Horror, sci-fi, and fantasy novels often involve an element of worldbuilding. What’s tricky is incorporating the information that a reader needs in a way that doesn’t detract from the story. No one is interested in paragraph upon paragraph describing the world in the book. Here are a few ways to explain the world in your novel while keeping readers engaged:

• Make your main character a newcomer. Your character could be from another country, or from a different socio-economic background than the characters they interact with. In Harry Potter, it makes sense that Harry has lots of questions about the wizarding world because he was raised without magic. If your character is in a similar situation, you can easily weave in snippets of conversation that explain what the character and the reader need to know. The key is to sprinkle this information throughout the book, not in one long conversation between characters. 
• Place your character in a different situation. This is a great way to emphasize the differences between what your character is used to in daily life and the setting they’re currently in, whether your book takes place in our world or a fantasy location. In A.M. Shine’s The Watchers, Mia finds herself trapped in a forest after her car breaks down. This forest is inhabited by the Watchers, and to stay safe Mia cannot be outside after dark. She must obey the rules set by the Watchers to survive. Situations like these allow for plenty of reflection from your main character about how different their life was before being stuck in their current situation. 
• Immerse the reader in your world. Placing the reader in the center of the action gets them quickly acclimated to the world of your book. Jonathan Stroud does this particularly well in his Lockwood & Co series. We immediately see Lucy fighting off a ghost with iron and silver, without much explanation about how ghosts are affected by these weapons, or why a teenage girl is fighting a ghost at night. Through contextual clues, we realize that ghosts can be subdued with iron and silver, and that the teens fighting it are well-trained. Shortly after this scene, we find out what led Lucy to her current situation and learn about the ghost situation in England.
• Give a quick recap. When introducing a monster, you’ll need to outline its limitations. Dracula can’t be exposed to the sun, and zombies (traditionally) move slowly. If you’re creating a different monster, or altering common monster lore, your characters and the reader will need to learn its weaknesses. In my novel Negative Images, hauntings happen around the world and the public is still learning about these ghostly beings through personal interactions. Since Nis are a unique take on ghosts, I decided to include a quick recap of everything my characters knew about them during a conversation. This lets the reader know what is (and isn’t) normal behavior for this type of ghost.

Additionally, you may want to keep a separate document for yourself to help you remember key details and rules about your world. If you have a magical mode of transportation, what are the rules for using it? If time travel is possible, what are the consequences of going back in time? Knowing the rules of your world will ground the story and give your reader a better experience. 

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