Crafting Fully Immersive Worlds: Adding Audio Elements and Personal Voice

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When writing an article on World Anvil, or penning any written creative body of work for that matter, you're often advised not to simply produce a large wall of text that readers are liable to get dizzy staring at. You'll want to make things more engaging by adding images, CSS, creative fonts, unique formatting, eye-catching colors, line breaks, containers, quote boxes, and all that jazz. While these things definitely do help to spruce up your words, another interesting element also exists that is commonly overlooked...

Find out how to do more with the World Anvil codex!

SOUND. VOICE. PERSONALITY.

There are multiple ways to bring sound, voice, and personality into your work. Even if you cannot use actual audio, there is something quite enchanting about personal voice in the written space. From focusing on the perspectives of in-world characters to inserting full dramatized audio scenes, you'll find this article has got all of the basic steps you'll need for adding another dynamic layer into your worldbuilding.

Why Add Audio?

If you want to create an immersive environment, it is essential to help the readers experience the work with all of their senses. Take a moment to relax and imagine yourself in your own world. What do you see? You can describe the vivid colors of wondrous landscapes and dreary clouds looming over dangerous, desolate mountainsides. You can even add supplemental images, be they photographs or illistrations. What do you smell? You can put into words the beautiful scents of delicate flowers or the pungent odors of junkyards. What do you taste? It's always a treat to spell out what delicious delicacies exist in your world... and the foods that one would rather not try due to their terrible taste. What do you feel? A multifaceted word. We have physical feeling: Outlining the frigid cold and the parching heat, the wicked winds and the soaking rains, the intricate patterns of woven tribal fabrics and the cracked porcelain walls of the cathedral. Then we have the mood of the world, or what your heart feels: Defining the maleficent plans of the evil ruler and depressed souls of those who cower under their iron hand. Highlighting the robust diligence of the resistance and the daring determination of the vigilante.
On top of all these questions, we have one more sense to explore: What do you hear? Animals? People? Nature? Instruments? These thoughts can be captured on the page as well. A simple way of doing it is describing what can be heard through your text. But, a super exciting way of doing it is actually bringing sound samples into your article! This can be done via YouTube, SoundCloud, or even Spotify embeds. Find all supported embeddable formats here in the codex!

Sounds to think about adding to your article:

Voices

• A Captain's Log Entry


• Passersby Speculating


• A Town Crier/ Newsclip


• A Poem


• Conversations Had En Route to a Location


• Perspective of Animal or Unlikely Creature (even an Inanimate object!)

Music

• A Bard's Ballad


• A Tune from the Tavern


• Folk/ Festival Songs


• An Ode to the Reigning Royal


• Church Music or Religious Hymns


• Scores to Convey Mood (not necessarily heard in-world)

Ambiance

• Animal Sounds


• Violent Weather


• Crowds Gathering for Various Events


• Vehicles and Machinery Working


• Sounds of Cooking or Dining


• Sounds of Conflict (from bar fights to battlefields!)

Educational

• Pronunciations of Words/ Conlang


• Calls of Original Creatures


• Sounds of Unique Natural Phenomena


• Full Articles/ Short Stories Read Aloud for Convenience or to add Personal Flair

No matter your setting or genre, there are several elements to be explored in written AND audio form! Try adding some of the suggestions above to your articles through quote boxes, short story excerpts, or embedded soundbites. In doing so, you'll find that readers can more easily dip their toes into the wonders of your world.

Below is an example from an article in my fantasy world of Wynsumheord. For the 2021 Peculiar Plants Challenge, I decided to focus on Ceolwerac. Skip to the end of the page to find an excerpt from Syndri's plant journal in readable AND listenable form.

The important thing to note is that I did not solely explore the plant's features in an impersonal, textbook method. I added Syndri's personal experiences, his feelings about the plant, and an anecdote about how the plant was used. Bringing personality and story into the article can intensify the dimensions of your world and the various elements within.

You can also use audio elements in interactive articles such as TTRPGs and even Choose Your Own Adventure-esque interactive fiction pieces. When the party comes upon an obstacle, it's great to have a cutscene snippet ready to be played. This does not take away from the spontaneity of live interactions, but rather adds to the excitement with an unexpected addition. This Virtual Escape Room is a prime example. Though I still had to guide my players through the game, there were several audible points that helped to immerse them in the world.

I also have a pick a path type story that I am trying to finish! If you'd like to check it out, you can, but I will warn you that, as of the releasing of this article, it is not yet complete!

CREDITING YOUR SOURCES

Like any other art, it's important to give credit where credit is due. Whether the sound you are using is or is not your own, make it known! If you composed it yourself, let us know! Disclosing the software you used is also helpful to other creators who may want to try things out for themselves. If you commissioned a song, be sure to link the artist. If you found something random on the internet, note the site it was from. If you hired a voice actor (or just asked a friend) shout them out, too! I made this Voice Cast page showcasing all my talented voice actors complete with links to where else you can find them online (be sure to get permission and ask their opinion if you make a detailed bio page though).

I am honored to be featured in Qurilion's Imaginaerium project! It's an excellent resource for worldbuilding inspiration. Be sure to to bookmark the world so that you can reference it again and again all throughout and even after Summer Camp!

When using the mentioned methods of sprucing up your world, it's nice to keep our friends who have hearing impairments or those who don't prefer audio formats in consideration by adding transcriptions, captions, and alternative means of getting the information and mood across without forcing them to listen to actual sounds.

My current project?

Secret Agent Someone

Follow an esoteric espionage elite with no name through a world of spies, surprise, and never-ending lies...

Has This Article Piqued Your Interest?

If you're ready to add your own audio elements but unsure how to go about it, worry no more! Below, I've linked an entire library of resources to help you get started.

PS. This is by no means an all-encompassing list! These are simply some suggestions. If you have other ideas, feel free to post them in the comments below! They can help a fellow creator. Use your imagination. Anything is possible. You can also feel free to contact me anytime, anywhere, for more tips and assistance! ;)

I want to voice

something myself!

Equipment and recording software
Making Audio Sound Clean and Professional
Download Audacity

Where can I find

talented voice artists?

Ask Around in the World Anvil Discord
Try Freelance Sites Like Fiverr
Explore Text to Speech Options

How can I

compose my own music?

Digital Audio Workstations
Online Music Programs

I'd love to add effects

and ambient tracks!

Making Your Own Sound Effects
Free Sounds on YouTube
Royalty Free Songs on YouTube
Find and Create Ambiance with Lonofi!

World Anvilite Shikya has done some interesting things in their world, implementing AI-Generated art and sounds! Check out the articles below for examples and inspiration.

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I'm sorry, but I'm just not able to add audio!

That's okay. No matter your situation, you can still bring that extra layer into your world. Take sounds into consideration when you are describing places. Let a character break the fourth wall and talk directly to the reader. I do this a lot in the world of Secret Agent Someone.

Commander McCox can often be seen in the sidebar "giving newbies the rundown". This little excerpt of his rantings lets the readers experience what it would be like if they were recent recruits at W.I.L.L.O.W.I.S.P.. It helps them feel special and in-the-know.

I hope you found this article helpful! God bless and much succes with all your creative endeavors!