One of the things I truly love, whether it is in books, movies, comic books or whatever, is when the property hits a certain tipping point and stops being a collection of material and becomes a living breathing entity.
Several such properties come to mind (and might make what I’m talking about easier to envision):
- Star Wars;
- Star Trek;
- Discworld;
- Wizarding World of Harry Potter;
- Pern;
- Asterix and Obelix;
- Narnia.
This is just a very small list; there are many MANY other examples out there.
In each case, the original work has grown well beyond what was first conceived, gaining a life of its own. Hmm…now that I think of it, perhaps the word, “Conceived” is very appropriate.
What makes them so inviting is how, after first exposure, it is so easy to immerse yourself in the places and people (not to mention the stories). It is like visiting an old friend each and every time you visit.
I think that love is proving to be a bit of a curse for me. Each and every story I tell suddenly grows (in my mind) to something of massive proportions. I have trouble telling just one story. A good example is my book, Scouts of the Apocalypse. I had originally intended it to be a one-of. Now I know it will be a trilogy and could grow beyond that (can’t say more because that would only be teasing you).
GalaxyBillies (currently only available on Wattpad and as a podcast on podiobooks) has been a single book for a long time. Except, I already know that story line will be at least three books now and I have plans for several offshoots too. Granted, our galaxy is a very big place so there should be lots of stories to tell. Oh yes, and I’m already writing a serial story on Wattpad that takes place in the same universe about a century earlier.
In both examples, the worlds my stories take place in are still in there infancy and therein lies the curse. I really want to have them fully fleshed for everyone to enjoy but there are only so many hours in the day to write. It is maddening to know where I want to take them without having the ability to achieve instant gratification.
I can truly understand why some people spend so much time on world-building before they actually begin work on a project. I think it is a trap easily fallen into, but a trap nonetheless.
So, I have to be content to build the worlds gradually as my schedule allows. And perhaps that is part of the adventure of visiting those properties.
