Who Here Has Made-up Countries?

[Arpy]

I have one, Ruritania-style, with little (or no) magic. Do other people have Narnias, Ruritanias, Utopias, or other made-up countries?

[jaeblakney]

Does a planet count? It's a land with its own culture and government. But in that culture the idea of dividing the planet up into countries sounds preposterous.

I await your verdict, Arpy.

[Arpy]

Judged Guilty! You count, Jaeblakney. You're probably an older writer than I, but I guess I can still say, with warm camaraderie, Welcome to the Club!

Although I've never thought it would be my style, (I'm kind of the 'down-to-earth' type ) I have a made-up planet as well. It's only a setting in part of the book, though. (And don't ask--it's not published yet. Not even done.)

[jaeblakney]

Oh, please let me know when it's done so I can see!

The planet for which I am guilty is called Choose and if you get curious here's the portal you can use to visit it: http://jaeblakney.com/shortstories/story.php?title=the-mammal-cage.

[Arpy]

Right-ho.

We both might be old and grey, when it's done, though. . .

[deejay]

Not only a planet, but a solar system--astronomy was one of my early interests--plus countries/continents, islands, and inhabitants, plus a few unique creatures. I just wish I had a quiet place to myself to write it all. It's planned as a seven volume set, a tip of the hat to the Chronicles of Narnia. Sparrow edited a story I submitted to her about a myth on my world of Hereth, and she generally approved it--it just needed some grammatical work, basically. In my contribution to the never-ending story, I've given a peek into my world of Hereth. But the plant that made goo-balloons was someone else's idea. It doesn't exist on Hereth.

[Sparrow]

I started creating a language and a fictional country and culture when I was 12. It is a country on a large fictional island set off the coast of the U.S. So far I've only written a short story set there, but someday it'll have a novel series.

I've also done short stories that were sci-fi or fantasy set in other places, but since they were short there wasn't extensive planning involved in them.

[Arpy]

I should be honest and admit I have more than one. My biggest is a European country near Italy and Switzerland. It has actually become a commonwealth, with states on the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. The main country I have extensively developed, and it has its own currency, language, flag, crest, palace (and floor-plan), maps, GDP, population, government, poets, history, kings, and even famous musicians!
I just love details! Can't you tell?
One of my others is a socialist republic in a dystopian novel. Its capital doesn't even have a name.
Oh, and by the way, I made up the first one when I was thirteen or fourteen.

[jaeblakney]

Arpy, I love the details. I'm always disappointed when I read about made-up places and they start to feel thin or vapory because the details just don't exist. I really would like to find the time to create a wiki about my planet and its civilization.

[Arpy]

Oh, yes, Jae! I've wanted to have a wiki page ever since I discovered a Tintin country (invented by Belgian author Herge) called Syldavia had one. It was amazing reading it! But I think I'll wait until I'm published.

[yeggy]

Check here:

http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-wor ... questions/

for Patricia Wrede's world building questions - there are repeated questions and it's a little unwieldy but excellent for working out how your world works in depth.

My 'world' is a low-tech future colony of earth that has other sentient races on it. Book one of the series Blood Crystal is in it's final - and tedious for me - edit.

Follow my efforts to get it published on my blog is you feel so inclined.

[silumenye]

I have a medieval fantasy world that I created, called Tessarion. I have a lot of maps of the various continents and islands, as well as lots of ideas for culture, etc. No magic, some made-up plants and stuff, otherwise like a normal world.

My first published book Wolf's Captive, is set in that world. And I have plenty of other books - some written, and lots more not - that I intend to set in the different countries. If you want to have a look at a small portion of Tessarion, you are welcome to have a look on my website http://www.mjdouven.com

[James Robot]

I have one, Ruritania-style, with little (or no) magic. Do other people have Narnias, Ruritanias, Utopias, or other made-up countries?

Since planet's count, i'll brag that i've made probably over at least 50 or so of those. This isn't counting the some odd dimensional or space-time type worlds that are in some of my stories.

Hey. What's a good sci-fi/fantasy book without a fantastic world eh?

[jaybird]

I put my 3rd sci-fi novel on the backburner - earthings crashed landed on a planet (unnamed or I forget) - well, I decided the inhabitans spoke a different language, which I barely started to make up. I thought about borrowing someone's.

[James Robot]

One of the things you could do is make an alphabet based off of the english alphabet (almost like making a secret code). Then take each letter and add a different sound to it. Then, when forming a word in the alphabet (spelt a lot like it would in english), pronounce the sounds (or write them).
I did that for a language in our first book.