Take a walk with me through the world of Sanctuary on Severn ...
When we think about worldbuilding, it's easy to picture sprawling maps, intricate family trees, invented languages, and elaborate magic systems. They're often some of the first things readers ask about when a speculative fiction novel is announced.
I love seeing the creativity that goes into those worlds, but as I began building the world for my post-apocalyptic, alternative historical fiction novel, I realised something ...
... the heart of my novel's world wasn't going to be magic. It was going to be people.
More specifically, it was going to be the two forces shaping every decision they make: fear and hope.
Since Sanctuary on Severn is set in the aftermath of a devastating plague, the people who inhabit it are still living with the consequences. The world they once knew has been irrevocably changed, and many still remember (or have hear first-hand accounts of) what was lost.
This creates a fascinating question for worldbuilding: how do people live when the future feels uncertain?
Fear can influence an entire society. It changes how people travel, who they trust, which risks they're willing to take, what they choose to protect.
It doesn't just affect the dramatic moments. It seeps into everyday life.
When I was building the world of Sanctuary on Severn, I found myself asking questions that had nothing to do with maps or political systems.
How cautious would people become?
What routines would make them feel safe?
How has uncertainty changed the way communities function?
Would people be willing to sacrifice if they believed it meant surviving another day?
As I answered those questions, the world started to feel less like a setting and more like a place where real people were trying to navigate an uncertain future.
But fear can only carry a society so far.
People don't just survive because they believe tomorrow could be better. So hope became just as important to worldbuilding as fear.
It's there in the characters who continue to build communities. In those who choose kindness despite hardship. In the determination to rebuild rather than simply endure. And in the belief that even after unimaginable loss, life is still worth living.
Without hope, the world would feel static and forever looking backwards.
Hope gives it momentum. It encourages people to keep moving forwards, even when they don't know what lies ahead.
Working on this novel has reminded me that worldbuilding isn't only about creating locations or inventing histories. It's about understanding the invisible forces that influence the people who live there.
For my story's world, those forces aren't magical. They're deeply human.
Both fear and hope are necessary to Sanctuary on Severn.
Together they have shaped not just the choices my characters make, but every corner of the world I've been creating.
Sometimes the most compelling worlds aren't built around extraordinary powers. They're built around ordinary people trying to find light in extraordinary circumstances.
What's your favourite worldbuilding systems to write or read about? Are you obsessed with magic systems? Or are you enthralled by underlying motivations?
Let me know below - I'd love to hear from you 🙂
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