​A solidly built world can be a launch pad for a handful, or even dozens, of stories. Terry Pratchett wrote 42 books based all based in his high-fantasy Discworld. Steven Erickson’s Malazan series spans hundreds of years of his world’s history in ten massive volumes.

​These worlds are so expansive because they are livable and complete. We can imagine ourselves in them. Each detail is tied to a piece of history, custom, religion, technology, or magic, and all of these elements weave together to make the tapestry of the world.

As Terry Pratchett said, “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” 

As writers we create a places that we, and eventually our readers, can go to and return from. The ability to travel by just turning the pages opens up a whole world of fun and possibility.

Fantasy and Science-Fiction writers have the luxury, or perhaps the burden, of being able to write a faith system and pantheon from the ground up.

In many stories, religion is the focal point of the work, like in Arthur C. Clarke’s short story “The Star” which focuses on the faith crisis of a priest/astronaut who stumbles upon a ruined, alien civilization. In other novels, like the currently popular and maligned Song of Ice and Fire series, religion happens mostly in the background and may change depending on the character’s region and heritage.

Gods may be very involved with mortals – they could even walk among the people or be called upon to physically manifest during a ritual. Deities could have their own holy days and festivals. Or, maybe there are no gods, and characters adulate nature or heroic ancestors. Perhaps the story is set on Earth in the future, and some new theology has taken over. 

Making up a religion can be daunting, but it can also be one of the most fun aspects of world building. The rituals, or religions, practiced by characters can add flavor to a world and make it seem more believable.

How the characters practice their spirituality can unfold throughout the narrative, or it can be a central part of the plot. With pantheon and religion building, research is critical. Look at existing religions, spiritual practices, and ancients myths for clues on how to structure faith in your world. 

 This is # 3 of a 5-part blog series on how to make fantasy and science-fiction world's feel real. It's based off of a science fiction and fantasy world-building prompt session I ran at this year's Ladder Literary Conference. ​

Astronomer Carl Sagan once said: “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” So, I like to invent a universe for my apple pie.
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Thinking through how characters perform mundane activities creates a realistic foundation. When she’s world-building, Author Fran Wilde asks, “How do my characters boil water?” How food is secured and prepared is especially vital for high fantasy and dystopian worlds because their resources and utensils probably vary significantly from what we eat and use to cook. Preparing food also stimulates more sensory details than almost any other activity.

Food writing engages all the senses and is essential when it comes to the fantastic. I use the food taste and smell to remind my readers of the familiar and to enhance the exotic aspects of my world. Fantasy is filled with rustic stews and hearty bread and future worlds with instant convenience foods, like rehydratable salad. A world’s unique food and preparation methods could make it stand apart.