Danielle Annett: World building sets the stage in the best stories
Danielle Annett, author of Cursed by Fire, book one in her Blood & Magic series, shares what goes on in an author's mind when she's building a paranormal and/or fantasy world.
Danielle: What I love so much about paranormal romance and urban fantasy is how similar the two are. Both fall into speculative fiction featuring fantasy elements such as werewolves, witches, vampires, demons, etc., in a real-world setting. Both genres also easily appeal to both lovers of fantasy and lovers of romance, which is exactly why I chose to write a book that falls within the urban fantasy genre but one that toes the line of paranormal romance. What is so wonderful about these genres, though, is that the stories authors write can be as docile or as wild as they want them to be, and there really are no rules, unless, of course, the author creates them.
Vampires in one novel can have an entirely different origin as those in another, as can werewolves and shifters. You don't have to color in the lines, and that is what I love so much about paranormal romance and urban fantasy.
I feel my greatest influences in writing are Ilona Andrews, the husband-and-wife team known for their complex world building and strong female leads, and Nalini Singh, who creates smoldering tales in fantasy settings that really connect the reader to the story. Both authors toe the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance with some of their books, Andrews' Edge series being a prime example. What I have learned from these amazing authors is the need to show versus telling and to create character-driven stories that readers can fall in love with.
The world building is what sets the stage for readers. It allows readers to step into the world of a character, and while it is important to provide all of the necessary information for a reader to grasp the scene, the author cannot do an info dump. Successful world building is seamless. Crumbs are left here and there that provide information to readers without them ever realizing they are learning something.
What these great authors have also shown me as a newbie author is that it is entirely OK not to follow the expectations of others. In my book Cursed by Fire, my pack system is set up so that each pack, whether they be wolves, felines or bears, has its own Alpha, but then there is one main Alpha who rules over everyone. I actually had an editor tell me my system didn't work. That a wolf would never follow a feline nor would a bear, that it essentially was, unbelievable. Well, in my world, they do, and there is a reason for it, but you'll have to read more to find out why. Jennifer Ashley's shifter series has a similar pack system, as does Andrews'. While my pack system is not entirely new, it isn't the norm and many readers will question my reasoning behind the structure but this is where world building comes in. World building for paranormal romance and urban fantasy means more than just a backdrop. You need to have a full set rules that is applied by the author and are only ever broken for good reason. For example, in my world, some vampires can tolerate the sun. The younger the vampire is, the longer they can be exposed without dire consequence, but due to a lack of moisture within their bodies, and the inability to produce more due to their undead status, as they age, their resistance lessens. This is a rule in my novels. I cannot break that rule without a really good reason. This sets the stage for the vampiric world within my novels. The shifters have there own set of rules, as due the humans. Each faction behaves in a certain manner for a certain set of reasons, and this, coupled with dialogue, phrasing, and flow, creates the canvas in which my world is painted on.
While in many ways it is easier to set a fantasy story in a modern-day setting, as I did by setting my novel in present-day Spokane, Wash., an author still has to integrate the paranormal elements that readers are looking for, in a way that makes the world believable. To do this, they have to make sure to include a little bit of history within the paranormal elements that intertwines with a modern0day setting. In my story, this is done through the Awakening, an event that occurred six years prior to the start of my story in which paranormals and humans went to war in a struggle for power. Prior to the Awakening, humans had no knowledge of paranormal existence but post-Awakening, paranormals were out in the open, and they weren't going to let anyone try to hide them. This helped because six years is really not that much time, so I was able to allow the humans in my story to have some understanding of the paranormals they now lived with, but they could still be in the dark about some tidbits that they would later stumble upon.
Another important thing in world building is that the hero or heroine do have limits. No one is perfect, and if an author tries to make the hero or heroine truly perfect, she destroys any credibility she may have earned with readers. Readers want to root for the underdog, they want to worry about the outcome of the story and they need a certain level of tension. Without it, they lose interest and boredom sets in. Characters need to have the ability to make mistakes. They need to feel pain and heartache and for some, even death. Weakness can at times draw a larger reaction from readers than strength and when a character is at their lowest, readers may in fact love them the most.
About Cursed by Fire:
It has been six years since the Awakening and peace in Spokane, Washington is still tenuous at best. The vampires and shifters are all vying for control of the city and the humans seem to be the ones suffering the consequences, or so it seems.
Aria Naveed has spent the last two years of her life fighting to make the many wrongs of the world right, but soon finds out that the humans aren't as weak as they appear and may be a more terrifying foe than any of the other races combined.
When a stranger rolls into town with trouble on his heels, Aria finds herself trapped in the middle of a battle that could cost her more than she has bargained for as a fight for justice turns into an unexpected fight for her life.
Find out more about Danielle and her books at danielle-annett.com.