Avoid the World Building “Trap”

Finding a balance between character, plot, and setting.

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I was listening to the podcast, Scriptnotes, the other day, in which the contributors were discussing the importance and “trap” of world-building. The host stated something along the lines of, “there’s a magical world with intense battles, mythical people and cultures, far-off lands and beauty….the problem is, it doesn’t exist.” He was referring to a friend of his who had been working on an epic fantasy novel where all of these aspects were true. Unfortunately for the friend, they’d become so enamored by the world they were building, the story never came to fruition.

As writers, we know the importance of a compelling, intricate plot. One that delivers the promise of the premise as well as keeps the reader wanting for more. But this is easier said than done, especially as the story becomes more complicated and we become at risk of becoming lost in its tangled web. Needless to say, building a world is both easy and difficult. It took Tolkien just about fifteen years to create Middle Earth and all of the characters in it. Imagine if he’d never taken the time to carve out the long-lasting tale of one little hobbit’s epic journey.

But finding a balance between compelling character, plot, and the worldbuilding is no small task, especially if you want to write in the high fantasy genre. That said, here are a few tips for avoiding the “trap” of worldbuilding, and keeping your characters and plot moving.

How to avoid the trap

The main remedy I would suggest would be to start with a compelling, relatable character. This may sound simple, but it’s easier said than done. Fortunately, there are so many great books that can help with this.

The first book I would suggest is Pixar Storytelling by Dean Movshovitz. Using examples from past Pixar films, the author delves into the formula behind the studio’s best characters. It all starts by putting a character into the most uncomfortable situation possible. For example, Remy from Ratatouille is a rat. Rats don’t belong in the kitchen, but Remy loves to cook, which creates the first level of conflict. His family doesn’t accept him either because his aspirations don’t match that of a “true rat.” This is the second level of conflict, as Remy begins to question his dreams and identity. This propels Remy into action as the audience roots for him to achieve his goal while at the same time wondering, “how will he get there?” I love this book, and it’s quite a breeze to get through at less than two hundred pages!

Another read I would recommend is Robert McKee’s, Story. One of my favorite sections of the book is when McKee defines characterization and character traits as separate forces. There is also a ton of information on plot, which will of course be vital to your character’s journey.

John Truby’s, The Anatomy of Story is another wonderful craft book, and probably my favorite so far. Truby masterfully lays the groundwork for story design both symbolically and structurally. There are multiple plot forms I hadn’t considered before reading this one, so this one’s the highest on my list.

Regarding a book I read that missed the plot mark, I overall thoroughly enjoyed it, but because of the more elaborate worldbuilding and smaller character development, I felt I was missing something. The atmosphere was truly spectacular and left me wanting more, so I believe that if the author had taken the time to truly get to know one character and worked on that character’s individual journey, the narrative of the book would have had a more satisfying plot.

It takes time and practice, and it’s so difficult to bring plot, character, and world together cohesively. Depending on your story-building methods, you can start from any of these three, but I believe that once you get to know who your character is and why their story matters, the plot will fall into place.


Avoid the World Building “Trap” was originally published in The Writing Cooperative on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Author: A.M. Cal