In writing The Quiet is Loud, Seeker of the Lost Song, and two other works-in-progress, I’ve noticed a few resources I return to often. These resources might be useful for other sci-fi/fantasy authors, so I thought I’d share them. Let me know if there are any that you use that aren’t on this list!
1) Wiktionary
Because so many of the names (both for people and places) I use in my work are based on real languages, Wiktionary is probably my favourite resource. It offers translations of words as well as their etymologies. Sometimes I just use the real Proto-Finnic or Proto-Philippine word, for example, but other times I tweak that word a little bit so it sounds more natural with the other names or words in my world. Pro tip: Wiktionary is also a great place to check if an invented name has a different (and maybe unwanted) meaning in a real-world language.
2) The AskHistorians subreddit
I know, I know, but not all of Reddit is a cesspool, I promise. I like AskHistorians because they insist on answers being given by people who have done extensive research of their own, using good-quality sources. As a result, the answers are very in-depth and quite accurate. I’ve been sent down some very interesting research rabbitholes from this subreddit.
3) Inkarnate
What’s better in SF/F than a good map? NOTHING. I need to easily visualize my worlds, so when I start a project I create a map on Inkarnate. The free version is quite basic but honestly it’s good enough for what I need. I can create and refine landmasses, add lakes, rivers, and mountains, add towns, and label things. It’s not the same quality of the maps you’d find in your favourite sci-fi/fantasy novel, but it’s perfect to get things oriented properly in my mind.
4) Stock photo websites for character description
Much like maps, I need reference photos of my characters as close to the start of a project as possible. I don’t always stick very strictly to these photos and sometimes I update them later, but they help me a lot initially. I like to use stock photos because their models often look more like normal people than celebrities or other models do. My favourite free stock photo sites are Pexels and Unsplash, but honestly sometimes a watermarked preview photo from a not-free stock photo site has been perfect for what I need.
5) Fantasy Name Generators
When I don’t want to use a modern-day name or a historical name, Fantasy Name Generators is great. There are lots of categories, from fantasy & folklore names to places & locations to pop culture. Each category has a staggering amount of options – to name just a fraction: Dragon Age names, druid names, fantasy creature names, mountain range names, plague names, even manananggal names. I often turn to Lord of the Rings-inspired names (and given that Tolkien was inspired by real languages too, it’s fitting).
I hope these five sci-fi/fantasy worldbuilding and research resources have helped! Let me know what your favourites are.