Creative Writing Prompt
World Building from the Inside Out
When creating a world for a fictional story – be it a fantasy, science fiction, magical realism,
etc – a powerful way to show the reader that world, and help them learn about it at a manageable
pace, is to show it to them through your characters’ eyes.
The key for most readers is that they can picture the world as they read.
Ask yourself:
• Are you writing good descriptive writing?
• Why does the reader would want to read this?
• Does it show them something new and relevant?
• Am I being concrete and be specific?
• Am I providing details the reader can grasp?
There are lots of excellent example of world building, but let’s think about at a very well-
known one, from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997, p. 63): when
Harry goes into Ollivanders to buy his wand.
This is a magical place that none of us will know or recognise (wand shops don’t exist). So,
how does Rowling convey something so unreal in such a believable way?
She likens the shops and its elements to real world things, evoking images and moods the reader
will know and recognise:
• The tinkling bell ringing somewhere in the depths of the shop.
• The feeling of it being like a strict library.
• Thousands of narrow boxes piled to the ceiling, much like books in many second-hand
bookshops.
She focuses on specific, concrete details to build the image for the reader, also drawing on
details the reader will recognise:
• The peeling gold letters.
• The single wand on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window (multiple references to
dust).
• The spindly waiting chair.
This is the intellectual property of Ross Turner Academics
© Ross Turner 2023 | www.rossturneracademics.com
World Building from the Inside Out
When creating a world for a fictional story – be it a fantasy, science fiction, magical realism,
etc – a powerful way to show the reader that world, and help them learn about it at a manageable
pace, is to show it to them through your characters’ eyes.
The key for most readers is that they can picture the world as they read.
Ask yourself:
• Are you writing good descriptive writing?
• Why does the reader would want to read this?
• Does it show them something new and relevant?
• Am I being concrete and be specific?
• Am I providing details the reader can grasp?
There are lots of excellent example of world building, but let’s think about at a very well-
known one, from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997, p. 63): when
Harry goes into Ollivanders to buy his wand.
This is a magical place that none of us will know or recognise (wand shops don’t exist). So,
how does Rowling convey something so unreal in such a believable way?
She likens the shops and its elements to real world things, evoking images and moods the reader
will know and recognise:
• The tinkling bell ringing somewhere in the depths of the shop.
• The feeling of it being like a strict library.
• Thousands of narrow boxes piled to the ceiling, much like books in many second-hand
bookshops.
She focuses on specific, concrete details to build the image for the reader, also drawing on
details the reader will recognise:
• The peeling gold letters.
• The single wand on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window (multiple references to
dust).
• The spindly waiting chair.
This is the intellectual property of Ross Turner Academics
© Ross Turner 2023 | www.rossturneracademics.com
