Hmmmm.

That’s actually a really interesting way to look at it, Matthew.

And in one sense...sure. You COULD call some of it self-authored fan fiction.

Except I think that definition becomes too small almost immediately.

What happens when the author creates stories that never belonged in the novels?

What if I write the childhood adventure of a side character readers love, or the legend behind a ruined castle, or the journal of an explorer who lived 400 years before the main story begins?

Is that fan fiction?

Maybe.

But what if the “extra” material is a living bestiary filled with creatures readers can discover?

Or an interactive world encyclopedia?

Or maps where readers can click on towns, ruins, taverns, battlefields, kingdoms, and hidden locations?

Or family trees, ancient languages, religious beliefs, political factions, recipes, songs, artifacts, historical documents, timelines, newspapers, wanted posters, field journals, letters between characters, puzzles, mysteries, and Easter eggs?

At some point, we’re not really talking about bonus fiction anymore.

We’re talking about expanding the STORY EXPERIENCE beyond the book.

And THAT is what fascinates me.

For most of publishing history, the book was the container. You had 300 pages, maybe 500, and whatever didn’t fit stayed in the author’s notebook.

That restriction doesn’t really exist anymore.

The novel can remain the MAIN event, and I think it should. I never want readers to need a website to understand the book.

But for the reader who finishes the story and says, “I don’t want to leave yet”...

Why make them?

Let them explore the world.

Give them the bestiary.

Let them read the history of the kingdom.

Show them the map.

Let them discover what happened to that minor character five years later.

Maybe hide something that changes the way they interpret a scene they already read.

That’s where I think things get REALLY interesting.

Authors have spent decades trying to build audiences around books.

I think we have an opportunity now to build experiences around WORLDS.

And if we do that well, readers stop simply consuming stories.

They start belonging somewhere.

That’s a completely different relationship.

Lisa, you KNOW how dangerous it is to give EITHER of us an opportunity to talk about World Anvil.

LOL

I could have written three times as much and still had things left to say.

What I love most is that it gives us somewhere for all that imagination to LIVE. Especially after the book is finished. It's not just notes for us as writers, but places our readers can actually explore and become part of.

Thanks for letting me share this with everyone, Lisa.

I really hope a few writers walk away from this article realizing their fictional worlds can become MUCH bigger than the pages they started on.

- Jaime

Jaime, thanks for such a well-rounded and thoughtful response. You didn't have to do that, but you did. 🙂

I tested and wantedhero.com is working. So is mine: [Link deleted]

Ellen, thank you!

I love that you’re already thinking about this in terms of the characters.

That’s where my heart is too.

When a reader finishes one of my stories, I don’t want those characters to simply vanish because they reached the last page. If I’ve done my job, the reader still cares about them. They’re still wondering about their lives, their relationships, where they came from, and what happens next.

And THAT curiosity is such a gift.

World Anvil gave me a place to do something with it.

Instead of trying to squeeze every interesting detail into the novel, I can leave some doors unopened...and give the curious reader a way to walk through them later.

That’s been one of my favorite discoveries in building Wanted Hero.

And knowing how much you care about creating memorable characters, Ellen, I have a feeling you’re going to start seeing possibilities everywhere once you get inside World Anvil. 

Just remember: you don’t have to build EVERYTHING.

Give readers one more reason to care...then one more place to explore.

Thanks for the kind words, my friend. I’m really glad this one got you pumped.

Sylvie, thank you for telling me about that!

The Wanted Hero link problem is actually a security/certificate issue connected to some of the changes World Anvil has been making around security and AI, and I’ve been working with their support team all weekend to get it resolved.

They literally just told me they’re generating and installing a new certificate for the site, and that once it’s in place, some people may need to clear their browser cache or try another browser/device before the old error disappears.

So...you managed to arrive at precisely the moment I had the hood up and tools scattered all over the driveway.

Honestly I forgot the article was going live today and not next week.

UPDATE (already): It's fixed.

Please try WantedHero.com again shortly. I really WOULD like you to see it, because what you’re describing is exactly where World Anvil becomes useful.

Two series sharing the same world is a perfect example.

You can have the town exist ONCE, with its map, locations, history, businesses, families, secrets, important events, and whatever else matters...then both series can connect back into that same living body of information.

And that’s where I think the idea changes from “keeping track of my notes” into something much bigger.

Your readers can eventually explore the same town YOU have been carrying around in your head.

The map doesn’t even have to be perfect on day one. Start with the places that matter to the stories. Where does someone live? Where do they eat? Where did something terrible happen twenty years ago? Where do the teenagers go when they don’t want adults finding them?

Suddenly it isn’t just a map.

It’s a place.

And if you can make readers feel that the town continues existing even when the book is closed...you’ve done something very powerful.

Thank you for letting me know about the error, Sylvie.

And please do try again (remember to clear your browser cache first).

I’d love to know what you think once you can actually get through the front door. 

Jennifer...HA!
Welcome back to the danger zone. 😂

And YES, I completely understand what you're talking about. World Anvil used to feel considerably more technical, especially if you wanted things to LOOK the way you imagined them. The language you're remembering is primarily BBCode, and I spent more time than I care to admit staring at brackets wondering what tiny character I'd managed to offend.

The good news is that World Anvil has gotten much friendlier.

They now have a Visual Editor, so you can do the basic writing, formatting, linking, images, etc. without needing to learn all that coding first. The more advanced stuff is still there when you want to get fancy, but you don't have to START there.

And that's actually my biggest advice to you:

DON'T start by building your world.

Start by building one doorway INTO your world.

Pick the book or series you most want readers to fall in love with. Then create ONE location, ONE important character, ONE piece of lore, and maybe ONE mystery or unanswered question.

Connect those four things.

Then stop and look at what you've made.

That's enough to understand the real power of World Anvil without waking up three weeks later surrounded by 347 unfinished articles and wondering where your family went.

As for subscriptions, I'd actually start free and play with it first. If you decide, “Oh yes...I can USE this,” then I think Master is a perfectly sensible place for most writers to begin.

Grandmaster starts becoming interesting when you're thinking less like “I need somewhere to organize my world” and more like “I want to DESIGN an experience for my readers.”

And Sage is really the professional/business level.

That's where things like stronger branding, custom domains, white labeling, larger reader-access options, and the professional tools start mattering.

That's closer to how I use World Anvil today, but I absolutely would NOT tell someone just getting started to run out and buy the biggest package.

...unless they're like me and don't mind juming in with both feet and learning at a master level from day one.

Learn what you need first.

THEN spend money.

Santa will appreciate the fiscal restraint. Ho! Ho! Ho! 😂

Actually, your question has me thinking I should do a follow-up article specifically on “Okay, I Joined World Anvil...Now What?” because THAT may be the missing bridge between seeing the possibilities and actually using the thing effectively.

Thanks, Jennifer.
And thank you for the wonderful compliment.

Vivienne, you just made my morning. Thank you!

And your reaction is actually the whole point I was trying to make in the article.

You read about a world, something caught your imagination, and now you want to GO THERE.

That is exactly what we want readers to feel.

Worldbuilding is not just about creating more information. It is about creating curiosity. Giving readers enough to make them lean forward and think, “Wait...what else is there?”

World Anvil gives us a way to answer that question without cramming everything into the book itself.

So yes, go explore! Poke around World Anvil, then come wander through WantedHero.com and see how I’ve used it. Don’t worry about learning everything at once. Just pay attention to what makes YOU want to click deeper.

That feeling you have right now?

That’s the feeling we’re trying to create for our readers.