The worlds that authors create

Novelists, authors, fiction writers are creative thinkers. They develop characters, places, objects, and events to share their idea and tell a story. Authors develop such characters and places in literature that remain etched in the readers’ thought process. The development of such fictional people and places – with mysterious and magical features – stems from the conscious and subconscious areas of the mind. It could be a result of the writers’ mindful creative process to bring out-of-the-world scenarios to life. Furthermore, the writers could be influenced by a visual, text, or verbal explanation of something mysterious that they came across. At times, creative inspiration also allows authors to bring fictional people to life when they let their minds wander and they think on an impulse.
Over the years, authors have given readers a plethora of fictional people, places, and events. Imagine a world of the Harry Potter series. How unique is the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Its rooms and corridors, hallways and classrooms, playgrounds and secret chambers, were created by J.K. Rowling’s thoughts when she was dwelling on the setting and place for the novel. When talking about a unique fictional place, we have also read about Malgudi, a creation of Indian author R.K. Narayan that he used in his short stories and novels.
Malgudi is situated near the river Sarayu (also fictional) that is located alongside the fictional forest of Mempi. This city gives the reader to be at a serene place where simplicity reigns supreme. Another memorable place in literature is the Emerald City created by American author L. Frank Baum. It first appeared in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).
Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift gave us Lilliput and Blefuscu in his novel Gulliver’s Travels (1726). These are fictional islands where small humans reside whose size is one-twelfth of a normal human. Swift’s strange narrative was written in an era when perhaps thinking uniquely was not so common. Narnia is another fictional destination that is popular among children, teenagers, and adults alike.
Created by British writer C.S. Lewis for his series of novels published under the banner of The Chronicles of Narnia. This fantasy world is inhibited by Earthman, Fauns, Giants, etc. In the fantasy genre, English writer J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth remains one of the most powerful literary universes. It has been the main setting for The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (written in stages between 1937 and 1949). In Tolkien’s universe, Middle-earth is the continent of the Earth where the forces of good and bad collide.
Another interesting fictional place is Shangri-La by British author James Hilton. It appeared in his novel Last Horizon (1933). This place is located in a mythical Himalayan-like mountainous region. Pemberley, on the other hand, is a fictional country estate mentioned in Pride and Prejudice (1813), a classic novel by Jane Austen. The author described Pemberley as “Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place where nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste.”
From Pakistan, the fictional family of Inspector Jamshed and his three children Mehmood, Farooq, and Farzan, are popular nationwide. They solve crimes using their presence of mind, ingenuity, and bravery. They appear in the stories written by Late Ishtiaq Ahmad published under the banner of Inspector Jamshed Series.
When developing characters, authors create them with such delicacy and prowess that they become the harbinger of storytelling. For instance, J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, who appeared in The Hobbit are unforgettable indeed. Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) reveals to us the characters of Charlie, the selfless poor boy who wins a ticket to visit the world’s largest candy factory owned by Willy Wonka. On the other hand, Wonka is an eccentric character who acts rather spontaneously.
Another of Dahl’s creations is Mr. Fox, an anthropomorphic, clever fox that is the protagonist in Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970). The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss from the novel of the same name published in 1957 is the story of an anthropomorphic cat that shows us at the house of two children to entertain them. This character of the Cat is perhaps one of the most memorable developed in recent decades. Over the years, authors have given readers a world of their own, filled with magic, myth, fantasy, and adventure. These stories do have moral lessons and intriguing fictional tales that keep us entertained.