in. Stick to what adds depth to your story and your characters. When in doubt, look to our own world’s history. There’s very little you might be able to dream up that hasn’t occurred before!

• War – needless to say wars have a lasting impact on society. The horrors, loss and political consequences can mark not just the people who lived it but the generations that follow. For example, in our own world, Remembrance Day is marked just as much over 100 years since World War One, even though very few who lived those years survive. In Germany, many younger generations are affected by a collective guilt over the actions of their ancestors during World War Two. War can also drive other aspects of your world like technological advances, or help the meteoric rise (or fall) of leaders.

• Peace – although less dramatic than war, the amount of peace your world has seen will have a bearing on the fabric of society. Whether by design or accident, if your community hasn’t seen much war, customs and attitudes might be very different to a region torn by continual strife. State funds might have been redirected towards the arts instead of the upkeep of enormous armies. People might view foreigners with more open minds, since they don’t have history to tell them any differently. Long periods of peace can lead to prosperity and all the trappings that come with that.

• Natural events – Every culture has stories of a great natural events (often a disaster) and these can be a dramatic way to suddenly turn your world on its head. Floods, tsunamis, storms, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions can really mark a society for decades or even centuries. Even events that aren’t disastrous, but out of the ordinary can take on significance, depending on your culture’s beliefs and scientific knowledge – things like solar eclipses, shooting stars, and sightings of uncommon/mythical creatures are all examples of natural events that might shape a culture.

• Magic – the way magic has been used and viewed throughout your world’s history will directly affect all aspects of your world. For example, if magic has been used openly, it may have supplanted technology and scientific endeavours. If magic is a dangerous or taboo subject, it might lead to secret societies or persecution.

• Historical personalities – sometimes a single person can change the course of history. Politicians, religious leaders, commanders of armies, royalty, entertainers, artists… in the right circumstances, these people can bring about huge change: societal perceptions and beliefs, borders, how people interact and travel with technology.

• Scientific discovery – a leap in how people understand the world and solve problems they face with technology can change everything. Electricity, plastic, the atomic bomb: these are all examples of modern technologies that have changed to way people behave and interact.

• Adventure – whether it’s with the intention to expand borders, or a private expedition to learn more about the world, adventure can bring about scientific advances, broadening horizons, changing politics, new cuisines and words and so much more.

• Civil strife – Suffragette votes, the anti-Apartheid movement and the gay rights movements are examples of times where people had to fight for change. Sometimes these fights can be violent without it being all out war (in the traditional sense), and although these examples moved our world to a more progressive and inclusive one, civil strife doesn’t always have to be a force for good.