Creating an imaginary world

[mitz]

Greetings I am new to this forum.

I am not a writer or anything liek that although i am picking up quite a few helpful hints and tips, and learning about it is very interesting. I am m

I am a concept artist/illustartor currently in my last year at art school. The president of our art school who works alot with animators, artists at Pixar/disney says that Disney want perspective students to be creating their own Ip's/ worlds etc, rather than just hashing out the same old generic portfolios.

What i wanted to ask was how would I go about creating a setting for an imaginery worldand a story for it?. I am not interested in the script or what the characters in the world say to each other, but more about what type of world it is, whats in it, what is the story in the world etc?

Can I think of a setting and a world, and from there think of the story for the world?. Or would i need to think of a genre first, then create the story and charcters etc?

 

[mosaix]

No replies yet I see, mitz.

We are a friendly bunch here on Chrons but we do like people to get involved in the site before expecting us to answer questions (apart from book searches and the like).

My advice to you would be to stick around for a while and read through the 'Aspiring Writers' forum for tips on creating imaginary worlds. Over and above that I would suggest you read lots of fantasy and science fiction to see how its done.

Welcome to the Chrons, I hope you stick around.

 

[Anne Lyle]

Can I think of a setting and a world, and from there think of the story for the world?. Or would i need to think of a genre first, then create the story and charcters etc?

You can do it whichever way round you like - that's the beauty of the creative process!

I guess genre comes first, though - the level of technology is going to have a huge effect on the environment, so an SF world isn't going to look much like an epic fantasy one, which probably isn't going to be like an urban fantasy setting.

Note: the advice below is based on the OP mentioning that it's for an animation project, rather than a book...

I would suggest reading about a lot of different Earth cultures and see how they organise their environment (including, but not limited to, architecture), and maybe also some biology/wildlife books with lots of photos - look at animal body shapes, nests, etc, especially non-vertebrates.

That will give you a lot of visual ideas that, tbh, you won't get from reading novels. As with any creative endeavour, you'll find more originality by going back to the source materials than by riffing off what's already been done...

 

[mitz]

Hey thx for the reply. Sorry im new, and im not really a writer but I have read a few of the workshop threads on weapons and technology etc.

so far I have got

1) Give accurate details. That means streets, buildings, vegetation etc.
What does the landscape of certain citys look like?.

2) Make believable but not over the top characters, technology and setting.

3)Play ua unique aspect of the story or world. Think of the setting as another character.

4) Be specific on what locations and settings you use. So think about names for shops, what neighbourhood you are in, isit a rich area poor etc.

So far I have asked myself these questions.

1) What do my characters look like
2) What do they wear.
3) what do the clothes look like.
4) What does the planet or citys etc look like. Is there water, are there mountis, what type of buildings etc.
5) What is in the city, or planet
6) What is the weather like.
7)iS THERE VEGETATION. iF SO WHAT DOES THE VEGETATION LOOK LIKE, WHAT COLOUR IS IT, WHAT DOES THE SURROUNDING AREA LOOK LIKE.
8) CAN THE VEGETATION BE USED FOR FOOD.
9)Are there animals
10) What do the animals look like
11) What do they eat
12) where do they live
13)what do the buildings in this world look like
14) what the buildings made of?
15) What purpose do certain buildings have?
15) is there currency in this world?
16) how is this currency used?
17) are there governments and rulers in this world?
18) What type of rulers are there.
20) what do the inhaof this world do?
21) Are there jobs for people in this world?
22) What type of jobs are there?
24) what do people eat.
25) What does the food look like
26) where is food grown, and how.
27) cAN THE CHARACTERS IN THIS WORLD REPRODUCE?
28) Which year is it?
29) How technologically advanced is this setting?
30) Are certains races more technologically advanced than others?

I have a lot more questions I am asking myself, but I thought I would put these up.

I also read in another thread that when it comes to technology You Cannot just go over the top, and give a race super mega ray guns, and expect people to believe it. The weapons have to be viable and fill a problem or niche. I am thinking about this alot from an artists points of view, as I am trying to envision how this whole world will look like as I plan to create everything from the guns, to character designs,buildings, environments etc.

I am trying to do something abit like this http://www.amazon.com/dp/0972667644/?tag=brite-21

Basically a group fo art students took a story and created all the art etc for it. Its amazing what they did you can see the video in the reviein that link.

But for me I want to create my own Ip/story and create all the art for it. So yes this wont really be for a book, but hopfully someday for animation, tv or movie.

 

[Abernovo]

You don't have to be a writer, but as a suggestion, you could draw a series of panels telling a story for your world (even something as simple as a bird flying through different habitats). It could be comic format (without text if you wish), full blown high art, or simple sketches. That could be the visual art equivalent of a first draft, to be built on or even thrown away if you come up with a better idea.

Just sit down and sketch out some ideas, see what happens. Good luck. Oh, and welcome to the Chrons.

