It’s been a wild few months, and I’m happy to say I’ve made it through the first act of my book.
There’s still a long way to go but I want to thank my wonderful friends and fam, and the Reedsy team. Without them I’d probably still be rewriting Chapter 1 for the hundredth time. Instead, we’re already well past the 20k threshold.
The timeline may have taken a few hits—BUT—we persevere.
Last week I met with my first ever individual writing coach! And (fingers crossed) my future editor. While she continues to help me move forward I’m here to share another little peek at my progress.
Thank you again, to each and every person here, for your continued support
What’s your New Year’s Resolution? I sure know mine…
Welcome to the creative rabbit hole known as worldbuilding: the prep work that gives you an endless stream of ideas, inspiration, and sometimes a mild headache.
If you don’t know where to start—don’t worry, neither do I. But let’s figure it out together.
The backbone of everything you hope to accomplish starts here, and that can be intimidating. You might even know your plot before your setting, which is perfectly fine, but the story still needs somewhere to unfold. Somewhere to build immersion, provide logic and consistency, and even influence the story you’ve imagined. So whatexactlydo you need to build a world?
Let’s break it down into categories that frame our world. With some unavoidable repetition.
Who: The Inhabitants
Every story needs characters, and every character must come from something.
Are they human, alien, magical, artificial?
What cultures exist?
What do they value?
How do they relate to their environment?
Some of these questions will come up again later—a person is often a product of their world. Building them begins with building where they come from.
What: Magic & Technology
A story’s core usually falls into one of these two categories—sometimes both if you’re crafty.
How does the magic system work (if any)?
Is it soft magic (mystical) or hard magic (defined by rules)?
What level of technology is available?
How do magic and tech interact—or conflict?
Establish something that reflects or compliments your premise. Spaceships would feel very out of place at a wizard’s college…maybe.
When: Timeline & History
If you’re writing in the real world, time periods make major differences—and that applies just as much to fictional worlds.
Is this a medieval fantasy? A post-apocalyptic wasteland? A solar punk future?
What major historical events shaped the world?
How long has magic/technology existed?
Are you using a real-world calendar or inventing your own?
Once your world’s core is created, the passage of time can manipulate it in powerful ways. Maybe you imagined a vibrant magical society—but you’re telling a story about the wasteland that remains.
Where: Geography & Setting
The most straightforward question really—what does your world look like?
Imagery is what readers hold onto from the first to the last page. Nothing else matters until the vision we’re meant to see materializes.
Worldbuilding: Politics, Religion, Society
Now that the theoretical shell has been built—how do the inhabitants interact with their world?
Who holds power, and how is it maintained?
What ideologies dominate society?
Are there political tensions, alliances, or civil unrest?
What role does religion play? What is religion?
These are the veins running between everything else in your system—the life breathed into the bones you’ve crafted. They’re the odds stacked for and against your protagonist as they take on their adventure.
How does geography shape conflict?
How important is education, art, fashion, or food?
How do cultural beliefs challenge your protagonist?
Could magic’s limitations create moral dilemmas?
Take your time making these choices. Change them a hundred times. Let your world evolve and surprise you. The deeper you dig, the more real it becomes—not just for your readers, but for you.
And when in doubt, remember: You don’t have to build everything at once. Start with what matters to your story and expand from there.
Here’s a quick checklist of questions I’ve collected across hours of YouTube digging!
Whenever one writer meets another in the wild, the age old question is sure to come up.
‘How do you get over your writer’s block?’ ‘How can you write so much? So fast?’
I’ve asked enough people to—well—compile a blog post it seems.
The biggest thing about writer’s block is that it’s theoretical. There is no definite right or wrong answer to the question. It’s almost a matter of opinion. Sometimes there’s a small habitual switch, or sometimes you’ve completely rearranged your routine. The human mind works in mysterious ways—and with over 8 billion minds on this Earth, there’s bound to be a lot of differences.
Not to mention other responsibilities in life. Maybe you started a new job or that final is due next week. Maybe you have kids or you’re finally taking that trip you’ve been saving for since college. Finding time in a sea of commitments can feel impossible.
Here are 5 things I think about whenever the white space is taunting me.
