Science fantasy worldbuilding in Phoenix 1: Establishing norms

The protagonist's place in the world

This is where we start to get a sense of understanding about how our character fits into this world. How do they feel about their current situation? What’s their history here? What do they want? This sets up a springboard and expectations for where the story might go from here.

The sight calmed him just a little. He’d lived on this moon at the edge of the Aries system all his life, yet he never tired of gazing at the stars. They seemed so free, up there in the sky. Nothing could ever harm them.

Phoenix

Can you get an initial sense of the characters from the examples below?

Watching the pilots glide gracefully into the air and out of the hangar never failed to fill Biff with a sense of wonder and longing. He’d been working on the station for nearly a decade, but not once had he sat in the cockpit of a starship. He imagined what it would be like to be out there, speeding and spinning amongst the stars, instead of serving up rations in the cafeteria.

Their festive mood gave her a twinge of regret. She had been on this planet for three days, and she’d grown to like it. The people were primitive but pleasant, the green sky and nearby pink mountains perfectly photogenic. But she was going to have to destroy it. In the name of peace, of course. But even so. They would all burn.

Jola could hardly contain her excitement. Today was the day! Her transfer to regional security finally meant leaving the Neapolis Commune to patrol the wide-open spaces of the Tunisian Sea. While protecting their world from humans was dangerous task, the freedom it presented was exhilarating.

Introduce your own character here.
Previous page