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!
在托爾金的奇幻世界 甘道夫屬於諸神派遣的五名巫師 前往指引中土大陸之民 對抗索倫與其黑暗之力 甘道夫的肉身與凡人無異 受到中土物理法則的支配 然而靈魂不滅 因此灰袍甘道夫戰死後 仍能重生為白袍甘道夫 根據華卓斯基的劇本 覺醒的人類只要連結至母體 駭進母體的系統 竄改二元代碼 就可以在數秒內學會駕駛直升機 如果你是救世主 或是救世主之一 你連駕直升機都不用 戴副墨鏡耍酷就可以上天下地 柴郡貓可以用頭玩拋接球 iPad 早就落伍了 一場魁地奇比賽 沒抓到金探子就不能結束 至於生命、宇宙與一切的終極答案 (*出自《銀河系漫遊指南》) 正是42 (*出自《銀河系漫遊指南》) 如同真實生活 虛構的世界要持續運作 必須依靠一系列物理和社會法則 這些錯綜複雜的世界 正是因此才 足夠可信 易於理解 而且值得更深入探索 現實中,萬有引力定律 讓哈利波特全七集 穩穩立於全世界無數書架上 我們都知道這是真的 但我們也知道 打從 J.K. 羅琳寫下這些文字 寫下巫師 魔杖 以及「溫加顛拉維阿薩」(飄浮咒語) 萬有引力定律便不再存在於 安坐於書架上的 這數兆書頁之內了 科幻、奇幻小說家 是貨真價實地建造世界 他們創造規則 地圖 系譜 語言 文化 宇宙 宇宙之外又有不同的宇宙 從這些世界中衍生出 一個一個又一個故事 成功的話 讀者就能理解 這些虛構世界與其中的規則 理解的程度甚至不輸給 真正生活其中的角色 有時候 甚至可以媲美或超過 讀者對真實世界的理解 但到底要怎麼做? 當這些由人隨手寫在紙上的文字 反射光線進入我們的眼睛 傳輸訊號至腦部 我們憑邏輯與情感 將這些訊號解讀成 複雜的故事 驅使我們爭鬥 流淚 歌唱 與思考 為什麼這些文字強大到 不僅足以支撐這個 完全由作者一手創造的世界 甚至能改變讀者 對真實世界的觀感 使讀者沉浸其中,無法自拔 直到讀完最後一頁的文字? 我不知道有沒有人曉得 這個問題的答案 但每天都有人創造出 虛構的奇妙世界 在我們腦海中 或打進電腦裡 或是寫在街上那家飯館的餐巾上 事實是,只要你有想像力 而且也願意──打個比方── 生活在你自己的世界裡 你就可以開始寫小說了 我沒有夢到霍格華茲 或是星際大戰裡的酒館 不過我寫了幾部科幻驚悚小說 給小孩或給青少年看 以下是幾個我用過的問題和方法 幫助自己建立這幾個故事 所發生的世界 我會從基本的時間地點開始 先決定這是一個奇幻世界 或是奠基於現實的未來故事 知道故事發生在哪裡 是很重要的 時間又是在過去的歷史 現代 還是未來 我喜歡畫一條時間軸 來紀錄這個世界形成的過程 哪些歷史事件 使這世界變成如今的樣貌? 然後我會腦力激盪出 各種問題的答案 來勾勒虛構世界的細節 這裡存在什麼規則? 這可以從萬有引力的存在 (或不存在) 到社會規範 不遵守規範的人 又會受到什麼懲罰 這裡有怎樣的政府? 是誰掌權 而誰沒有? 這裡的人信仰什麼? 這個社會最推崇的是什麼? 接著可以開始構思日常生活了 這個世界的天氣如何? 居民都住在什麼地方? 去哪工作? 到哪上學? 吃些什麼? 玩些什麼? 他們待年輕人態度如何? 待老人如何? 他們和這世界的 動植物是什麼關係? 動植物長什麼樣子? 科技如何? 交通如何? 彼此如何溝通? 有甚麼管道可以獲得資訊? 太多問題可以想了! 只要花點時間在這些事情上 找出這些問題的解答 你就已經著手 創造屬於自己的世界了 一旦你對這個世界夠熟悉 而你也希望讀者 和你了解它的程度一樣多 就把人物放進這個世界 看看會發生什麼 別忘了問自己 「你創造的這個世界 會如何影響生活中的角色? 可能會產生哪種衝突?」 回答完這些問題 你就有屬於自己的故事了 未來的世界建築師,祝好運!