Mix and Match

Welcome to the fourth part of the World-Building series!

Today we'll discuss mixing and matching elements to make your setting more interesting, compelling, and fun! In the last piece, I talked about wanting to make my setting compelling because it felt real and didn’t ruin that atmosphere. That doesn't mean you can't slip some other elements into your creation, but you should look at the tone and make things fit into the big picture. For example, you could include water wheels in a more Medieval setting, as long as you find a way to justify it, despite those being invented quite a bit later in our history. There are already novels that meld fantasy and detective fiction together, to the point where the wizard private investigator is a bit cliché no matter how good the stories are. 

None of which explains how to do it and make it work. In this piece, we'll look at potential ways to mix and match and what you can do to make these work.   

1) Know your Genres: Genres are sets of tropes and rules we use to shape a narrative or world. As you might imagine, some of them fit together more easily than others, but there’s nothing to stop you trying to mix, say, a Western with a Meiji Dynasty palace intrigue, then go for it. The important thing is to understand the genres you're dealing with and know how to leverage it to suit what you want to do.

I'm afraid there's no short cut here, though I'm sure AI and the Internet can help, you'll need to study and read widely so that you can make your choices work. While it's true that in many ways all stories follow the same path (the hero's journey can look like a young man embarking on a quest or a detective investigating a crime), it'll be expressed differently in different genres.

For instance, in a roleplaying setting, you might create an industrialised fantasy which melds traditional Fantasy with a Noir and Victoriana. Magic, present in the Fantasy setting might face new challenges as wizards struggle to exert the same influence they would in a more traditional Fantasy world. 

Wizards might not be welcomed because they become outside the system - separated from workers and factories by their learning and seen as dangerous because they tap into a chaotic power source. Many wizards and other magic workers either retreat to rural communities, or they hide in the cities' ghettos, living as unwanted members of society. 

If we consider this through the lens of what we need to understand, obviously Victorian society and the way industrialisation changed society is a core element of this. We need to understand both noir and Victorian detective fiction. It would be useful, as well, to understand Fantasy as a genre and how magic works and the role of wizards in that genre and how it might change in the light of industrialisation. 

2) Mixing Genres: There are so many genres out there and on their own, they run the risk of feeling quite stale. There are only so many stories within the Fantasy or Crime genres. By definition they are limited. One way to get around that might be to smash things together to see what you get: put King Arthur in space or meld the Western with Fantasy. You can make most things work if you keep your bigger picture in mind.

Another option might be to introduce elements of other genres or cultures into your main setting. Let's say you're creating a Fantasy novel set in a quasi-Norse or Anglo-Saxon culture on an archipelago. That evokes certain elements, ranging from horned helmets (which are pure fantasy) to axe warriors, berserkers, shield maidens, and longships.  Those are cliches, but they also have some basis in history. You can add dragons or other monsters quite easily, as mentioned above, you could include additional elements.

The problem with it is that you might say that it’s perhaps not hugely interesting. What could we add from other genres to make it more exciting? That might be where the story comes in, a powerful Jarl being killed would make this a crime story or a political drama depending on the nature of his death. The tale might even be both, as a political drama that ends in murder and is unravelled by the protagonists. It might a fudge, but you’d end up using elements of at least three genres within the telling of that story. 

3) Changing History: One of the most powerful tools we have as creators is history. By drawing on the past we can play around with new ideas. The Authority comic series told a story where aliens made first contact during the Renaissance. Paul J McCauley’s Pascal’s Angel posits a world where Leonardo Da Vinci’s career was focused on science and art and transformed the world through his inventions. If we were to take both of these ideas and look at how they would change the world, couldn’t we build a fascinating world?  The politics spinning out of these changes alone would make for interesting reading. 

Another idea, one we commonly see within Steampunk and other “punk” genres is to move around the technology and explore the consequences that creates. How would air travel being readily available in the 1880s have changed the world? What if the Difference Engine had transformed society, perhaps even creating functioning automata that could be used for labour? What could we take from that to tell stories or explore a world? 

4) A Question of Tone: The important thing with this is making sure tone is right and things fit together. You don't want anything to stand out as being too odd or which doesn't quite fit. Anything that throws your reader, or players, out of the narrative isn't going to be on your side.

This is something you want to look at once you've finished creating, when the editing process has begun. I'd suggest reading what you've created aloud because if something doesn't sound right when you say it out loud then it isn't and you need to change it. Again, though, make your choices wisely and see if the things you're picking work in the context you're operating within.

If we return to the idea of the Victorian Noir Fantasy, we might consider how the setting would look. Fantasy often brushes the filth and squalor out of life in stories. I don't remember reading any books or playing any settings where an ability to dodge chamber pot contents being tipped out of the windows. Well, maybe Pratchett mentioned it in one of his novels, I don't recall.

In contrast, Noir and the Victorian genres often focus deeply on poverty, squalor and the environmental devastation. As a consequence, they don't quite match up. My point is that at some point you have to make a decision about how dirty your world will be.

5) The Role of Conflict: Conflict is the heart of fiction, no matter how you frame it. Mixing genres allows you to mix different sorts of conflict to create a heightened sense and broadened types of drama. The types of conflict you include will drive your world and allow you to define important factors of your world. For example, in a Fantasy world you might fight Orcs, who are all evil. It creates a sense of us versus them, and might be seen as carrying elements of racism. In contrast, you might fight bandits or cultists, which defines the conflict around choices that individuals make. Consider how your conflict defines your world and stresses the various elements you've brought to bear within the setting.

For example, the Western-Meiji Dynasty mash up may bring a clash of values and differing ideas of honour or bravery. In a material sense, you might have clashing ways of fighting and battles over land as well. It may also create characters who have to face those challenges and change as a result. The Noir Fantasy in a Victorian city magic may not just be stigmatised but might also lead to magic itself becoming corrupted. Characters may have to make choices between integrity and survival.

These reinforce the tone and setting, giving characters meaningful stakes to overcome in the worlds you've built.

Mixing and matching elements in your world-building is a delicate but rewarding process. By understanding your genres, blending them thoughtfully, and paying close attention to tone and historical context, you can create a setting that feels unique, immersive, and compelling. Remember, the goal is to make your world stand out while still feeling cohesive and believable to your audience.

Now it's your turn! What genres or elements have you been experimenting with in your world-building? Share your ideas in the comments, or tell us how you’ve tackled the challenge of blending genres. Let’s keep the creativity flowing—your next great idea could inspire others!

Have a great week!