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I’ve been trying to write a novel for over six years. It’s been an interesting process, filled with many rewrites, edits, and new ideas. I can’t tell you how many times I gave up, then went back to writing again. I’ve always had these stories lingering inside of me, waiting to see the light of day. But with sharing your personal creations, there is a lot of fear involved. I’ve finally figured out a way to tell these stories the way I want them to be told, and am excited to see what the end result is.
As a writer, it took me a long time to find tools that worked for me. What was important for my story was having a place where I could store the core world building aspects, the different characters I had created, and pieces of research I needed to tell it accurately. I also wanted a place where I could outline the key plot points. And I wanted it to all be in one place, where I could easily see where everything fit and how it worked together. Outlining has always been something I’ve struggled with, and I have a hard time with seeing how all the pieces fall together. I also am an aspiring author, so cost was a major turn off. I wouldn’t mind paying a bit for a reliable tool that covered all the bases. But all of the ones I had found were 50 to 70 dollars. Yeah, that wasn’t happening.
But, I eventually stumbled upon an amazing resource that had all the tools I needed at no cost at all. Seems too good to be true, right? Well, it isn’t, so I wanted to share it with you guys, because I know from experience how hard it can be to find a reliable tool that won’t break the bank.
What is World Anvil?
I can’t remember how exactly I found this site. I believe I found it through a Pinterest link, but all I know is that I am so happy I found it.
World Anvil is an online world building platform that can be used in multiple ways. There are two common ways to use it. One is for private use as what you would call a world bible. This is the way that I use it. You can track all of the aspects of your world, including details you may not have thought of, but are pretty important. It will also link articles that you have already written together, making it easier to see the connections between each aspect of your story. You can also add research you have done into your worlds articles. It’s a nice place to store all of the information you need in one place.
The second way it can be used is to market your current piece of writing. This is especially helpful if you are self publishing, or are new to the writing scene. You can use it to give your readers the chance to interact with aspects of the world, or get them excited to read more. Not only have small authors used it, but also well known fantasy authors as well, showing that the use for the site doesn’t end after you have gained some momentum. I think that is an amazing way to market your writing, and a great way to engage your readers. If you use patreon, you can use it as a way to give them extra content for supporting your work. There are many benefits to using this site, and I’ll get to that more in a minute.
Why I Decided to Use World Anvil
Honestly, the first reason was that it was free. I went back and forth for a while on wether I would even finish my writing. But I think I’ve come to a good solution. So I didn’t want to commit at first to a program that I wasn’t sure I’d continue to use.
Since I’ve found World Anvil, I have used it as my main tool in collecting details and points for my writing. I found that I was making some real progress, and I owe that to the way the articles are set up and how easy the site is to use.
My stories are more character and situation driven. But there is also a good measure of world building that goes into the places surrounding them and the reason the situations are what they are. I have two narratives going on simultaneously, so it can be really easy to lose information or important details. So having a place where I can store them is important. Also, the website works on both a computer and a mobile device, so if I get an idea or think of a major detail on the go, I can access the site on my phone and jot it down real quick. Since it is a website, I don’t have to worry about wether it will only save on my phone.
Also, I really love how it connects the articles. For example, let’s say you have written your article or prose for a character. If you have also written articles on locations, timelines, or even other characters, you can link them into that article. If you have the timeline of your world set up, it can show when in the timeline they were born. If you have an article written on their birth place, you can link that under their birth location. Same goes for where they live. It makes connecting the dots a lot easier. And since I have two narratives, it’s a good way to connect the similarities and where the narratives intersect.
Why You Should Consider Using World Anvil
For starters, it’s a free service. The creators wanted to make a writing resource that anyone could use, no matter their financial situation or life circumstances. They wanted to make writing tools that normally cost 50 to 70 dollars accessible to those who couldn’t afford it or were on a tight budget. They do offer extra features if you choose to subscribe and pay a membership fee, but most of the resources are free. And normally when you have a resource that has a free version and then a membership version, all of the necessary features are only available if you subscribe. All of the features I have been talking about so far are included in the free account. I think that is amazing, and am happy that they are providing a service that many people need, but normally can’t have access to.
Speaking of accessibility, as someone who is visually impaired, I have found that there are a lot of sites that don’t offer ways to make it easier to use. World Anvil is amazing with this. They offer different contrast options for the background and text, and allow you to enlarge the text really big. I have chosen the white and bright green against a black background, and my text is pretty big. They also allow you to change a few of the fonts, which is also nice because some are easier to read than others.
The user interface is really easy to navigate as well. It isn’t hard to find what you are looking for, and the program works really smooth. They have guides on how to use the platform, and they are easy to find and navigate through. Their costumer service is amazing, and they also don’t spam you with emails after you create an account, which is one of the all time best features in my opinion.
If you choose to subscribe, you have access to more features. You have an unlimited amount of articles you can write. It also gets rid of ads, and gives you more storage to hold all of your writing. You also gain a word count, writing goals, the ability to export articles, and so much more. You also get access to the patreon features. Yet, the free version still allows for a great deal of creating, and gives you the tools you need if you are starting out or need help getting all the ideas down. It’s nice to see that all of the core features are able to be used in their free membership, and that if you decide to subscribe, you can have access to extra features.
My Overall Thoughts
In summary, it is a great platform to access affordable writing resources and get started on that novel or story you have been putting off. I highly recommend it, especially since it’s accessibility features are super easy to adjust and use. If you are an aspiring author, you should really consider setting up a free account at the least. It can help you jot down those ideas and have them all organized in the same place.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you found it helpful as well. It took me a long time to find a resource that I liked and that was easy to use with my vision. So if you have been searching and searching for something that will work for what you need, why not give them a try? You can go to World Anvil to check out what they offer.
What tools do you use to help you create? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time š
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