Sci-Fi and Fantasy Worldbuilding – Tips For Success

by Tom | Nov 2, 2024 | 2024 Screenwriting Contest, Contests, News, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Award, Screenwriting Contests, Updates, WriteMovies News

There is just over a week until the WriteMovies Sci-Fi and Fantasy Award 2024 deadline. The contest is a call to screenwriters who are prepared to create entire worlds from scratch, so here are some Sci-Fi and Fantasy Worldbuilding tips!

For Sci-fi and Fantasy, worldbuilding is the foundation of a compelling story. From distant futures with advanced technology to magical lands that go beyond the natural realm, it’s important to develop your skills to bring your unique vision to life!

Tip 1 – More than just a setting:

Worldbuilding is more than just designing a futuristic city or a fantastical landscape, it’s about constructing a world with a deep history and atmosphere. Great worldbuilding transports the viewer into a fully realised universe, with its own rules, laws and culture. Think of James Cameron’s Avatar where the characters embody a deep spiritual connection to their alien ecosystems, and speak with their own language which adds layers of authenticity and depth to the story.

Tip 2 – Keep it consistent:

Your story world is likely to operate under entirely different rules from our own, so keep them consistent! When a world possesses unique physics, societal systems and cultural norms, the audience is invited to suspend their disbelief and invest in the story. Think of the Star Wars franchise with the Jedi and their use of a mystical Force. Filmmakers entering that world must consider everything, from how the different societies interact, to the architecture and natural resources of the character’s environment.

Tip 3 – Your characters are part of the world

Effective worldbuilding requires well-developed characters. The way they dress, speak and act should be influenced by the world they live in. Take the resourceful survivors in Mad Max: Fury Road who embody the harsh dystopian desert through their culture of driving diesel-guzzling motor vehicles under the rule of a tyrannical overlord who controls the water.

Tip 4 – Your world has history:

The best sci-fi and fantasy worlds feel like they have existed long before the story begins. Give your world depth and dimension by incorporating a rich history into your screenplay. You could even include various mythology or hint at ancient conflicts. For example, The Lord of the Rings features a layered backstory of different races and their past wars.

If you have a sci-fi or fantasy university waiting to be explored, then the WriteMovies Sci-Fi and Fantasy Award 2024 is the ideal way to share it with the world. This is because the winner will receive guaranteed representation from TalentScout International Management and pitching to the international entertainment industry. To ensure your script is the best it possibly can be, the winner will also receive a year of script mentoring worth $3200. The deadline is approaching in just over a week, so enter today!

Click here to enter.