How to start
worldbuilding.

Start with your inspiration, and get it into words – a World Anvil article is perfect for this. Once you’ve written down what you know, start building connections – for a character, that might be their home town, or their Magic Academy. Keep building until you’re inspired to start your story… and know that the worldbuilding continues as you write or run your RPG adventure!

A simple course will stop you from getting overwhelmed while you learn the basics. World Anvil has a free worldbuilding course that guides you step-by-step through your first steps. By the time you’ve finished the course, you’ll have a clear understanding of the core of your setting, and you’ll know what you need to build next.

No, you don’t need to start worldbuilding with a map. Some creators find map-first inspires them. But others prefer to start with characters, timelines, or an inspirational idea.

The basics… but what that means is different for every writer! If you’re a plotter, start by worldbuilding things from your plot beats – locations, cultures, and items. Pantsers tend to start by worldbuilding their character and their starting location. In both cases, your worldbuilding will get richer and deeper as you write, and again when you redraft.

The classic way is to start your worldbuilding with a tavern in a village. You then expand the area to the nearby city, then the country, then the wider world. You can also try the Agile Worldbuilding method: set up the worldbuilding meta first so your world feels cohesive and well-designed. You can find all the details in World Anvil’s meta worldbuilding section.

Yes, you can worldbuild for fun! In fact, worldbuilding is a great hobby for creative people who love to explore and imagine. It’s also great for your mental health. World Anvil has a community of worldbuilders, turning your worldbuilding into a more social hobby.

You’ll need a worldbuilding software to organize your worldbuilding ideas. There are several on the market so compare worldbuilding software to see which one will work best for you.

Yes, some worldbuilding software lets you start worldbuilding for free. The most prominent is World Anvil, which is the most powerful and best developed and has a generous allowance for free users. Compare different worldbuilding software to see which is best for you.

As you create your account on World Anvil, you’ll already be worldbuilding! You’ll choose genres, write down your core ideas, and get your creativity flowing. World Anvil also has easy-to-follow Get Started guides that take you through each step. Novice worldbuilders can follow the free “how to start worldbuilding” course to learn about worldbuilding and World Anvil in one inspirational experience!

When they help you answer a question, or visualise your worldbuilding! Use an interactive map when geography is important, a timeline when you need to reference your fantasy history, and a family tree to track dynasties and bloodlines.

A worldbuilding software is incredibly helpful when you start worldbuilding. It helps you organize your ideas, so you don’t get confused or overwhelmed. The best worldbuilding tools also inspire you to create more – that might be with worldbuilding templates or a supportive community.

There are lots of amateur resources online, but look for one created by a worldbuilding expert with professional experience. For example, this “How to Start Worldbuilding” course was created by Janet Forbes, a published author and game writer and a world-renowned worldbuilding expert. She’s been a featured guest at WorldCon (the World Science Fiction Convention), and was the inaugural judge of the prestigious “Brian Aldiss Worldbuilding Award” for the British Science Fiction Association.