If you are like me and writing science fiction and fantasy, take a gander at the link at the end of this post about world-building.
I am not a huge world-builder. I mean, I have thoughts on what is going on in the "worlds" in which I write, and I see places in my mind that I, in turn, describe somewhat organically as my characters live and operate within them, but I'm more of a character-builder.
My worlds are not too foreign or different than this one. In fact, in my first novel, The Time Minders, it is our world - just a bit into the future and not as dark as the one to the right. The not-too-distant future, by the way, is fascinating to write: to write what is so familiar with just a touch of the foreign, just a breath of the next step(s) in technology and social mores. In my fantasy novel, Kingdoms of Blood & Magic, the kingdoms are what I call medievalesque, and they have issues and similarities to many such stories. I put my own spin on the kingdoms' religion(s) and politics, however, and I show the personalities of the settings, like they are characters themselves. But I haven't drawn any maps or keep whole separate journals on towns, villages, roads, taverns, etc. (I don't know, maybe I should? Hmm.)
So let me know what you think about world-building:
Thoughts on Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy, by Michael Offutt
Thanks!