Aisha/Nex Story: Worldbuilding is Easy When You’re 12

Talk about good timing. My dad called me Sunday evening. While cleaning out a random green bin at his house, he found something I’d forgotten about — a defining part of my past.

It was my worldbuilding notes for a book I wrote in middle school that almost got published. He read some of the details to me: the names of the world, countries, and cities; the histories of the kingdoms and their rulers; the language; the cultures; the creatures; the currency — everything was there. I even drew a map!

Why is worldbuilding easier when you’re a kid than when you’re an adult? 🙁

Duh. I know why. Tween-age me didn’t care if my country names sounded dumb, or my rivers flowed the wrong way. I just wanted to bring my world to life. If only I could get that carefree creativity back…

But this still encourages me. If I escaped the black hole of worldbuilding before, I can do it again. I will create a rich, beautiful world for Aisha and Nex, a world that’s better than anything my middle-school self could dream up.

Thanks, Dad. ❤️