The 3 Questions Every Fantasy Writer Should Ask About Their World

"No matter how fantastical the setting, the world must feel real enough to live in." - Unknown

Let's be honest: we fantasy writers are a passionate bunch. We will create entire languages, draw maps down to the last mountain range, and write 15-page treatises on magical goat herding if left unsupervised. (No judgment - I have been that person.) But even with all that detail, it's easy to forget the core thing that makes a fantasy world work: the questions you ask about it.

Because building a world isn't about cramming in everything. It's about choosing the right things - the things that matter to your story, your characters, and your reader. It's not about being exhaustive; it's about being purposeful. A reader doesn't care that you've named every moon unless those moons influence tides, moods, or the magic system. The moment your detail stops connecting to plot or character, it becomes trivia.

Here are the three questions I come back to every single time I create a new fantasy world. And yes, I ask them even when I'm 30,000 words in and think I know what I'm doing. Because they keep me grounded - and they'll do the same for you.

🌍 1. Who holds the power… and who wants to change that?

This is the backbone of your world. I don't care if your story has dragons, demigods, or grass people - if we don't know who's in charge and why, your world risks feeling like set dressing.

Power doesn't just mean a monarch or a ruling council. It could be religious figures, secret guilds, ancient bloodlines, or corporate overlords hoarding mana like it's bitcoin. Power can be visible or invisible, brute force or soft influence. But the important part is knowing:

• Who benefits from the way things are?
• Who suffers?
• And who's ready to flip the table?

Once you know this, your world stops being a backdrop and starts becoming a living, breathing organism. Tension enters the room. Stakes rise. And suddenly, your reader cares about the outcome. It also helps your characters feel plugged into something larger than themselves, whether they're actively challenging the system or just trying to survive within it.

🧭 2. What do people believe… and how does that shape everything else?

Beliefs are the invisible architecture of your world. They affect how people love, fight, grieve, and survive. I once started writing about a society where time was considered circular, not linear, which meant their justice system was built on restoration, not punishment. That one belief changed everything: laws, politics, even fashion.

Ask yourself:

• What do people worship or fear?
• What do they teach their children?
• What happens when someone rejects those beliefs?

These beliefs may differ by class, race, region, or age group. And the more contradictory or contested they are, the more layered your world becomes. Does your elite class believe in divine right while the common folk believe in ancestral justice? Great. Conflict.

You don't need to spell it all out in the text (please don't turn your novel into a textbook), but you should know. Because belief shapes culture, and culture makes your world feel deep, not decorative. It's also where themes and symbolism can subtly bloom. Belief is the soil, everything else grows from it.

🛠️ 3. How does the world affect the characters' daily lives?

This one is where your world goes from impressive to immersive. If your setting doesn't change how your characters live, then what's the point?

Do they need permits to use magic? Does the rain bring down acid? Are they navigating city streets built on the back of a giant turtle that's currently migrating? (Honestly, I'd read that.)

Think about:

• What people eat, wear, or carry
• How they get around
• What jobs exist that wouldn't in our world
• What laws or norms they take for granted

Even minor details can do a lot of heavy lifting here. Maybe people wear charms to ward off sleep demons (little wink at one of my future novels). Maybe cooking fire is regulated because too many kitchen spells exploded last year. When your world affects how people shop, flirt, commute, and argue, it becomes unforgettable.

This is also where sensory detail thrives. What does magic smell like? What do people hear in a city full of wind spirits? These are the things that let a reader feel the world with more than just their brain. Think Throne of Glass, where Celaena can smell the disgusting dark magic of the Valg. Yeah, that.

Worldbuilding can be overwhelming. (Said every fantasy writer, ever.) But if you can answer these three questions with clarity, your world will already stand out.

So ask yourself: who holds the power, what do people believe, and how does it shape daily life? Then let those answers bleed into every conversation, conflict, and quiet moment in your story.

Because a fantasy world isn't built from maps and magic systems. It's built from the way it feels. And if it feels real to you, chances are it'll feel real to your reader too.

As always, if you've made it to here, thank you for reading! If you liked this article, please give me a follow!