Creating a Sense of Place in Epic Fantasy

More than any genre, fantasy writing requires a richly drawn, evocative setting. Readers have to feel as if your world actually exists. If by the end of your story you’ve got them wishing they could take a holiday in your fantasy world, then you've done your job well. I've often wished I could spend a month in Hobbiton – as a guest at Bag End of course!

A good setting should activate the senses. Although epic fantasy is about grand themes, long journeys and cataclysmic events, the setting should take a protagonist's role. All the best epic fantasy stories have a setting that is as memorable as the main characters: George RR Martin's Westeros, Terry Brook's Four Lands in his Shannara series, C.S. Lewis's Narnia and, of course, Tolkien's Middle Earth.

One of the reasons that fantasy is such a popular genre is that it transports us to another, simpler world. These days, mystery, magic, superstition, epic adventure and an everyday struggle for survival are not (usually) part of most people's lives. We have jobs, routines, responsibilities and four (if we're lucky!) weeks of paid holiday a year. We read epic fantasy to leave the everyday behind, so keep this in mind when you're creating your setting.

So how does a writer of epic fantasy create a sense of place without resorting to lengthy (yawn) descriptions, overuse of adjectives and purple prose? Here are a few tips that work for me:

1. Take the 'iceberg' approach. This means that you need to know much more about your setting than you'll ever reveal to your readers – they'll only see the 'tip' of the iceberg, not the 'mass' of information underneath! You should know so much about the setting that you write with authority and confidence. Don't give your readers huge info dumps in the hope that it'll make them believe in your world. Information should be revealed subtly, and through your characters whenever possible. So, how do you gather that 'mass' of information about a world that doesn't even exist?
 

2. Draw a map. The world of your fantasy story might only exist in your imagination but for others to believe it could exist, you must make it believable. Even if you're not good at drawing, get out a pencil, a blank sheet of paper and experiment with drawing a map of your world. Many fantasy worlds tend to be massive continents with extreme variation from north to south – but you don't need to play it safe. What about an archipelago of islands or a long thin peninsula? Some rudimentary knowledge of geography will come in useful here – generally, you cannot travel from searing desert to a lofty alpine range in two days on horseback! Most fantasy settings have worlds that are cold in the north and hot in the south; but if you live in the southern hemisphere (like me), you'll be used to the opposite. I followed convention in The Children of Isador regarding a northern-hemisphere style climate but in my current novel I have modeled my world, and its climate, on the South Island of New Zealand – with a cold south and warm north. The important thing is to get the details right. Civilisation cannot exist without water, so keep this in mind for any large towns and cities. It's also a good idea to decide upon how people get around your world – are there ferries, highways or flying carpets?
 
3. Create a potted history and culture for your world. I'm not saying you should spend weeks writing a detailed history of your fantasy world (that's called time-wasting!) or that every detail has to be outlined before you start writing. However, a 1-2 page history is worth doing, and it might also give you more storyline ideas! You also need to think about the predominant culture. Be wary of copying and pasting various eras and peoples of Earth's history, as this can jar. I recently read a fantasy book that blended a Dickensian world with Renaissance Venice. It had some characters called Gregorio and others with names like Steptoe who were all supposed to come from the same culture – frankly, it didn't work. If you are inspired by a particular time and place in our world and history, that's fine. Just make sure that it's not a blatant rip off, and give it your own – unique – twist. Don't forget about details like food, religion, magic, clothing, architecture, manners, use of language, scenery and climate – they all matter!

4. Let your readers experience your world through the senses of your main characters. This is the classic advice of 'show not tell'. It can be hard to follow, but if you put yourself inside your characters as you write you can filter the readers' perception of the setting through their eyes. Instead of: It was a bright and sunny day as Elmo rode through beautiful countryside, something along the lines of the following gives you a far greater sense of place: Elmo squinted up at the hard blue sky and felt the sun bite his skin. The rolling hills, interspersed by thickets of dark pines, stood out in sharp relief in the bright sunlight... Close your eyes and imagine you are Elmo on his journey.

A bit of time spent outlining your epic fantasy world, and the people who live in it, will really help you create a sense of place. It's the details that matter, and you have to be careful not to contradict yourself! Make notes, add to them as you write, and refer back to them constantly. When it comes to creating a believable, memorable fantasy world that readers will want to return to, you have no other source than your own imagination, memories and knowledge – use them well!