Building the Ground Beneath Their Feet

Why Every World Needs a History

People often ask me how I can “know” a world that doesn’t exist. My secret is that I don’t start with the trees or the buildings. I start with the ghosts.

A world feels “lived-in” when it has a memory. Think about your own home—the scratch on the floor from a chair moved years ago, or the way a certain window sticks. Those aren’t just details; they are stories.

When you are building a world for your characters, don’t just tell us what it looks like today. Tell us what it’s hiding from a hundred years ago. If there is a massive statue in the town square, don’t just describe the stone; tell us who the people forgot it was supposed to represent.

The Monroe Minute: Pick one object in your character’s room. Give it a history of exactly three “owners.” Who had it first? Who lost it? Why does your character keep it? Suddenly, that object isn’t just a prop; it’s a piece of the world’s soul.

Until the next page,
Sloane S. Monroe

Sloane Shay Monroe

I don’t write to idealize love, but to explore it honestly, with emotional precision and depth.