title: The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World From Scratch
author:  Rebekah Loper 
description: Rebekah Loper began creating fictional worlds and magical stories as a child and she never stopped. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband, a dog, a formerly feral cat, a flock of chickens, and an extensive tea collection. She can often be found cursing the existence of Bermuda grass as she battles the elements to create a productive, permaculture urban farm on a shoestring budget. She blogs about writing and urban farming/homesteading at rebekahloper.com, and is a contributing blogger at Fantasy-Faction.com and the Rabid Rainbow Ferret Society (fictionalferrets.wordpress.com). You can follow her on Facebook (facebook.com/RebekahLoper), Instagram (rebekah.loper), and Twitter (rebekah_loper).
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  WORLDBUILDING FOR FANTASY FANS AND AUTHORS  
  Forging Fantasy Realms: Book I
  
  by
  
  M. D. Presley
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  To Mihir, who long ago started me down this path.
  
  I may forgive you for it someday.
  
  Maybe.
  
  
  Table of Contents
  
  [ Part I: Introduction ](text00003.html#_Toc46769063)  
  
  [ Inauspicious Beginnings ](text00003.html#_Toc46769064)  
  
  [ Worldbuilding Approaches ](text00003.html#_Toc46769065)  
  
  [ Worldbuilding Exemplars ](text00003.html#_Toc46769066)  
  
  [ Part II: What Is Worldbuilding? ](text00004.html#_Toc46769067)  
  
  [ 1\. Literary, Upmarket, and Commercial Fiction
  ](text00004.html#_Toc46769068)  
  
  [ 2\. Speculative Fiction ](text00004.html#_Toc46769069)  
  
  [ 3\. Unobtainium vs. Handwavium ](text00004.html#_Toc46769070)  
  
  [ 4\. Primary vs. Secondary vs. Overlaid Worlds ](text00004.html#_Toc46769071)  
  
  [ 5\. Top-Down, Bottom-Up, and Inside-Out ](text00004.html#_Toc46769072)  
  
  [ Part III: Building Blocks ](text00005.html#_Toc46769073)  
  
  [ 6\. The Entertainment Dilemma ]