1 – Try a Change of Scenery
If you’re feeling adventurous there are plenty of options. Your local bookstore, a quiet coffee shop, the public library, a nice park (best for our pen and paper lovers). Going somewhere new and experiencing fresh sights/sounds/smells can help pull your brain out of that repetitive cycle—which is one of the hardest obstacles we face.
Other times we want to stay inside, and that’s okay too. Sometimes I’ll go sit at the kitchen table or just curl up on the couch. Even changing things around on my desk can be enough. Anything new or fresh to look at might open a new door of inspiration.
That cat poster hanging on the wall? Now it’s a sunset—suddenly I feel ready to write the next international bestseller. One time I looked over at my lampshade with these little dangling jewels and it reminded me of a fortune teller. Which turned into a wandering performer who wore an oversized cartwheel hat with the same hanging jewels.
Even a seemingly insignificant item or switch can turn into something if you let it.
2 – Find Another Creative Outlet
Creation is meant to bring joy. Do anything that makes you happy—soon you’ll remember that same joy you feel for writing, and your arsenal of artistry will only grow.
Whenever the words come to a halt—I take some time to reacquaint myself with my characters. I love to draw almost as much as I love to write. So naturally I have entire sketch books dedicated to book covers and character designs. If I’m feeling extra lazy, I’ll browse pose references on Pinterest and draw on my iPad.
Painting, Knitting, Pottery, Woodcarving, Baking, Music. (I could go on forever)
Imagine art as an old tree. One branch turns to five, turns to ten, turns to fifty. If a single leaf dies—you still have a whole tree.
3 – Explore Short Story Prompts
Sometimes you are in the mood to write but the movie won’t play in your head. The world you’re building is expanding too fast to keep up with or the ideas start tangling together. Or maybe you just need a little warm up to get the gears turning.
If my fingers stop moving and I start rereading the same line over and over—I simply close the document. After getting past the frustration I decide if I’m just at a loss in this story or if I’m truly done writing for the day. Most times it’s the former. So I asked myself a relatively simple question—what’s your favorite thing to write about?
For me it’s anything silly and magical. I took that answer and started thinking of cozy little one offs. Now, whenever I feel myself drifting, I pull from my list and write something small. (600-1000 words)
Who knows—maybe one day Estella and her magical adventures will make it to the spotlight.
If you’re struggling to find your own answer, try starting with warmups from here:
I took part in Reedsy’s Novel 101 course at the beginning of this year. They offer amazing resources and insightful lessons—I will praise them until my dying breath.
4 – Write in a Different Perspective
This one’s a classic. It’s the kind of advice you’ll hear from a writing coach, an editor, or literally any YouTube video on writing tips—and that’s only because it works.
If a scene doesn’t feel quite right—especially if it’s an important moment—it can be discouraging. Instead of pushing through with low morale, try shifting the lens. Write the same scene from another character’s perspective. Their thoughts, priorities, or emotional reactions might surprise you, and suddenly the scene has new depth.
And it doesn’t always have to be the same scene. Sometimes we worry about readers feeling trapped in one point of view, but we forget that we can feel trapped too. You spend far more time with your protagonist than your readers ever will—so give yourself a break.
Try writing a chapter, or even just a paragraph, from someone else’s eyes. You might never use it, but you’ll know your characters better for it.
Like they say, walk a mile in someone else’s shoes—you can learn a lot.
5 – Just. Take. A. Break.
You may be thinking—How could I suggest such a thing in a post about not abandoning the craft? Because whether we like it or not, we’re all human.
There is always something going on in life. It is physically impossible to do everything at once, believe me, I’ve tried too many times (and despite my preaching…never learn the lesson). You should never feel bad about giving yourself some grace.
Maybe you didn’t write three chapters this week, but you did fold all the laundry and tried a new chicken noodle soup recipe—and that’s great too! Remember that you are your tool. You can’t do a proper job without well maintained tools.
For example I attended multiple parties for Labor day this past weekend. It was nice to spend time with friends and family. They asked me all kinds of questions and are, honestly, responsible for this entire post.
Sometimes the opportunity to share with others can offer clarity for us as well.
At the end of the day, writer’s block is part of the process—it doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. Experiment, be patient with yourself, and trust that the words will return.
Alyssa B.Newbon 