My son is an Xbox junkie.  He’d play it 24/7 if I let him. Most times, the games are good babysitters for the days I’m working at the computer. I’ve learned to tune out the background noise and verbal frustrations that come with playing each game, or when he and his friends are playing Xbox together, via separate houses, and talking through their headsets. The times I do chance a look at the games, I’m in awe of the craftsmanship and world building that went into making each game unique. One game is set in the days before electricity and cars. The houses have straw roofs and one gets around town and the countryside by either horseback or walking. Other games take him to different war zones. He drives a car through Malibu and Hollywood in another, at high speed and with the police chasing him. The one I like is a quiet cul-de-sac where he goes in and out of houses, through front and back yards and hides in a school bus waiting to ambush the bad guy. You may wonder what this has to do with writing romance. The answer is simple. Just like those games require someone to design the worlds the players play in, I have to design a world for the romances I write.

My first book, Luck of the Draw, the world building was fun and simple. I knew my heroine didn’t have a home, except a covered wagon she and her family lived out of. But my hero was a rich rancher, so I had to design in my mind exactly where he lived. I started by choosing his state–Colorado. (Don’t ask me why. Most likely, it’s because my hubby had orders to work at Cheyenne Mountain and I was excited to see the west.) Next, I had to build Royce’s home. Having watched so many westerns, I knew I wanted a sprawling ranch house with a wide front porch. In the back of my mind, and probably somewhere on paper, I imagined the layout of the house. This helped later when I wrote the story, because I could visualize the characters moving about, and in and out of each room. The outbuildings, corrals and fences came next, as did the thick cropping of woods behind the house and the pond that he and his siblings swam in as children, and still do when they can sneak away from their chores on a hot summer day. From there, I spread out. How big was the ranch? Who were his neighbors? Did they live close by? Where was the nearest town? Thus the neighboring Jansen family and the fictional town of Coyote, Colorado was born. And with that, I had to decide where in Colordao the town was located. I settled on somewhere between Denver and Pueblo.

Lady Luck, my second book, was a little different. My heroine, Missy, was an important secondary character in the first book, so I knew a  little about her; where she lived, how she came to own a gambling hall. What I didn’t know was exactly where in San Francisco her home and business were. Then I remembered a John Wayne (he’s my all time favorite) movie that was set on the Barbary Coast, with a saloon and gaming hall. Perfect for Missy, but I wanted to know exactly where in San Francisco the Barbary Coast was and what it was like back in 1860. Thus began research. I found the exact location of the Barbary Coast, complete with street names, and a cove a few blocks up where ships had been run aground. Some had been turned into businesses and others were being buried with sand and buildings were being built on top of them.  The ships permanently drydocked was interesting to me, and taking liberty, I moved Missy’s gaming hall a few blocks down to avoid her ship from being buried in sand. At the same time, I still puzzled over where she lived, and when I settled on the ship for the gaming hall, I settled on the ship being both home and business. My mind instantly visualized a complete renovation of the ship to represent both. From there, I visualized her street, other businesses along the block and Missy’s world was complete.

I’m currently working on a series set in fictional Revolving Point, Texas. A fire moved through town, destroying most of the buildings along the main thoroughfare. I’m having fun with characters coming to Revolving Point and staying on to build the town back up. The Rio Grande flows along the outskirts of town, and land stretches in three directions. I do enjoy creating the businesses and homes that were spared in the fire and incorporating them into each book while adding something new.  

World building doesn’t have to be hard. You’re in complete control, like I was when I designed Royce’s home and the interior of Missy’s ship. If you use a well-known place such as San Francisco, do a little research to see what the city is like and points of interest are located. If you create your own city, as in the Xbox games, you have total control of where the grocery store and bank are located. Or how high the sand dunes are and what type of vehicle your character drives across them. Be creative. Paint a wall blood red instead of plain old white. Create a car that can spread wings and fly. Or a ship that sits half on land and half in the water and is home to a host of different personalities. But most of all, have fun and don’t be afraid to let your imagination soar and take you to new places.