In J.R.R.'s world, Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron. Gandalf's body was mortal, subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth, but his spirit was immortal, as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey and resurrected as Gandalf the White. According to the Wachowski's script, an awakened human only has to link up and hack the neon binary code of the Matrix to learn how to fly a helicopter in a matter of seconds. Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones, you don't even need a helicopter, you just need a cool pair of shades. Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads. iPads are rudimentary. No Quidditch match ends until the Golden Snitch is caught. And the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is most certainly 42. Just like real life, fictional worlds operate consistently within a spectrum of physical and societal rules. That's what makes these intricate worlds believable, comprehensible, and worth exploring. In real life, the Law of Gravity holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter" to millions of bookshelves around the world. We know this to be true, but we also know that ever since J.K. typed the words wizard, wand, and "Wingardium Leviosa," that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends. Authors of science fiction and fantasy literally build worlds. They make rules, maps, lineages, languages, cultures, universes, alternate universes within universes, and from those worlds sprout story, after story, after story. When it's done well, readers can understand fictional worlds and their rules just as well as the characters that live in them do and sometimes, just as well or even better than the reader understands the world outside of the book. But how? How can human-made squiggles on a page reflect lights into our eyes that send signals to our brains that we logically and emotionally decode as complex narratives that move us to fight, cry, sing, and think, that are strong enough not only to hold up a world that is completely invented by the author, but also to change the reader's perspective on the real world that resumes only when the final squiggle is reached? I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that question, yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday in our minds, on computers, even on napkins at the restaurant down the street. The truth is your imagination and a willingness to, figuratively, live in your own world are all you need to get started writing a novel. I didn't dream up Hogwarts or the Star Wars' Cantina, but I have written some science thrillers for kids and young adults. Here are some questions and methods I've used to help build the worlds in which those books take place. I start with a basic place and time. Whether that's a fantasy world or a futuristic setting in the real world, it's important to know where you are and whether you're working in the past, present, or future. I like to create a timeline showing how the world came to be. What past events have shaped the way it is now? Then I brainstorm answers to questions that draw out the details of my fictional world. What rules are in place here? This covers everything from laws of gravity, or not, to the rules of society and the punishments for individuals who break them. What kind of government does this world have? Who has power, and who doesn't? What do people believe in here? And what does this society value most? Then it's time to think about day-to-day life. What's the weather like in this world? Where do the inhabitants live and work and go to school? What do they eat and how do they play? How do they treat their young and their old? What relationships do they have with the animals and plants of the world? And what do those animals and plants look like? What kind of technology exists? Transportation? Communication? Access to information? There's so much to think about! So, spend some time living in those tasks and the answers to those questions, and you're well on your way to building your own fictional world. Once you know your world as well as you hope your reader will, set your characters free in it and see what happens. And ask yourself, "How does this world you created shape the individuals who live in it? And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?" Answer those questions, and you have your story. Good luck, future world-builder!
作家托爾金(J.R.R. Tolkien)筆下的世界, 甘道夫是维拉(the Valar)派来 引导中土世界的人们 和黑暗魔君索伦抗争的五个男巫之一。 甘道夫的肉体是会殒灭的, 会受到中土世界自然规律的控制, 但他的灵魂不灭, 他以灰袍甘道夫的身份死去, 然后以白袍甘道夫的身份复活。 在沃卓斯基(Wachowski)的剧本里, 一个被唤醒的人只需要接入 并且盗取黑客帝国的二进制码, 就可以在几秒钟内, 学会怎样开直升飞机。 若你是救世主(黑客任务), 或救世主之一, 你甚至不用什么直升飞机, 你需要的,只是一副酷酷的墨镜。 柴郡猫(Cheshire cats)可以把自己的头抛着杂耍, iPads只是最最基础的。 魁地奇(Quidditch)球赛不会结束, 除非有人抓到了金色飞贼。 关于生命、宇宙 和一切终极问题的答案, 绝对是42. (根據《银河系漫游指南》) 就像现实生活一样, 虚幻世界的运行,也有一整套固定的 自然规律和社会法则。 这就是为什么这些错综复杂的虚幻世界 是可信的, 可理解的 和值得探索的。 现实世界中,万有引力定律 把全套7 册哈利波特牢牢固定在 世上无数书架上。 我们对此毫不怀疑, 而我们同时也相信, 当J.K.罗琳写下 “男巫” “魔杖” 和“Wingardium Leviosa”(悬浮咒)时, 万有引力定律,在 架上的小说内容中, 凭空消失了。 科幻和奇幻小说作者 字面上而言就是世界的创造者。 他们创造规则, 地图, 宗族, 语言, 文化, 宇宙, 数个宇宙中交替着多重宇宙, 从这些世界中, 一个个故事接踵而生。 倘若妙笔生花, 读者便能 像书中人物角色一样 理解虚构世界 还有其中的法则 有时候, 与书本外的现实世界相比, 读者反而更能理解 书中的世界。 不過這是如何辦到的呢? 怎样才能让文字, 引人入胜, 并把讯息传到读者脑海里, 让我们以感情和逻辑 解读成复杂的故事 驱使我们奋斗, 哭泣, 歌唱, 并且去思考 这些文字不仅仅 强有力地支撑起 作者一手创造的世界, 并且在阅读时, 改变读者 对现实世界的看法。 我不知道有没有人会知道 这个问题的答案, 可是,我们每天在大脑中 都不断地产生虚构的世界 也构筑虚在电脑, 甚至街角餐馆的纸巾上 事实上,只要你有想象力 并且愿意以不一样的视角看待 周遭的世界 一部小说的素材就已足够了。 我没能构想出霍格沃茨(Hogwards) 或是星際大戰的Cantina(星際酒館), 但我为儿童和年轻人 写过一些科幻惊险小说。 接着要与各位分享的方法和问题 就是我用来创造 书中描绘的世界 我从最基本的时间和地点开始。 无论是奇幻世界, 还是未来的现实世界, 场景是非常重要的一点 你要清楚你的故事 是发生在过去、现在、 还是未来 我习惯建立一个时间表, 来交代这个世界的演变; 历史事件是如何形塑现状的。 然后,以脑力激荡构想 笔下世界的各种细节, 以及这世界运行的道理。 这可包罗万象了, 从有无重力的影响, 到社会规范, 还有违法情事的惩治, 政府组织的型态, 谁掌控权力? 哪些人是没权力的? 人们共享何种信念? 社会最重视的价值观, 再来就是考虑日常生活 天气怎样? 居民的住所、 工作场所、 以及学校位置。 他们的饮食、 娱乐 教养下一代, 还有扶养上一代的方式。 虚构的世界里, 居民和动植物之间的关系, 以及这些动植物的外观。 当地所拥有的科学技术, 交通运输, 通讯联络, 和获取信息的方式。 需要斟酌之处可不少! 所以,花些时间好好考虑这些事情, 和这些问题的答案, 那么你就已经具备充足的条件 去开创你自己的奇幻世界啦! 一旦你了解自己笔下的世界, 如同你希望读者心有灵犀一样, 那么就让你的人物徜徉其中, 看看事情如何发展。 问问你自己 你所创造的世界会怎样影响 身处其中的人? 可能会产生什么矛盾? 回答了这些问题, 你就创作出了自己的故事。 祝你好运!未来的世界创造师!