How to Create an Expansive World: Interview with Author Trent Lindsey

Your Outbound world has grown to epic proportions, what inspired you to jump into creating a brand new world?

Hey Jessika- at its core, Outbound is not simply my grand fantasy world, but a playground to call my own; both a place to experiment, and a proving ground for new ideas. It all started because I wanted something a little different: a realm based-off traditional- and some would say often cliche, fantasy, but then with a definitive twist.

Almost as if someone took the project, and ran in a completely separate direction. I want something where the line between good and evil isn’t always cut and dry. A landscape where the elves are to be revered, and the orcs to be loathed. I want content that’s equally original, innovative, inspiring, without all that stereotypical jargon. Instead of black and white, let’s celebrate the morally grey. Give me a champion of the people who rejects what his very people stand for, heroes who become heroes as a means to an end, forgoing any glory or inheriting grand titles, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Outbound started as a mesterpiece, incorporating elements of history, gaming and pop culture which I truly enjoy, and stringing these traits and personalities into a wholly fresh concept. Imagine tossing aside the instructions for once, taking bits and pieces of different Legos, finding what fits, and assembling a whole new contraption.

Fascinating, so has the world changed a lot from when you started in 5 years ago?

In the early years, Outbound was critically lacking depth. Readers are drawn-in by the thought of something different, or reinventing genres. Glancing over the bristlewyrms, gremlins and sabercats for a moment, it still needs to feel real. The characters and factions must be relatable, acting more than just egos fighting over a world map. There must be sustenance, something that doesn’t just stake an indomitable lust for power, but explains how the world could actually blossom under their rule. This is a concept that my fantasy epics expand-on tenfold, whereas even the most chaotic evils have several great talking points. 

Did you have any road bumps that made it harder to focus on your core story?

I’m a world-builder at heart. I have the tendency to focus on what’s happening to the realm as a whole, rather than a single narrative. While other authors may have absolutely no trouble zeroing-in on a character and weaving tall tales, I easily get distracted. I’m not simply following my main character and their entourage, but breathing life into a frozen planet. I spend my free-time creating recipe lists, demon hierarchies, sea shanties, maps, and dastardly creatures that call these barren borderlands home.

Where did you go to research all those tiny details? 

Once I figured-out the relative landscape of my new world, a majority of my research shifted towards flora and fauna. I’ve always poured over the question, “How can I take something real, how can I warp this so that it belongs in my universe?” Thankfully there’s already a few answers if you know the right place on where to look. My book essentially returns the planet to an ice age: the Earth’s Pliocene epoch, an era where the megafauna ruled over early humanity.

Referencing prehistoric Earth is a great idea! After all that, this may be hard to answer, but what’s your favorite detail you’ve come up with so far?

The Outbound series focuses on the human element. People are manipulated and empowered by emotion. Even the gods- as infallible as they may initially appear, are driven by the same wanton desires.

Now I know we are focusing on your writing but I wanted to pivot real quick. You also created the entire world map yourself! How did you get started on that more artistic process?

It all started with that single idea, that if the world was ending, where would everybody turn and try to go? The Fallout and Metro universes expand on the notion of underground living, and I wanted to parallel a similar storyline: subways, service lines, sewer systems, the whole nine yards. Instead of simply mirroring the wide open expanse, half the world, aptly nicknamed “Urbana,” is constrained by labyrinths of concrete and rebar. The pre-cataclysm element is integral to Outbound’s mainline story, where characters are enthused by archaeology, rediscovering bits of the old world, uncovering sacred relics and objects of power.

The world map not only communicates humanity’s focus on reviving bits of history, but conveys a crucial element of the frozen, post-apocalyptic wastelands: warmth. There’s more to Outbound’s disc design than originally meets the eye. It’s a population map, with the factions focused in the eye, occupying the densest hubs and stations of Urbana. As adventurers stride outside the inner rings, questing for riches untold, the odds suddenly shift against them. Those outermost fringes aren’t just frontier settlements, their complete wilderness territory, a realm where humans are no longer top of the food chain.

That’s amazing! Can we share some of the map here or are you saving it for a big reveal?

The map’s too extraordinary to be kept secret, you’re more than welcome to have it! Every location tells a little story of its very own. I find myself adding new markers whenever I can, crafting hints or intricate details here and there, so if I ever lose my place, I know where I’ll head towards next.

Ok back to your writing. What’s your advice to writers who need some motivation to get over those hurdles when it comes to expansive world building?

It’s always okay to take a break and find some inspiration. If you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, don’t focus on forcing a scene, or else it’ll appear too rigid. Whether you’re into cinema or tv shows, give it a night or two. I’m at my most creative while I’m asleep, and as soon as morning hits, I’ll wake up, then quickly jot down what happened!

I love that!