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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/38783
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/38783
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

For me (and for the people who answered before me, I see,) **story and worldbuilding go together, with the story in the driver's seat**.

Let me give you an example:

Suppose I'm writing a military sci-fi story. First there's the general shape of it - where's the fighting, who's doing the fighting, what kind of military it is, who's the MC and how he experiences the whole thing.

Then comes worldbuilding: I'm writing about military, so I need structure. Let's take something modern, and later tweak as the story demands. I need weapons - let's read up on what's being developed, where military tech is going.

Back to story: the military tech I found goes in the direction of having soldiers fight from afar, with guided missiles etc. But story-wise, that's boring. I want danger, I want battles, I want the smell of gunpowder and blood. So, back to worldbuilding - why is the tech actually limited? And so on.

If, on the other hand, I was trying to write a Star-Trek-like story, it would make no sense for me to sit and balance weapon capabilities. Instead, my worldbuilding would be more along the lines of "my characters land on a planet. What interesting natural or social phenomena do they find?"

Or, another example, a fantasy story this time:

Story: my MC is coming of age. Worldbuilding: what does the coming-of-age ceremony/celebration look like? At what age does it actually happen? How exactly do the rights and duties of a minor differ from those of an adult?

Story: MC goes into the forest, and meets some interesting non-humans who help him in his quest. Worldbuilding: Are the non-humans known to the human population, are they mere legend, or is it a "first encounter"? If they are known, what is known about them, and how does it relate to the truth about them? In what ways are those non-humans different from humans - are they human for all intents and purposes, or are there differences in lifespan, intelligence, magical ability etc.?

And so on. I do not start delving into the intricate culture of mermaids until my MC actually finds himself at sea.

Original score: 10