One of my favourite aspects of writing is the creative freedom to create a completely fictional world. I love how some words on a paper can turn into a whole world you can envision as if you’re right there. That’s the magic of worldbuilding.
When you’re worldbuilding geography, you can choose exactly how the world is going to look. You decide if the world has high mountains, rivers, or long summers. It’s all up to you. If you want to, you can create a peaceful world or a hell. Worldbuilding geography really lets your creativity run free and approach worldbuilding in different ways.
However, if you want to create a world that feels real, there are some things you should do and some things you should avoid at all costs. The way you create your world doesn’t just shape the physical landscape; it shapes your story. Therefore, to write a good story, you need good worldbuilding.
Nevertheless, worldbuilding geography isn’t as difficult as it might seem. In this blog post, we’ll approach worldbuilding simply and clearly.
Why Worldbuilding Geography Matters
Geography affects everything in your world. Believe it or not, it’s more than beautiful wallpaper. Geography is the physical space where your story exists. It’s the ONLY place your characters can live, move, struggle, and grow. Your plot unfolds within mountains, deserts, cities, forests, and oceans.
With that said, you have to remember that your story only exists within the context of itself. The rules, climate, distances, and natural limitations you create become the reality of your world. If your geography feels inconsistent, the entire story can start to feel fake. But when it makes sense, your world feels grounded and believable.
Here’s how it affects your story:
Climate and weather: Mountains, oceans, and deserts influence temperature, rainfall, and seasons.
Cultures and societies: People adapt to their environment. A society in a desert will develop differently from one somewhere cold.
Travel and conflict: Rivers, mountains, and seas can be obstacles or trade routes, shaping how characters interact.
Even a simple understanding of geography can prevent plot holes. It also makes the writing process easier for you if you don’t have to wonder if what you’re writing is logical.
Example from Dune by Frank Herbert
Let’s travel to a Dune, where the geography is essential for how the story unfolds.
Dune is set on the desert planet Arrakis, a harsh and unforgiving world where survival is a constant challenge.
The story follows the struggles of its inhabitants and the conflicts that arise over the planet’s resources. It’s a tale of power, adaptation, and the ways people respond to extreme conditions.
The planet’s geography plays a central role in how the story unfolds. Scarce water and vast deserts shape the culture and lifestyle of its people. The landscape creates natural obstacles and dangers that influence decisions and strategies. By designing the world this way, every storyline and plot point feels grounded in the environment.
Frank Herbert clearly knew how to worldbuild geography; that’s one of the ways he managed to write a great story that many people fell in love with.
Easy Steps to Master Worldbuilding Geography
If you want to write a good story, you need good worldbuilding. It’s simple math. But, you may wonder how to worldbuild good geography. Well, don’t wonder anymore, here’s how to create a fictional world most simply.
Start with the Big Picture of Your World
When building worldbuilding geography, it is easy to jump straight into details. You might want to name cities and design flags. Before you zoom in, you need to zoom out.
Consider the overall structure of your world first. The large landmasses, bodies of water, and climate zones create the foundation on which everything else depends. If the big picture makes sense, the smaller details will feel much more natural and easier for you to write.
Think about the overall layout of your world:
Land and water: Decide where oceans, continents, and islands are located. You can use a real map for inspiration if you’re unsure.
Climate zones: Areas closer to the equator are usually warmer. Areas closer to the poles are colder. Higher places, like mountains, are also colder than lower areas. This affects what plants grow there and how people live.
Mountains and rivers: Mountains can block rain, leaving one side green and the other dry. Rivers provide people with water for drinking, farming, and travel. Because of this, cities often grow near rivers. Mountains or rivers can separate different groups of people.
How Geography Can Tell Your Story
Good worldbuilding geography isn’t about making your world realistic. It’s about making it meaningful within the context of your story. Your world only exists on its own terms, with its own rules, limits, and possibilities. Geography sets those rules.
Geography creates opportunities and limitations. It shapes how people live, travel, and interact. Instead of designing landscapes just because they look interesting, think about how they influence the people who inhabit them and the conflicts that emerge. When geography shapes choices and consequences, it becomes an active part of your story rather than mere background decoration.
Which means geography is an essential tool to tell your story. You can use the landscape in many different ways to actively shape your story. This approach makes your world logical and gives you more room to tell the story.
Ask yourself:
- Are there natural barriers that separate cultures or kingdoms?
- How does the environment affect daily life?
Are certain areas dangerous, or sacred?
Don’t Let Maps Slow Your Writing
Something I know many enthusiastic writers do fuss over is maps. Maps are great; they help you understand the logic of your world. Even a rough sketch can show how places relate to each other, how long it takes to travel, and how the landscape creates challenges or opportunities for your characters.
Without a map, it’s easy to make travel impossible accidentally and have characters cross impossible distances too quickly. Regardless of how helpful maps can be, they’re only great if they help you write a great story. If the technicality of it all hinders you from writing, don’t worry about it. It’s never that important.
What Not to Do When Worldbuilding Geography
Sometimes, knowing what not to do is easier than knowing what to do, especially when it comes to writing, because there are so many right ways to do it.
However, if there is one piece of advice I can give you, it’s to avoid these whenever possible:
Inconsistent climate: One minute it’s sunny, in the next there’s a snowstorm. I’m not a meteorologist, but if I ever pick up a book with an inconsistent climate and no explanation, I’m not picking it up again.
Focusing on maps: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a detailed map. If you can create one, go for it. But if it’s slowing you down while you’re writing, put it aside. The map is a tool to help you write, not prevent you from writing.
Ignoring how geography affects culture: Where people live and how their culture is depends heavily on their physical environment. If you overlook this, your world risks becoming unrealistic.
Forgetting about natural obstacles and resources: Geography creates challenges and opportunities. A river might provide water but also limit travel, and a forest might hide dangers or resources. Thinking about these factors adds depth to your story.
Design a World That Works
Worldbuilding geography is a fun place to let your imagination run wild. There are so many interesting things you could add to your story that would be entertaining to read.
I love worldbuilding because I get much freedom to shape my world and consequently my story the way I want. I’m sure you do too.
But the geography of your worldbuilding has to make sense for your story to make sense. Take a look at Dune by Frank Herbert and how he created the planet Arrakis. Although his story contains things that don’t exist in the real world, it makes sense on Arrakis because he created a world where his story could exist and be plausible.
