Jon R. Osborne turned a journalism education and a passion for gaming into writing fantasy and science fiction. He's the creator of the urban fantasy Milesian Accords Universe, which includes the 2018 Dragon Best Urban Fantasy finalist "A Tempered Warrior." He's also a core author the military science fiction Four Horsemen Universe.

Jon lives in Indianapolis, where he still games, writes, and extols the virtue of beer. You can find Jon at jonrosborne.com and connect with him on Facebook and Instagram at @jonrosborne.

World Building for Novices by Jon R. Osborne

Characters don't exist in a vacuum. The world they live in impacts, and sometimes even drives, their stories. A memorable and believable world will keep readers and players coming back again and again. So how do you build a world that will enthrall your audience, and no matter how fantastic the setting is, suspend their disbelief?

Game masters and authors face a daunting challenge building their first worlds. Where do you start? What's most important for what you want out of your world? What are some of the pitfalls and traps to avoid while world building?

Jon R. Osborne, a veteran game master and international bestselling author, gives novices the basics of world building. Whether you want to forge your first setting as a game master or craft a world for the novel you itch to write, this book will set you on the path of world building.

 

REVIEWS

  • "After reading the author's fiction, and now his non-fiction, it's clear he knows his world building. I can't recommend this book enough for writers looking to expand their worlds in thought-provoking and meaningful ways."

    – H., Internet Reviewer

  • "Whether you're an author looking to flesh out your books or a newbie Game Master who wants to get their feet under them before their next game, this is a fantastic resource. Great advice throughout!"

    – Amy Wyant, Internet Reviewer

  • "Osborne may have gotten his start in the RPG gaming world, but just about everything in this book applies to writers as well. If you are looking to build a consistent, believable world in any genre of fiction, this is a must-read."

    – John E. Siers, Internet Reviewer
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Introduction

Once upon a time (circa 1980), I purchased a copy of the world's most popular role-playing game. Little did I know this would lead to a life-long passion—storytelling. My tales quickly outgrew the scope of published settings, so I began making my own worlds. I found creating the places where I'd tell stories could be as fun as spinning the tales themselves.

My first worlds were either derivative of existing settings or fantastical with little regard for logic. Ironically, the latter would feature in my first attempt at writing. Why did the land masses float? Because flying ships sounded cool. It also led to my first attempt at creating a language.

As I gained experience, I strove for greater verisimilitude in my game settings. I filled notebooks with details, only to have my players often clamor to play in settings based on existing games, books, or movies. While using a well-known intellectual property takes care of the heavy lifting of World Building, it doesn't help if you're going to make the jump from running RPGs (role-playing games) to writing.

Over the years, I did get to use a couple of my RPG settings, and every time, I learned something new. Those lessons served me well when I made the decision to buckle down and write something for publication. Every story I wrote added to my World Building education as I discovered both pitfalls and insights.

So what's this book? Is it a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to show anyone how to build any world? No, because every world is as unique as the story it supports. This will give you a broad overview, as I share what I've learned in forty years of storytelling and World Building. Hopefully, reading this book will help you maximize your World Building efforts.

I'll use examples from settings to illustrate points. The Accords Universe is the setting for my published modern fantasy trilogy, The Milesian Accords. The Four Kingdoms is a setting I used for various iterations of the most popular fantasy RPG, as well as some home-brew attempts. The Four Horsemen Universe is a shared military science fiction universe I write in. I'll also use spot examples created in the moment, unconnected to any work.

Note that if you intend to build your world as you read, you may want to peruse Chapter 18—Tools of the Trade. Also, I'll include a couple of checklists at the end you may find helpful.

Finally, you can find me online at jonrosborne.com, on Facebook and Instagram at @jonrosborne, and at Chris Kennedy Publishing at www.chriskennedypublishing.com.

Now, let there be write!