Use the Geography template to write about natural places (i.e. not built by people). Think mountains, rivers, continents, and even entire planets, galaxies, and universes!
Contents
What should I use this template for?
This template is for anything that can be described as a place! Here are some examples:
Geographical features
This is the clearest use for this template (mountains, valleys, continents, oceans...). If your story is in a different scale (for example, a story about insects), things like tree branches, small rocks, and even grass blades could be considered geographical locations.
Celestial objects
We don't usually think about galaxies as "grographical locations", but they're definitely places! If you're writing a setting with multiple worlds in it, you could use a Geography article to write about each planet. If you have a multiverse setting, each universe could also be introduced in a Geography article.
Planes of existence
Speaking of multiverses... planes of existence and parallel dimensions are also places! For examples, you can look at the elemental planes in D&D, Shadesmar in Stormlight Archive, and the Time Variance Authority Office in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Template walkthrough
Remember that all template prompts are optional! In fact some prompts might not be relevant to you. As always, there's a free-writing section at the top (which we call vignette) and the prompts are under the Expand prompts & connections button.
If you use the Parent Location field (for example, for the mountain range of a single mountain, or for the galaxy of a planet), an "organization tree" will be automatically generated at the bottom. This tree will visually represent all related locations; learn more about it here.
Feature recommendations for geographic locations
Here are some ideas on how to use other features with geographic locations:
- Maps: With layers, you can show different types of information about the place, such as climate, biomes, points of interest, and more. Check this for more information.
- Chronicles: with a Chronicle, you can link different events to different maps, so you can visually display how that place has changed over time! Check the Guide to Chronicles for more information.
Step-by-step guide to writing a geographic location
There are so many different types of geographical location, that it's difficult to generalize. But after choosing the type of location you want to write about, here are some tips for you:
- What's in there?
Or, more specifically, what interesting things are in there? If it's a mountain or a forest, are there hidden caves? If it's a sea, are there underwater ruins of a long-forgotten civilization? Adding these sorts of details will make the place more engaging, especially if you connect it to other parts of the world. For example, the caves are home to a beast that has been threatening the nearby settlement. - Who lives there?
This is not necessarily people (it could be animals), but the point here is giving it a more dynamic touch. This will, again, make it a more interesting place to explore as a player or reader. It's also a good moment to think about how much information people have about this place. Do they know who or what inhabits it? If you decide that the place is completely uninhabited, think about why! Are the living conditions just that extreme, or is there a non-natural reason? - What's happening around there?
Finally, think about current events. This could be anything from a dinosaur race to a full-on war between ant colonies! Things are always happening everywhere, so this is what will truly make this area of your world feel more alive. Make sure to think about how other people react to this too. Do they watch the event from a distance, or do they get involved? Do they even know it's happening?
Need more pointers? Take a look at these guides:
- Guide to Fantasy Biomes
- Worldbuilding terrain, climate, and maps
- Frontiers in Worldbuilding: the edge of the unknown
Community examples for inspiration
Need some inspiration? Here are some character articles written by our amazing community!