 

[Dozmonic]

The understand you have is good. The questions you're asking are fine. What you need to do now is go ahead and design a world and don't edit it too much as you do it. Just go along and do it. You'll learn a lot. Don't expect this to be the world you'll use. Expect it to be thrown away and all you're taking from it are the lessons you've learned. Also expect to do this more than once if you want something you're going to be really pleased with. Do it, do it and do it more

 

[chrispenycate]

About fifteen or twenty years ago (at least fifteen; the woman I did it for's been dead for twelve) I was involved with a project like this; I designed a habitable planet for a group of students, with three major cultures (all human; I only had a week to prepare everything, and it was a binary star system, so climate was time consuming, so I didn't have time to develop different species). Then the students were split into three groups and had to generate plot lines, compose music, write culture-valid poetry, paint pictures, carve sculptures and generally produce an integrated, diverse set of interlocking societies. I was chasing around from group to group saying "No, that wouldn't work, they couldn't do that because…" lots of times. Great fun, and I got a couple of decent meals out of it, but all the stuff was filed away at the end and I don't even have a photo.

I wouldn't worry about the 'whether' of reproduction, just the 'how'; for a species to exist either it must have reproductive capacity or be generated externally, and that is a lot less easy to explain away, and generally doesn't change the visual aspects much at all.

From your list I'd say you're basically thinking human; details like architecture, currency and the like are unlikely to be very relevant when you're working with non-hominid races (oh, later, when you've defined your society, yes paint in the details, but the first aim is to get the skeleton working, and some muscles over it; cosmetics can be added later.

SF demands at least a little scientific verisimilitude; it doesn't have to be precisely accurate, but it should sound plausible (and hope you don't get someone like me reading it). Fantasy is more flexible, but you still don't want your readers thinking "that's silly", unless (like Pratchett) you do, and use it.

I'd say play to your strengths when it comes to plot driven or descriptive. Are you particularly good at landscapes, portraits, machines, animals? The rules for cartoon art – um, sorry, graphic books, are not the same as those for pure prose, nor is a college exercise equivalent to something intended to be commercially viable, so the balance required of a full scale novel is less important.

 

[MstrTal]

First welcome to the Chron!

Second and take anything I say with a grain of salt as I am no were near as developed as any of the others around here. Enjoy whatever you are working on. If you don't enjoy it that will translate to whoever you show it to later on. Now as to the process or a process I do have one suggestion.

When I first started out and didn't have a clue as to the direction I was heading with a project I would do something very basic. It is called a "Mind Puke' I would simply take a blank sheet of paper and ignoring the lines on it I would write on it anywhere whatever word came to mind. These words all had to do with what I was trying to achieve so if it was a world than the 1st word would be world right in the center. After that I would just start scribbling words that came to me about a world. Maybe skyscrapers or hovercars or pastoral settings or magic or all of these. After that I would start circling the words that most seemed to go together and draw lines to them and cross out others as an image would form in my mind.

From your OP you would seem a visually inclined person so this method may appeal to you. If not feel free to ignore me.

 

[Dozmonic]

Sounds like a very valid method of brain storming and refining MstrTal

 

[Tecdavid]

All the advice here sounds great to me (I think I'm learning a few things myself!), and I have my own little suggestion, too:
Broaden your horizons. And I don't mean book a hundred holidays. Take a walk through the woods one day, and drink in the sights and sounds. Imagine what everything would be like if they were shaped or coloured differently, and how that would affect the woods themselves. Imagine if things acted differently too, and if the creatures had their traits and features changed around. Sometimes you might need to kick-start your imagination to really get going, and simple, pleasant little exercises like this can get yout inventive motor running. Bring some music along, too; the moods music invokes can influence the way you imagine things, sometimes vividly, sometimes solemnly.
Don't stop there, either. Take a walk through town and try the same.

Try looking up some good photography too. A good picture of a bold scene can help inspire you without you needing to travel far and wide.


Here's a few I looked up for you :
http://www.buzzfeed.com/catesish/awesome-landscape-photos
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/25-breathtaking-nature-photography/

 

[kshRox]

Hey MItz,

I'm new to this forum too but I can give you the benefit of my personal thoughts and ideas.

From the 50K foot view -

I would think of some kind of characteristic, condition or perhaps even problem specific to the environment of your world then build up from there. Given your environment what kind of life or life forms uniquely adapted for the environment would evolve and how would they survive, grow and interact as societies.

The above would include geography which can greatly impact technology and culture.

Speaking of which what is their current level of technology?
There are interesting links categorizing civilizations by Type -

It sounds like your mentors are encouraging you to think outside the box and come up with ideas that are new and unique. I can understand why. I was excited by some of the idea's by Camerons movie Avatar but hugely disappointed in the lack of imagination that went into creating the tribal culture of the indigenous people populating the world.

I think laying down these basic concepts give you the canvas on which to start filling in your details.

Good luck!